By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
LAVAL, QUEBEC – Riley Kidney had a goal and two assists for the Laval Rocket, leading them to a 5-1 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack, ending a nine-game losing streak on Saturday afternoon.
Three unanswered second-period goals by Laval broke the game open.
The Pack started the game well, scoring just 2:14 into the contest. Blake Hillman received a drop pass from Ryder Korczak, moved in, fired a shot that hit the skate of Laval’s Oliver Galipeau, hit goaltender Jakub Dobeš, and went into the net for his first tally of the season on the game’s first shot. It was the only goal they would get as Dobeš stopped the next 25 shots.
Laval responded two minutes later to tie the score. The Pack had two chances to clear the puck from their zone but couldn’t get it done. Korczak beat his check to the puck but couldn’t clear it. Then Matt Robertson followed from deep in the right-wing corner.
Laval recovered the puck and sent it up top to Logan Mailloux at the right point. Mailloux let it fly, and it deflected off either a stick or skate and hit the post. The rebound went directly to Kidney on the left wing. He returned fire and scored his fourth of the season off Wolf Pack starting netminder and recent callup, Olof Lindbom, at 4:45.
At 15:15 of the first period, Matt Rempe was hit with a major penalty and game misconduct for a check to the head. to the head and was tossed with 4:45 left in the period.
After Xavier Simoneau released the puck in the right-wing corner, and with Mac Hollowell baring down on him, Rempe got to him and nailed him. The two teams marched up the ice. Neither of the ref’s arms raised their arms, signifying a called penalty.
At the next stoppage, the refs had a discussion in front of the penalty box, at which time the call was made, and Rempe, to the dismay of Pack head coach Steve Smith, was sent to the locker room.
After the Rempe hit, Simoneau went to the locker room, but only missed a portion of the remainder of the period.
THE SECOND PERIOD DOES IN WOLF PACK
At 4:43, Emil Heinemann took a Cross-checking call to put Laval down. They responded by scoring a shorthanded goal at 6:03 of the second frame, taking a lead they would not look back from. Off the rush, Laval came on a two-on-one with Branden Gignac on the left wing. Gignac took Kidney’s pass and fired his seventh of the season top shelf over Lindbom to make it 2-1.
Laval struck again 2:29 later to make it a 3-1 lead for the Rocket.
Philippe Maillet took the lead pass from Arber Xhekaj and cut across the middle of the Wolf Pack zone. Robertson decided to go for a big hit and connected, but just before connecting, Maillet passed to Kidney, who was wide open on the left wing in the area vacated by Robertson. Kidney buried his fifth goal of the season at 8:32.
The Rocket completed their second-period offensive outburst when Nolan Yaremko took a pass from Kidney on the left-wing side and scored his first of the season. On the play, Brennan Othmann was late arriving on the backcheck and Nikolas Brouillard was stuck between them.
THIRD PERIOD
In the final frame, Laval was able to shut the Pack down.
Laval finished the game’s scoring at 15:13 on the power play. Joshua Roy was in front of the net screening Lindbom and tipped Mailloux’s shot in his ninth goal of the season past Linblom.
The Wolf Pack returns home to play the Rochester Americans on Friday night.
LINES:
Karl Henriksson-Anton Blidh-Adam Sýkora
Brett Berard-Alex Belzile-Brennan Othmann
Adam Edström-Turner Elson-Bobby Trivigno-
Matt Rempe-Ryder Korczak-Cristiano DiGiacinto
Mac Hollowell-Connor Mackey
Nikolas Brouillard-Blake Hillman
Matt Robertson-Brandon Scanlin
Olof Lindbom
Louie Domingue
SCRATCHES:
D Ben Harpur (upper body, indefinitely)
F Jake Leschyshyn (upper body, week to week)
D Zach Berzolla (lower body, week to week )
G Dylan Garand (lower body, day to day)
F Matej Pekar (healthy)
D Grant Gabriele (healthy)
F Drew Worrad (not in residence).
NOTES:
The Place attendance was a sell with 10,268 for Teddy Bear toss night. When Kidney scored, the toss led to a 20-minute delay.
Pack saw their streak of ten games with a powerplay goal end. Their last power-play-less game was on November 12th against Providence.
Alex Belisle, Brennan Othmann, and Mac Hollowell had scoring streaks end.
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