Laval Rocket Advance In Quest To Capture Championship

The Laval Rocket have beaten the Cleveland Monsters in Game 4 of their second-round matchup, clinching the best-of-five series in the process.

Jacob Fowler took over from Cayden Primeau as the Rocket’s starter, and while some may consider this an unfair situation for the goaltender helped the team produce the best record in franchise history, it’s very difficult to suggest Fowler has shown any signs that he’s not ready to take the next step in his career.

He stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced in Game 1, ensuring the Rocket got off to a solid start in their bid to capture the Calder Cup. He followed it up with a 20-save performance in Game 2, enjoying his first professional shutout while Laval took a 2-0 chokehold on the series. Both games took place on the road, in Cleveland.

As per tradition, his tracking was excellent, and though he did fight the puck on occasion in the first game, Fowler did not give up many second-chance opportunities in Game 4.

We tend to say Fowler represents the future in Montreal, but for now, he’s the present in Laval.

Oh hey look, another very easy save for Fowler because he anticipated the play and was set miles before the shot was taken. pic.twitter.com/AeAVjZ0ojF

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 7, 2025

MUST READ: Fowler’s Excellent Playoff Stats Change Situation For Canadiens Goalie Prospects

There should be some empathy sent Primeau’s way, as there’s a healthy chance he’d still be the starter if he was not called up to Montreal to serve as a backup following Samuel Montembeault’s injury in the playoffs.

And while Laval was dominant in the first two games of the series, they did slightly falter defensively when Primeau started Game 3, which ended up being a 3-1 loss that featured 22 saves on 25 shots from the veteran netminder

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as ‘deserve’ in sports, and consequently, Primeau essentially lost his starter job through no fault of his own. It’s fairly unlikely he’ll be back with the organization once his contract expires this summer, but his exceptional work during the regular season should lead to an opportunity elsewhere. Primeau had a 21-2-2 record, including a .927 save percentage, among the best results in the league.

Next Opponent For The Laval Rocket

The Rochester Americans have been waiting for the series to be over to determine their fate, as they dominated the Syracuse Crunch 3-0 in their second-round matchup.

It’s a fitting North Division final, seeing as the Rocket and Americans finished first and second in the division. Laval enjoyed the better regular season, as evidenced by their franchise-best 48-19-3-2 record. Rochester and Laval met eight times during the regular season, with the Rocket beating them on six occasions, and finishing the season series with a 24-14 advantage in goals.

Beyond their very strong goaltending duo, the Rocket should be able to count on contributions from every line, with head coach Pascal Vincent doing a very good job spreading the wealth throughout the lineup. It’s one of the reasons why he was named the Coach Of The Year in the AHL this season.

For example, Owen Beck played with Jared Davidson and Florian Xhekaj on the fourth line in Game 4, and they spent the majority of their time in the offensive zone.

On top of having a very talented lineup, the Rocket are incredibly deep at almost every position. Logan Mailloux was serving as a third-pairing defenceman, but due to a few difficult games from David Reinbacher, he was promoted to the top four, a situation that led to an excellent game from the defender on Tuesday.

The start date for the North Division final has not yet released, but Canadiens fans should know it will once again be a best-of-five series. If Laval makes it to the Conference Final, they will take part in a best-of-seven series.