LINDGREN’S 25-SAVE SHUTOUT LEADS THE ROCKET TO A SIXTH CONSECUTIVE VICTORY

CLEVELAND (November 9, 2019) – The Laval Rocket extended their win streak to six with a flawless 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Monsters, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ affiliate, on Saturday night. In a game defined by a strong rivalry and physical play, both teams logged a total of 64 penalty minutes. Charlie Lindgren made 25 saves and earned his first shutout of the season after a brilliant performance between the pipes. 

The Laval netminder left his mark early in the game. While the Rocket were on a powerplay, Stefan Matteau managed to find himself on a breakaway and was stopped by Lindgren who made a brilliant glove save to keep the game scoreless. 

Like Friday’s tilt, the visitors were once again dominant in the first period. The Rocket’s aggressive forecheck led to several quality shots on goaltender Veini Vehvilainen who conceded the first goal of the game on the opponents’ eighth shot. Kevin Lynch scored his first goal in the Rocket uniform on a four-on-four. He adeptly rid himself of his defender before masterfully deking the puck past the Monsters’ netminder. Lukas Vejdemo and Karl Alzner registered assists on the goal. 

The Rocket doubled their tally early in the second period. Matthew Peca took advantage of the traffic in front of Vehvilainen’s net and scored his first goal of the season from a sharp angle. Tension and animosity were high between the rivals near the halfway mark of the game. After Justin Scott delivered a dangerous hit on Jake Evans, Antoine Waked dropped the gloves with Scott to defend his teammate. After two periods of play, Lindgren remained perfect on 18 shots. He made a clutch blocker save on Markus Hannikainen who was on a breakaway. 

The Monsters upped the tempo in the third period, but the Rocket’s defense stifled their chances and blocked several shots. Lindgren continued to be the difference as he made seven more saves. Alex Belzile scored two empty-net goals in the final minutes of the game as the Monsters pulled their goalie for an additional player. With the victory, the Rocket swept the Monsters on their two-game road trip. 

“Going down the lineup, every single guy was selling out tonight and that’s why it was truly a team win. When you see guys selling out and throwing their bodies in front of pucks, as a goalie, that’s inspiring and motivating,” said Lindgren after the win. 

Marqueurs/Scorers 

LAV: Lynch (Vejdemo, Alzner) | Peca | Belzile (Vejdemo) – EN | Belzile (Juulsen) – EN – SH 

CLE: 

Unités spéciales/Special teams 

LAV | AN/PP: 0/4 | IN/PK: (6/6) 

CLE | AN/PP: 0/6 | IN/PK: (4/4) 

Gardiens/Goaltenders 

LAV: Lindgren (25/25) CLE: Vehvilainen (25/27) 

Trois étoiles/Three stars 

1. Lindgren – LAV 2. Lynch – LAV 3. Peca – LAV