Rocket fall 5-2 in Game 2 of AHL Eastern Conference Finals

Trevor Carrick collected a goal and two assists to lead the Charlotte Checkers to an easy 5-2 victory over the Laval Rocket on Thursday night at Place Bell.

For the second game in a row, the Montreal Canadiens’ school team was unable to find an answer to a much more experienced and structured team.

The Checkers scored one power-play goal, one shorthanded goal and three even-strength goals, and they physically dominated the Laval side without any real consequences.

The best example came when Marek Alscher stunned Laurent Dauphin with a late check, about six feet from the Rocket bench. Dauphin never returned to the game.

The Checkers did their job by taking a 2-0 lead in this Eastern Association final. They will return home for at least the next two games – three if they suffer a setback.

John Leonard, Michael Benning, Will Lockwood and Riley Bezeau found the back of the net for the visitors, who put in another excellent performance. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 22 shots.

Noel Hoefenmayer and David Reinbacher replied for the Rocket, who seem to be learning the rudiments of playing in the American Hockey League’s top four the hard way.

Cayden Primeau conceded four goals on 18 shots and gave way to Jacob Fowler in the second period. The 20-year-old goalkeeper allowed one goal from 12 shots.

The boots don’t follow the chops

Hostilities got underway well before the opening face-off. During the warm-up, a number of players from both teams were talking to each other in the whites of their eyes at centre ice, and a few short blows were exchanged.

When the game got underway, the Rocket didn’t miss a single opportunity to complete their checks, raising the decibels in the amphitheatre each time.

However, indiscipline got in the way and the Checkers didn’t need much to seize the momentum.

Les Lavallois took the first two minutes of a four-man penalty to Joshua Roy for high sticking, but Primeau saw nothing when Carrick’s tip shot changed trajectory on Dauphin’s stick.

The two teams exchanged a golden scoring opportunity at the start of the second period. Kahkonen stood up to Jared Davidson while Primeau closed the door on MacKenzie Entwistle.

The Rocket had the chance to draw level on the power play, but as was the case the day before, the five-man attack did more harm than good. Logan Mailloux attempted a feint on the edge of the zone, but ended up committing a turnover that sent Leonard on a breakaway. The latter served up a fine feint to beat Primeau and score his second shorthanded goal in 24 hours.

It was at this point that it became clear that the Checkers had lost all respect for their opponents.

Benning dealt Laval a major blow by playing in enemy territory before beating Primeau. Just 44 seconds later, Lockwood unleashed a shot from the right circle that sent the Rocket goalkeeper scurrying for cover.

The North Carolina team also continued to impose themselves physically, particularly when Alscher was checked.

The pot boiled over and several skirmishes took place before the end of the second period.

The Rocket had a glimmer of hope in the final third when Hoefenmayer fired a shot from the point that snuck past Kahkonen, but Bezeau completed the humiliation by thwarting Fowler at the blocker with less than seven minutes to play.

Reinbacher caused the final celebrations with 59.3 seconds remaining.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews