Montreal Canadiens' left winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard played his first competitive hockey game since suffering a broken leg in the off-season.
On Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens assigned Rafael Harvey-Pinard to the Laval Rocket in the AHL for a conditioning stint and on Wednesday, the left winger was finally able to renew with competitive hockey.
In a rare defeat for the Canadiens' farm team, Harvey-Pinard skated on the third line with Riley Kidney and Xavier Simoneau. The Saguenay native was held off the scoresheet, but did manage to get two shots on net.
Wearing number 11 in Laval, Harvey-Pinard seemed thrilled to be back and get to play. The five-foot-nine left winger spent the best part of three seasons in Laval and was called "Lavallagher" because of a hit gritty and determined style of play.
Despite the 2-1 overtime loss, the Rocket currently sit in second place of the AHL standings, two points behind the Calgary Wranglers, but Pascal Vincent has got two games in hand which gives them a .833 points percentage on the season.
In the defeat, Florian Xhekaj scored a shorthanded goal, his third goal of the season. Xhekaj is still looking for his first assist on the year, but he is playing a solid game.
Tonight, the Rocket will hold its annual Hockey Fights Cancer night as they'll host the Belleville Senators in the first game of a back-to-back series. The second match will take place in Belleville as the Rocket will be starting a five-game roadtrip.
