Laval Rocket secures first place in the American Hockey League

Laval Rockets' Sean Farrell (15) helped the Montreal Canadiens' feeder team to their first ever Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy. (Christinne Muschi / The Canadian Press) (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

Florian Xhekaj and Xavier Simoneau set the tone for the Laval Rocket, who defeated the Belleville Senators 5-1 on Friday night to secure first place in the American Hockey League.

Likely having some atonement to make up for after a loss to the Senators on Wednesday, the Laval team rediscovered its identity to capture the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy.

It’s the first victory in its history.

The Sherbrooke Canadiens were the last Habs affiliate to finish first in the league, in 1991-92.

Simoneau, Alex Barré-Boulet, and Lucas Condotta all finished the game with a goal and an assist. Sean Farrell also scored to reach the 20-goal mark, while Jared Davidson had two assists.

Cayden Primeau recorded his 21st win this season for the Rocket (47-19-5), finishing his night with 23 saves.

Forward Joshua Roy returned to Laval after a long stint with the Bleu-blanc-rouge.

Oskar Pettersson replied for the Senators (34-27-10), who were officially eliminated from the playoff race. Leevi Merilainen conceded four shots on 31.

While the next game won’t mean anything, the two North Division rivals will do battle again on Saturday in Belleville.

The intensity is back

The Rocket started the game with a little more aggression than in Wednesday’s contest, and they were quickly rewarded. While Luke Tuch and Owen Beck were making life difficult for the Senators’ defensemen, Gustav Lindstrom fired a shot that Merilainen couldn’t control. Xhekaj, who hadn’t given up his spot either, pounced on the loose puck to open the scoring less than three minutes into the game.

Pascal Vincent’s men continued the momentum just 86 seconds later. Deep-zone pressure allowed Davidson to attempt a backhand shot. The puck hit Simoneau’s right skate before crossing the red line.

The visitors took a little while to recover, but they finished the first period with poise. They took the last six shots of the period, but none could beat Primeau.

Laval used their intensity to start the periods well, but it was their speed on the counterattack that led to their third goal of the game. Simoneau worked well along the boards and sent Davidson and Condotta into a power play.

The captain spotted a gap over Merilainen’s shield, and that’s where he put the puck in.

About four minutes later, the Rocket pulled within two of the score despite being shorthanded. Xhekaj passed to Condotta, but the puck rolled off the blade of his stick and his shot wasn’t clean enough to hit the target.

The fans were already excited by the play of their team in the first 40 minutes, but they celebrated once again 91 seconds into the final period. Barré-Boulet grabbed the puck from behind the net and slipped it in front of Farrell, who scored.

Trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, the Senators received a gift from Primeau at 8:49. The goalie didn’t close his left arm in time, and Pettersson’s shot just slipped past him.

During a penalty awarded to Xhekaj, Belleville quickly pulled their goalie, but saw Barré-Boulet drive in the final nail.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 19, 2025.