LAVAL — If they could, Pascal Vincent and his Laval Rocket players would demand that the month of October 2024 last 60 days. Or 90 days. Or forever. Because they had a very good one.
The Laval team concluded this first month of the 2024-25 American Hockey League season by beating the Utica Comets 3-2 Wednesday evening at Place Bell.
The win gave Laval a 6-1 record, the best after seven games since the Rocket began playing in the 2017-2018 season.
The Rocket has five consecutive victories, one less than the Laval franchise record. A record that could be equalled, then broken, after meetings with the Providence Bruins, Friday and Saturday, at Place Bell.
The positive statistics don’t stop there. The Rocket has a perfect record at home (4-0-0) and has never trailed after 40 minutes of play.
“I think our DNA is about working hard, but beyond working hard, it’s collectively. We put the game plan together the right way. In backchecking and forechecking we give absolutely nothing (to our opponents), and it’s tiring. This is what makes us successful,” forward Xavier Simoneau said after Wednesday’s match.
Also, the Laval team has won the five matches it has played so far against rivals from the North Division without giving them the slightest bonus point for a defeat in overtime or in a shootout.
“This is my third year here and this is the first time this has happened. I’m happy,” said Simoneau.
“We saw it; At the end of the season, these are points that are very, very, very important. The way we are starting, these are bonus points for us,” he added.
In short, everything is going well at the Rocket, and a common message has emerged so far, whether it comes from Vincent or one of his players: everyone has bought into the philosophy put forward by the coaching staff.
Asked to clarify what this philosophy is, Vincent paid tribute to his players and the unity they continue to display on the ice, on the bench and in the dressing room.
“They are united, because they are good people, and they want to do things the right way. They buy into the mindset we want to have. They buy the tenacity, the effort it takes to win hockey games or, at least, put yourself in a position to win hockey games,” Vincent responded, initially.
“Systems are important, but there is no perfect system and there is no system you can’t beat. What’s hard to beat is when you have five guys going on the ice every 30 seconds and working as a unit of five, offensively and defensively,” added the Rocket head coach.
“What they bought into is the state of mind, the way we are going to wear the Laval Rocket jersey, how we are going to play, night after night,” he summarized.
These early successes may be surprising if we take into account that the 2024-25 edition not only has a new head coach, but also around 10 players who were elsewhere a year ago.
The general philosophy is based above all on daily management.
“We have some success, yes. There are reasons for that. We must keep and protect that. But each match is like an individual moment. I don’t want to link one to the other. We won today. Tonight I want them to enjoy it. But tomorrow, we start again, and the machine must continue,” Vincent said.
“I didn’t know them, they didn’t know me either,” he said of his players. “It’s a team effort and it’s not me. It’s the whole thing. It’s the team of instructors, it’s the players, the therapists, it’s everyone together. It’s still very early in the season, but it’s a good start, there’s no doubt.”
Goalkeeper Jakub Dobes remains doubtful for this weekend. Rocket management announced Thursday that he was being evaluated daily due to a lower-body injury.
On Wednesday, Dobes made 27 saves and recorded his fourth victory in as many starts this season.
The Rocket recalled goaltender Luke Cavallin from the Trois-Rivières Lions. The team sent defenceman Chris Jandric down to the Lions in return, with defenceman Logan Mailloux returning to Laval.