Rocket Get Upset By Marlies In Series-Deciding Game

The Rocket actually spent most of the game with a lead, but they couldn’t hold the lead early in the 3rd period when the Marlies tied the game before they got the winning goal by their leading scorer, Vinni Lettieri, later in the 3rd period. Once the Marlies got the lead with 9:38 left in regulation, the Rocket had a few chances but nothing that Artur Akhtyamov couldn’t stop. Unfortunately, the Rockets couldn’t get sustainable pressure with their goalie pulled, and they ran out of time to win the series.

Even though the Rocket lost, Beck was the top player in the game for both teams. His first goal came off a play where he got the puck and skated to the left face-off circle, where he wired it past the Marlies netminder to open the scoring.

Beck’s next goal came off the rush on the power play, where he sniped it from the other faceoff circle to give the Rocket a 2-1 lead, displaying his hard shot. He would probably be one of the two forwards that would likely be called up by the Montreal Canadiens for an NHL playoff game if ever they needed someone due to injuries, as he is a very versatile forward who can play up and down the lineup. The other forward is Florian Xhekaj, who could add some great sandpaper to the lineup if ever one of the Habs’ more physical players, such as Zack Bolduc or Josh Anderson, gets hurt.

Although, we probably shouldn’t expect anyone on the Rocket to play NHL playoff games anytime soon. Nonetheless, we should expect a few black aces to be called up to skate regularly with the healthy scratches. This will especially be the case if the Habs manage to get past the Sabres in their current series.

While the Rocket lost Game 5, which ultimately ended their season, the two games that likely hurt them the most came in Game 2 and 3, where they lost both matchups by a score of 6-2. One of the Rocket’s biggest issues throughout the series was the inconsistent goaltending coming from Kaapo Kahkonen. His .871 save percentage and 3.03 GAA were really not good enough, as it hurt the team a lot in the middle of the series. After being one of the main reasons the Rocket lost last season thanks to his great play with the Charlotte Checkers, it feels like his struggles this year were also one of the main reasons for losing the series. The Rocket would have liked to have Jacob Fowler for the series but he happens to be in the NHL backing up Jakub Dobes.

The truth is the team issues go beyond Kahkonen, though, as in 3 of the 5 games, the Rocket didn’t get enough scoring throughout the lineup. It was especially an issue when a goal was needed most for the Rocket.

The loss on Saturday was definitely disappointing, but the Rocket should still be a very solid team next year and will be looking to get revenge on their rivals the next time around. It will now be interesting to see in the next coming days who the Habs will call up to be black aces.

Do you think any Rocket players will play a playoff game for the Habs?