Laval Rocket Outlasts Binghamton Devils 8-7 In OT

In their very first road game, it turned out to be a memorable one, much more than expected as Binghamton and Laval combined for 15 goals in a wild 8-7 contest with the Rocket coming up on top over the Devils on Friday at Place Bell. The game featured three different players with hat tricks including BDevils’ forward John Quenneville, with Daniel Carr and Chris Terry for the Rocket. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood (1-0-1, GAA 4.46, SV% 0.839) took the loss as he faced 29 shots, but did finish the game as Laval burned through two netminders, an important move that I will get to later.

Ben Thomson would open up the scoring 5:48 into the first as he buried his own rebound past a sprawled out Charlie Lindgren for his first of the season with an assist to defenseman Brian Strait with his shot from the point. Laval would tie it 44 seconds later as Terry with a one-timer from the circle for a power play tally. Just over a minute after Carr gave his team the lead with a deke past Devils’ defenseman Jacob MacDonald and slid the puck by Blackwood for his first of the season.

Binghamton would regain the lead 4-2 with three unanswered goals from Quenneville on a quick wrist shot off the crossbar with a cross ice feed from Blake Speers, for his first professional point, defenseman Michael Kapla on another first professional point with a goal on a floater through traffic, and a blast from the point by Jacob MacDonald who finished out the evening with two points on his season debut.

However, Laval would answer back before the period would end as a redirect in front by Terry off a slapper from the blueline by defenseman Matt Taormina that led to a Rocket power play goal. Shots ended up in favor of the Devils by a 15-9 margin in the opening twenty.

In the middle frame Binghamton increased their lead to 6-3 on JQ’s second of the evening on a tuck-in past Lindgren off a shot from Devils’ defenseman Yarloslav Dyblenko, for his first point on NA soil. (Are you getting the theme here? Some milestone markers were made in this one tonight.) Out went Lindgren and in came Zachary Fucale in-between the pipes, as that move would eventually pay off for Laval.

Carr and Terry with markers midway in the second would cut Binghamton’s lead before Quenneville capped his first pro hat trick with a soft wrister near the slot after a scramble in front that made it a 7-5 game. But here comes the Rocket as they would answer back once again on Taormina’s first of the season on a slapper from the top of the circle that beats Blackwood glove side.

Rocket would tie it after some costly penalties were just too much for the BDevils to handle with Tim Kennedy in the box for slashing as defenseman Viktor Loov failed to cover his man in front letting Laval second year forward Daniel Audette record his second goal of the season on a deflection in front by a shot from Byron Froese along the wall that sent the two teams to overtime.

From there Carr completed his hat trick after he was interfered by Devils’ forward Blake Pietila which caused him to fall to the ice as the momentum carried the puck past the goal line on a collision with Blackwood for the game winner.

Line-Ups

Forwards; Blandisi-Kearns-Lappin, Quenneville-Kennedy-Speers, Pietila-Ronney-Bastian, Baddock-Cangelosi-Thomson. Defensemen; Strait-Jacobs, Kapla-Loov, MacDonald-Dyblenko. Mackenzie Blackwood Back up; Scott Wedgewood. Scratches; Colton White, Jan Mandat, Brandon Gignac, Ryan Kujawinski and Tim Erixon

Post Game Notes

• First period was once again bonkers just like in the season opener that included a fight, as Rocket enforcer David Broll manhandled his way through rookie Brandon Baddock before slamming him to the ice in a mismatched affair. BDevils do not have enforcers, one area that might perhaps feel exposed in moving forward.
• Like I mentioned earlier, Laval head coach Sylvain Lefebvre pulled Lindgren midway through the second period after giving up six goals and was replaced by Fucale who gave up just one in 33:27 of action. That allowed Laval to make a comeback though trailing by three at the time. Meanwhile, Blackwood remained in net, as the two clubs have a 3:00pm matinee on Saturday. Scott Wedgewood will should be fresh in his season debut for the Devils. Advantage Binghamton? We shall see.
• While the loss might have spoiled JQ’s first hatty, it was good to see him get on the score-sheet the way he has in the past.
• Brian Strait and Tim Kennedy with two costly penalties late in the third provided the difference, as Laval was able to tie it up as the Rocket went 4/7 on the power play while Binghamton was 2/3.
• Devils with three blown leads by at least two goals (4-2, 6-3, 7-5) with shots in favor of Binghamton 32-29. Just a bizarre one that I haven’t seen in a really long time. I expect things might be different on Saturday, at least one would hope.

Three Stars

#3 Carr (3g), #2 Terry (3g 1a), Quenneville (3g).

Video Highlights

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Upcoming Games

The Devils and Rocket face off once again on a Saturday afternoon for the re-match.