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Jacob Fowler still one of the AHL’s best playoff goaltenders
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Jacob Fowler still one of the AHL’s best playoff goaltenders
Credit: Yesterday, the Laval Rocket lost Game #2 of their series against the Rochester Americans. The series, which is 3-of-5, is now tied 1-1. Clearly, the Americans are not the Monsters. The competition is fierce and if the Rocket doesn’t play its best hockey, it can lose games. That was Pascal Vincent’s conclusion yesterday: we’ll have […]
Yesterday, the Laval Rocket lost Game #2 of their series against the Rochester Americans. The series, which is 3-of-5, is now tied 1-1.

Clearly, the Americans are not the Monsters. The competition is fierce and if the Rocket doesn’t play its best hockey, it can lose games.

That was Pascal Vincent’s conclusion yesterday: we’ll have to be strong and play the right way to get to the next level. We’ll have to be more disciplined, in fact.

The problem? The Rocket wasn’t creating enough forechecking and found itself playing different hockey. Penalties followed and the Laval club was sunk by it all.

Not an ideal situation.

The Rocket gave away two short-handed goals. And in a 5-3 win (including a goal in an empty net), you have to admit that’s part of the defeat.

Somewhat.

But even so, even if he wasn’t as invincible as in other games, Fowler did well. He gave away more goals, sure, but he wasn’t put in an easy position.

And those who watched the game know that there’s more to it than the goals conceded: there’s the big saves made.

Even though Fowler has raised his playoff average from 1.00 to 1.75 goals per game, he’s still among the elite in that regard. In the playoffs, he has the fourth-best average in the league and is in the top-10 for efficiency at .929.

In both cases, Cayden Primeau is not in the same ballpark and is among the league’s worst goaltenders in this respect. But the question remains: who will play Game #3?

I really wouldn’t be surprised to see Primeau, who won Game #1 of that series and also faced a good Rochester team, get his net back when the series returns to Laval.

After all, even if Fowler did well yesterday, he didn’t steal the job of the goalie who took the club to the playoffs for Pascal Vincent either.

I think the Rocket will continue to do what he said, which is to rotate. I think Primeau will keep game #3, but that the chances of seeing Fowler again in the series are very good.

We’ll have to be patient, though, because the next game is… next Wednesday. #CutTheMomentumForFans


overtime

– Cayden Lindstrom will land in Rimouski.

– Wow. He did a Joe Sakic.

– Please note.

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