Canadiens Send Reinforcements To AHL For Rocket Playoff Push

The Montreal Canadiens may not have much left to play for this season, but that is not the case for their AHL affiliate.

The Laval Rocket have entered the final stretch of a playoff push, one that involves razor-thin margins due to how few games remain in the season.

With that in mind, the Canadiens decided to send some heavy hitters to their AHL club in a bid to bolster their playoff push.

Forwards Jesse Ylonen and Rafael Harvey-Pinard will make their way down the Orange Line toward Place Bell. Defenceman Corey Schueneman and goaltender Cayden Primeau will join them.

Les Canadiens ont cédé Jesse Ylönen, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Corey Schueneman et Cayden Primeau au Rocket de Laval.

The Canadiens have loaned Jesse Ylönen, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Corey Schueneman and Cayden Primeau to the Laval Rocket.

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 9, 2023

Their playoff hopes took a significant hit when they lost to the Cleveland Monsters on Friday night, but Laval quickly rebounded by beating the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday night, giving them a one-point advantage over the Monsters for the fifth and final playoff spot in the North Division.

But even with their impressive win against the Crunch in the books, a playoff berth is far from a guarantee seeing as Cleveland has a game in hand over the Rocket.

Cleveland is set to play the Rochester Americans twice, which statistically speaking, is likely to result in zero points. They’ll also play the Utica Comets, another team that has enjoyed more success this season.

However, they have a game remaining against the Grand Rapid Griffins, one of the weaker teams in the league.

As for the Laval Rocket, they’re going to play Syracuse once more, a game that could go either way. They’re also set to face the division-leading Toronto Marlies, a game that is unlikely to end in Laval’s favour.

And though it may seem like a dire situation, Laval will also play against Michael Scott’s favourite team, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, a team that has struggled to string together wins this season.