LAH: A trio of “tired” players in the making with a Laval missile?

Laval – Danic Martel immediately conceded his victory. Against Brandon Gignac and Anthony Richard, he has no chance.

“Gignac, in a straight line, he’s very, very, very fast. [Il a] Good steps. He is a good and handsome skater. Me, I’m more of a snowboard runner. I’ll go quickly, but it’s not a pretty sight. I would put Richard and Gignac in front of me, very easy. »

However, Martel is quite capable of keeping up with the pace imposed by his teammates which is why he was paired with them by Jean-François Hoully in the second streak at the start of the season with the Laval Rocket.

“This streak can make sparks fly,” the coach explained after a training session earlier this week.

That union became apparent after Richard, who had signed a one-year agreement, signed a two-part deal with the Montreal Canadiens after upsetting the Rocket in the playoffs last spring, when he was defending the Syracuse Crunch school club’s crest. Tampa Bay Lightning.

In addition to the 4 goals and 2 assists Richard collected during the second-round duel that the Rocket eventually won in five matches, Martel remembers above all a hard-to-shackle opponent.

“He was the most tired player on the other side, he summarizes. He was the best player in the playoff. It wasn’t just about points, it was mostly intensity. […] He was annoying within 60 minutes of each Game. »

“He was the best player in Syracuse,” Holley said. He got points and it was hard to stop him because of his speed. He’s a player that, with time, I’m sure we’ll really appreciate what he’s giving us. »

At the moment, the offensive trio’s contribution to the scoring sheets comes with one goal, a success from Gignac in the first game of the season. However, there is no shortage of scoring opportunities.

Wednesday evening, vs Springfield ThunderbirdsGignac thought he had given the Rocket the lead early in the match after he fell into the opponent’s net after a beautiful penetration from Martel along the ramp. Aiming was disallowed, because Gignac had previously touched the disc above the permissible height.

“We’re certainly very tired of our speed, Richard thinks. We can create an attack and that also creates a lot of openings on the ice for the other lines. When a team brings in a lot of speed, the other team’s defenders, oftentimes, play a little more in their wake. Because they know we are fast.”

Hoping to become the tired Rocket trio, Gignac, Richard and Martel will also have to improve their defensive game, displaying differentials of minus 2, 3 and 2 in three matches respectively.

“It’s good to think about speed and attack, but if those three are together, you shouldn’t give up a goal either, you have to think about both sides of the ice,” Holly insists.

Waiting for a call from above

After an excellent training camp with the Canadians, where he was specially invited for two pre-season games, Richard took his place in the Place Bell locker room confident he would have a chance by the end of the campaign. He takes to keep himself in the big league.

“It showed my speed, that I was able to play by disc and be tough and exhausted in the checking process. I think I showed what I could achieve if I played in the National League. […] If they had to remember a player of my style, I would definitely like to be the guy to be called up. »

His presence in the Lightning reserve group during the last Stanley Cup Final, leads him to believe he isn’t that far off.

“For Game 4, I was in training, I was supposed to play. But [Anthony] Cirelli, the doctors made sure he played. It was a shame to me, but at the same time he was a veteran. If he can play, even at 50% [de ses capacités]He was definitely going to play because he was a veteran. Who knows, if I had played those playoff games, Tampa might have signed me and I’d be on their list now. Sometimes it’s a combination of circumstances, but I’m happy to be here,” said the man who played two NHL career games with the Nashville Predators between 2018 and 2020.

“I know that if I get the chance, I can play at the top. It’s just a matter of getting my chance and showing the other teams and the Canadian that I can perform.”