Laval Rocket prospect report: Florian Xhekaj and Luke Tuch showed their talents in Game 3

The prospects were once again at the centre of the action on Wednesday night.

The Laval Rocket won Game 3 of the North Division Final 4-1 on Wednesday, thanks to three quick goals in the third. Multiple key prospects stood out in the win.

Luke Tuch

Luke Tuch was rewarded for his strong game on Sunday with a spot on the third line for Game 3. His physical presence was well-served alongside Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Lucas Condotta.

Tuch opened the scoring with a nice tip in front. It was his only shot of the game, but he finished with at least four hits and certainly helped drive play offensively. His hands are definitely a little clunky, but I’m not really looking for that kind of offensive upside out of him anyway.

He looked good in his own end, especially on the breakout, an important skill for a fourth-line NHLer. He’s bigger and stronger than most of his opponents and has the makings of a legitimate NHL power forward.

Discipline and decision-making will be the keys for him in the future. He made a couple of bad reads defending the rush, the most obvious of which was an attempted hit at his blue line that resulted in Rochester’s only goal.

David Reinbacher

David Reinbacher was leaned on heavily in Wednesday’s Game 3 win against the Americans. I do not see any major red flags that will prevent him from becoming a solid NHL defenceman. I thought his stride looked a little choppier in Game 3, and I wonder whether conditioning is starting to have an impact. He’s playing 22 minutes a night right now and freshly returned from a serious knee injury.

He made a couple of decisions I didn’t like on Wednesday. He tried a fancy move behind the net that resulted in a turnover and took a needless risk on a 50/50 puck at the blue line that resulted in an odd-man attack. He definitely needs a little seasoning, but I’m seeing positive signs every game from Reinbacher.

Joshua Roy

Joshua Roy had a better game on Wednesday, but it was an improvement on more of the same. When he was on, he looked great offensively. His hands looked great, and when he had space, he was dangerous. He has a tendency to stop and watch after something happens. After he gets a scoring chance, gets hit, or tripped, he stops for the next couple of seconds before resuming play. I’m quite sure I’m not making this up. I’ve been sitting on this analysis for a couple of articles, and I’m confident this is a trend. Overall, I still thought he looked a little detached.

Florian Xhekaj

Florian Xhekaj continued to impress on Wednesday, and I’m not the only one who’s been noticing his play. He’s playing on the first penalty-killing unit, and his line is sent out second in the rotation every period. He’s playing big minutes against the opposition’s top six and looks right at home. His offence is certainly opportunity-reliant, but his constant drive means that he’s often in a position to take advantage of loose pucks and funny bounces.

He played another ferocious game on Wednesday, and he seems pretty defensively inclined, focusing on his two-way play while centring the “fourth” line. Xhekaj is also learning the art of the penalty, which kinds to take, and when. He went unpenalized for the first time in five games after Pascal Vincent had pointed to discipline as a reason for the loss in Game 2.

Owen Beck

Owen Beck was back with Xhekaj and Jared Davidson on Wednesday, and the trio looked great once again. Beck finished with three shots and his line was a +1 in the win. He looked really good on the power play, but his struggles to finish dangerous chances are getting hard to ignore.

I’d really like to see him playing centre. I believe he’s playing the wing because he has more offensive upside than Xhekaj, but he’s also a significantly better faceoff taker. In general, Beck had a good night, I love his presence on the forecheck. 

Sean Farrell

In my opinion, Sean Farrell is one of the more interesting prospects on this Rocket team. He had a great season and is one of Laval’s most noticeable players every night. His IQ is elite, as is his passing. His skating is above average, and his hockey sense makes him consistently responsible defensively as well. He produces offensively and plays a responsible team-first game.

His size leaves him at a disadvantage, but his toolbox is that of an NHLer. He didn’t have the best game of his career or anything on Wednesday, but his consistency is impressive, and I have to wonder whether he can translate to the big show.