No matter who ends up lifting the Calder Cup later this month, each of the 23 clubs that qualified to battle for this spring will all have something in common. Win or lose, they all will have sampled the high-pressure hockey that only the postseason can bring.
Danick Martel notched two goals and an assist and Cayden Primeau made 30 saves as the Laval Rocket registered a 5-1 win in Springfield on Monday night, setting up a winner-take-all showdown for the right to play for the Calder Cup.
A night after surrendering a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 4, the Springfield Thunderbirds returned the favor and will return home one victory away from the Calder Cup Finals.
Thanks in no small part to Cayden Primeau, the Laval Rocket are now in a 2-2 series with the Springfield Thunderbirds rather than attempting to fend off elimination tonight in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Rafaël Harvey-Pinard scored 4:06 into overtime as the Laval Rocket evened up the Eastern Conference Finals with an emotional 3-2 win over Springfield in Game 4 on Friday night.
Former Montreal Canadiens prospect Will Bitten had a career night, scoring four goals to lead the Springfield Thunderbirds to a 6-3 road victory over the Laval Rocket in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night.
The Laval Rocket bounced back from a tough Game 1 loss and defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds, 4-2, on Sunday evening to even the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals at one game apiece.
Matthew Peca scored 9:32 into overtime to give the Springfield Thunderbirds a 2-1 win over Laval in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night.
Enough practice. The Laval Rocket and Springfield Thunderbirds want to play.
The Laval Rocket and forward Will Bitten never quite connected. Now they will. The Rocket and Bitten’s Springfield Thunderbirds meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, beginning with Saturday’s Game 1 in the AHL’s capital city.
