Laval Set To Make Two Lineup Changes Before Do-Or-Die Game

Things have quickly unravelled for the Laval Rocket, the AHL team serving as the minor-league affiliate for the Montreal Canadiens.

A bye into the second round led to a rather easy playoff series versus the Cleveland Monsters, and then a slightly more difficult series against the Rochester Americans, but truth be told, their Eastern Conference Final series versus the Charlotte Checkers (Florida Panthers) was the first true test against a top-notch opponent.

As of now, they’re failing miserably, facing a 0-3 series deficit, not to mention an identity crisis.

Laval is known around the league as a rough-and-tumble team that can score as often as they deliver big hits. Ask around the AHL and most players will tell you they’re a very frustrating opponent.

And while there’s certainly an elevated level of frustration in play at the moment, it is entirely in the Rocket’s corner.

Canadiens Prospects In Play

Heading into the series, head coach Pascal Vincent had done a solid job balancing development and winning, which led to goaltender Cayden Primeau starting all three of the Eastern Conference Final games. Unfortunately for both Vincent and Primeau, Jacob Fowler has been forced to relieve Laval’s netminder in the last two matchups, a sign that Vincent’s loyalty toward his regular-season starter has definitely hit a point of diminishing returns.

Consequently, Vincent will use Fowler as his starter on Tuesday night, placing the 20-year-old netminder in a high-pressure situation which includes a must-win game.

Fowler hasn’t always looked perfect in the playoffs, but you’d have a hard time suggesting his .906 save percentage doesn’t give Laval a better chance of winning, especially when we consider Primeau’s stats have cratered, and he is now rocking an .878 save percentage.

Jacob Fowler stops the Michigan attempt. #LavalRocket pic.twitter.com/RjH2sUnFZa

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 30, 2025

In addition to the goaltending change, Vincent is also going to re-insert Filip Mesar in the lineup, giving the 21-year-old forward his first taste of playoff action in North America, not to mention his first game since April 19. Mesar was a first-round pick by the Canadiens, chosen 26th overall in 2022.

With just four goals and 14 assists in 42 regular-season games, Mesar didn’t exactly set the AHL on fire. An early-season injury essentially derailed his entire season, though it must be said that even when he was healthy enough to play, he struggled to find open ice in the offensive zone.

Open ice is even less common in the playoffs, and given that Mesar has been a healthy scratch for well over a month, fans should temper their expectations as to his potential impact.

Laval will need a steady flow of offensive-zone shifts from veterans such as Alex Barre-Boulet and Rafael Harvey-Pinard. Important Canadiens prospects like Joshua Roy, Oliver Kapanen, Owen Beck, and Sean Farrell will have to find a second wind. The grinders, Florian Xhekaj, Jared Davidson, and Luke Tuch will have to walk the line, to avoid putting the team in a very familiar situation that involves little or no discipline, as well as an abundance of powerplay time for their opponents.

The indiscipline is not only a four-line issue, the entire roster tends to display the same discipline as a gang of thirsty pirates that just broke into the rum store on a ship traversing the Atlantic.

The issues run beyond the forwards and the netminders, with a few highly-touted prospects stumbling once the intensity mounted. Of course, losing William Trudeau and Tyler Wotherspoon on the back-end has crippled Laval’s blue line, however, it also offered an opportunity to David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, and Adam Engstrom, with the latter being the defensive prospect who has done a relatively solid job of seizing his chance.

Simply put, they need an honest effort from everyone in the lineup, young or old.

If not, all the hard work put into place during the regular season is at risk of being jettisoned into the dark depths of playoff hockey disappointment.

All Montreal Canadiens and Laval Rocket statistics via Elite Prospects. Game 4 of the 2025 AHL Eastern Conference Final is scheduled for 7 pm ET.