Cayden Primeau: time to turn the page

The Laval Rocket was the only team in the entire AHL to finish the regular season with 101 points.

No team in the Howson Circuit had allowed fewer goals than the Rocket (178).

In short, Pascal Vincent’s men were the overwhelming favourites to win the Calder Cup before the start of the playoffs.

They beat the Cleveland Monsters, then the Rochester Americans..

But since the start of the series against the Charlotte Checkers, things haven’t been going well. The team lost the first two games in front of their fans by scores of 5-1 and 5-2.

First, the team stopped scoring.

Second, the team is giving away far too many goals.

Third, the state of health of the troops is enough to scare any therapist, I’m told.

Back to point two, though: goals allowed.

Cayden Primeau let in four goals on 19 shots alone on Wednesday, then was no better yesterday, when he allowed another 4, this time on 18 shots. Let’s just say it’s a far cry from his performances of recent months…

When you’re up against a 28-year-old goalie with 140 games of NHL experience in Kappo Kahkonen, you’ve got to be better than that.

And when you’re the Rocket and you dominate your opponent in shots on goal two games in a row at home, you’ve got to pick up at least one win before hitting the road in Carolina.

The series continues Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday (if necessary) in Charlotte. Which goaltender will Pascal Vincent send into the fray?

I don’t think he has a choice: he has to go with young Jacob Fowler. Because if he gets Primeau back in front of the net and Primeau gets off to a third consecutive bad start, Vincent will be challenged.

Cayden Primeau could end his career with the Canadiens in the worst possible way, after a historic season in Laval (and a catastrophic one in Montreal).

But that’s Cayden Primeau: a goalie who seems to have trouble with pressure.

Can’t wait to see what uniform he’ll be wearing come September..