Rockets, checkers matched well, and entered the Eastern Conference Finals|theahl.com

Patrick Williamstheahl.com writer

This spring, two high-quality teams met the Laval Rockets. Two high-quality teams have ended their season.

In the divisional semifinal, the Cleveland Monsters fought a heroic battle but went bankrupt in four games. In the finals, the 92-team Rochester Americans dragged the Rockets away before falling into Game 5 of the tandem.

Next comes Charlotte’s chess piece in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the winner heading to the Calder Cup. Both teams performed straight, aggressive, hungry hockey. They hunt hockey mercilessly. They will play physically over and over until the opponent doesn’t have any counterattack. Laval has powerful power to exert. But Charlotte has fine kills that not only lifts the team out of trouble, but also can violate the offense.

Starting online, the Rockets have turned to both Cayden Primeau and Jacob Fowler This playoffs. Primeau has been on this path until he re-established Laval to the conference finals in 2022, shutting Rochester out in Game 5 on Sunday. Fowler struggled with the Amerks, but people have been impressive since joining the Boston College Rockets in April. Meanwhile, checkers and KaapoKähkönenThis is the late season for a lineup with 140 NHL experience. Place Bell is notorious for its loud, chaotic surroundings, which can rattle and rattle. But, against Kähkönen and his super alumni, behave? This will require the Rockets’ firm efforts.

Both teams have strong blue lines. Laval has a pair of first-round picks Logan Mailloux (2021 overall number 31) and David Reinbacher (ranked fifth in 2023), and Adam Engels In his first season in North America, it has become a real prospect. Charlotte can provide Trevor Carrickthe second AHL All-Star of the season Matt KierstedHe hopes to return soon from the injury to help consolidate a young group, including Michael Benning,,,,, Tobias Bjornfot,,,,, Mikulas Hovorka and Marek Alscher.

Then there is Laval’s forward, starting with an elite organizer Alex Barré-Boulet and Laurent Dauphin. The Rockets also have excellent depth with outstanding depth, with six 20-goal scorers in the regular season including rookies Florian Xhekaj and second grade advantages Joshua Roy,,,,, Sean Farrell and Jared Davidson. Charlotte is a team that had to play injuries in the regular season and he scored very well. John LeonardIt was a 36-goal scorer in the regular season and continued to provide offense in the playoffs. rasmus asplund There are four team-high goals. Justin Sourdif It’s OK on both sides of the hockey. Brett Chorske and Ben StevesBoth rookies adapted well to Calder Cup playoff requirements. The most important thing is the Checkers head coach Geordie Kinnear Can roll his four fronts with confidence, any of which can cause damage to your opponent.

Charlotte has a powerful transitional game with ruthless abilities that can slide and loosen in relative coverage. Also, checkers can do this without cheating. They allowed the AHL best 23.0 in the playoffs, choking the Providence and Hershey team and losing to the Checkers’ “The Checkers the Checkers the Checkers”, modeled continuously with Florida Panthers’ parents.

“We always speak as a group [about] Find our game and do it over and over again,” Kinnear explained. “I think you see it as a fun way to play. When you have fun playing hockey, you will buy it soon. So, going out, skating, working, competing, good things will happen, especially if you have people in sync. ”

Kinnear won the Calder Cup in 1995, a tenacious young defensive player at the Albany River Rats, and he also means what such a deep game in the Calder Cup playoffs meant for his players now and later careers. In terms of talent, Charlotte and Laval are a little separated. For both teams now, this series will be as many tests as physically, psychologically and emotionally.

“I think I’m just looking back at my young career,” Kinnear said. “I went all out and became a better person, a better player, a better competitor. Its resilience aspect is so key.

“It just gets harder and the level of competition escalates. So we need to be mentally, physically tough. I think this is the separator we talk about all year round, and that allows you to win.”

During the fifty years in the American Hockey League, Theahl.com writer Patrick Williams currently covers NHL.com and Flosports leagues and is a regular contributor to Siriusxm NHL New Network Radio. He won the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding league coverage in 2016.