Game recap
Sasha Pastujov leads Rocket as Laval rolls past Crunch 6-1
A day after being shut out by Syracuse, the Laval Rocket answered back Saturday afternoon at Place Bell with a 6-1 win fuelled by a three-point outing from Sasha Pastujov.
By the PickALeague Newsroom · Published · Source: La PresseSummary written with AI assistance — how we workLire en français →
The Laval Rocket delivered an emphatic response to their disappointing season opener. Less than 24 hours after being shut out by the Syracuse Crunch, Laval turned the tables with a 6-1 victory on Saturday afternoon at Place Bell, powered by a three-point performance from Sasha Pastujov.
Pastujov led the way with two goals and one assist as the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate finally found its scoring touch. Head coach Daniel Jacob’s group, held off the board in Friday’s loss, improved to 1-1-0 on the young season, matching the Crunch’s record.
New faces drive Laval’s offensive breakout
A busy off-season reshaped Laval’s lineup, and those changes quickly showed up on the scoresheet. In addition to Pastujov’s outburst, newcomers Reilly Walsh, Brett Berard and Samuel Poulin each scored their first goal in a Rocket uniform, underscoring the fresh offensive look of the club.
Veteran Alex Belzile rounded out the scoring with an empty-netter in the late stages, while defenceman Luke Mittelstadt quietly put together a three-assist outing from the blue line. The multi-goal second period finally snapped a scoreless stretch that had stretched beyond 80 minutes of play to start Laval’s season.
Syracuse opened the scoring against the run of play. After Laval generated the early chances, a penalty to Vincent Arseneau put the Crunch on the power play. Maxim Groshev, who had just registered his team’s first shot, floated a puck toward Jacob Fowler through traffic and it found its way in for a 1-0 lead.
Fowler shuts the door as Rocket seize control
Fowler, strong in Friday’s defeat, responded again with another steady effort. The Rocket netminder allowed only one goal on 24 shots and turned aside multiple pushes from Syracuse, especially later in the game when the visitors tried to claw back.
Laval’s comeback began early in the second period. Less than a minute after the intermission, Walsh jumped up on the right side and beat Olivier Rodrigue with a pinpoint shot over the glove to tie the game. That goal sparked a decisive swing in momentum in favour of the home team.
Midway through the frame, a Laval power play nearly went sideways when Brendan Furry broke in alone but failed to finish his deke. The Rocket escaped and quickly capitalized once set up in the offensive zone, with Pastujov snapping home a quick wrist shot to give Laval its first lead of the season. Not long after, Berard used his speed and individual skill on the zone entry, eluding two defenders before beating Rodrigue on the glove side to make it 3-1.
Pastujov completes brace as Laval heads out on the road
Syracuse tried to tilt the ice in the third period, but Fowler held firm and denied any comeback hopes. Laval then put the game out of reach on the power play when Pastujov scored his second of the afternoon. Poulin added another goal before Belzile’s empty-net marker sealed the 6-1 final. Rodrigue finished the afternoon having allowed five goals on 32 shots before the late empty-net tally.
With their first win secured and their offence awakened, the Rocket now turn their attention to a four-game road swing. The trip begins next Saturday in Springfield, where Laval will look to build on the convincing performance they delivered in front of their home fans.