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The Laval Rocket wanted to extend their winning streak at home, and that's exactly what they did on Wednesday night, blanking the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3-0. Pascal Vincent's men thus remain unbeaten at Place Bell (3-0-0-0), in a one-sided encounter in which the defense and young goaltender Jacob Fowler shone.
The game got off to a scrappy start, with both teams trading penalties and missed chances. The Rocket failed to capitalize on an early powerplay, but it was Adam Engström who finally opened the scoring late in the first period. The Swedish defenseman completed a superb play orchestrated by Laurent Dauphin and Jared Davidson, who literally mystified the opposing defense.
Engström's goal seemed to give wings to the Rocket, who took complete control of the game in the second period. Laval dominated 23-9 in shots after 40 minutes, multiplying offensive presences and long sequences in enemy territory. The Phantoms, for their part, seemed overwhelmed and unable to keep pace, despite the efforts of goalkeeper Aleksei Kolosov, who held the fort for a long time.
Late in the second, Owen Beck doubled the Rocket lead with a well-executed four-minute power play. The young center completed a beautiful play prepared by Florian Xhekaj and Tyler Thorpe, scoring his second goal of the season at the perfect time, just before intermission.
The third period was a formality. Laval continued to impose their tempo, and Davidson sealed the outcome with a superb breakaway goal, his fifth of the season. Captain Lucas Condotta was at the heart of the play, collecting the puck in the neutral zone before allowing Davidson to thread the needle.
The crowd, in full attendance despite the fact that it was a Wednesday night, applauded a complete Rocket performance, as efficient as it was disciplined. Fowler earned the shutout with 17 saves, while Dauphin once again showed his intensity and creativity.
The Rocket thus scored a convincing 3-0 victory and proved that they're hard to beat at home. As for the Phantoms, let's just say they lived up to their name: they were simply invisible on the score sheet.
