Laval’s first-ever playoff series turned out to be quite a memorable one as after they failed to win it on home ice, they returned to Syracuse and needed a late-minute comeback to keep their chances alive before winning in overtime to move on to face Rochester in the next round.
Laval went into Saturday’s matinee matchup against Syracuse with a chance to win the best-of-five series. However, some missed opportunities early proved costly as the Crunch forced a deciding game with a 3-0 victory.
After a split to start the series, Laval was looking to get within a game of clinching their first-round matchup as they hosted Syracuse on Thursday. They had a solid defensive showing throughout the game and potted a pair of power play goals which were the difference in a 4-1 win.
The month of April is typically one where prospects begin their playoffs but that wasn’t the case for many this season and several prospects from the Canadiens had strong finishes to their seasons, earning them a place in our three stars.
A little more than a month ago, Canadiens prospect Ty Smilanic entered the NCAA’s transfer portal. It appears he has found his new school as multiple reports have him joining Wisconsin for next season.
Laval needed a couple of victories in the final week of the regular season to avoid having to play in the play-in round to battle for a playoff spot. Mission accomplished on that front as they were able to secure two wins to earn the third seed in the North Division for their first-ever playoff appearance.
Riley Kidney had a very strong season with Acadie-Bathurst of the QMJHL and on Wednesday, he was rewarded for his efforts as the Habs signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract.
We’ve finally reached the top group of our annual prospect rankings series. It’s a group that features a pair of players that should have no trouble establishing themselves in the NHL plus some others whose upside could make them impact players down the road.
For most of the season, Laval has found a way to battle through adversity and pick up some wins. It’s why they’re sitting as high as they are in the division. This wasn’t one of those weeks as instead, they had a couple of tough outings as the offence struggled considerably.
We’ve reached the top ten in this year’s prospect rankings. It’s a group that features five players that all have legitimate NHL upside although they all have some level of uncertainty as to whether or not they can reach their ceiling.