Rocket Weekly: A Split Before Heading out West
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Laval’s long stretch of home games came to an end last week on a bad note but they were nonetheless able to clinch a playoff spot and hold onto first overall heading into a long road trip.
Laval’s long stretch of home games came to an end last week on a bad note but they were nonetheless able to clinch a playoff spot and hold onto first overall heading into a long road trip.
The Habs looked to sweep both ends of the home-and-home with Florida as they hosted the Panthers on Tuesday. The captain came up clutch with Nick Suzuki scoring in the dying seconds to tie it and added the winner in overtime in a 3-2 victory.
The Habs had a tough road trip to close out the month of March, losing three of four games. However, it only made a minor dent in their playoff hopes with the other contenders struggling all week as well.
After an ugly loss in St. Louis, the Habs hoped to get back on track Thursday in Philadelphia. Instead, they got off to another tough start and never fully recovered, falling 6-4.
Kicking off another long stretch of games at home, Laval largely took care of business last week, picking up five of a possible six points to give themselves a bit of breathing room as they continue to hold onto first overall.
It wasn’t a great week for the Habs as they only managed to pick up a single win. However, with both of their losses coming in extra time, they were able to move into the final Wild Card spot in the East for the time being.
The Habs made a brief stop at home on Saturday before embarking on a four-game road trip as they hosted Colorado. They made a terrific comeback in the third, scoring three to force overtime but ultimately fell in the shootout, losing 5-4.
After a big comeback win against Ottawa on Tuesday, the Habs faced the Islanders on Thursday looking to keep up their winning ways. While they came back to force overtime and secured a key point, Bo Horvat’s second of the night in the extra session gave New York the 4-3 win.
The Habs shortened their UFA list summer by one on Wednesday, announcing that they’ve signed Laval captain Lucas Condotta to a two-year, two-way contract extension.
Last week got off to a particularly rough start for Laval as they fell to the worst team in the league. However, they were able to bounce back with a pair of victories on the road to maintain top spot in the AHL.