Photo: James Hajjar/l’Arena du Rocket Inc.
Laval scored three times in the first period and held Cleveland to 19 shots on goal for the entire game, a combination that sends the Rocket into the next round with a 4-1 victory at a sold-out Place Bell on Tuesday night.
Laval won the series, three games to one, and advances to play Rochester in the North Division finals.
Xavier Simoneau found a loose puck in the crease and tucked it home 4:22 into the game to put Laval in front, and Laurent Dauphin and Logan Mailloux added power-play goals to give the Rocket a 3-0 lead by the 12:21 mark of the first.
Jacob Fowler (3-0) returned to the Laval cage after Cayden Primeau had started Game 3, and the rookie made 18 saves in the clincher. Dauphin added another power-play tally late as Laval finished 3-for-6 with the man advantage. Alex Barré-Boulet registered three assists on the night.
Luca Del Bel Belluz picked up the only Monsters goal, coming during a four-on-four situation with 2:41 left in the second period.
Jet Greaves (3-3) stopped 32 shots for Cleveland.
(Laval wins series, 3-1)
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 30 – Laval 3, CLEVELAND 2
Game 2 – Fri., May 2 – Laval 4, CLEVELAND 0
Game 3 – Sun., May 4 – Cleveland 3, LAVAL 1
Game 4 – Tue., May 6 – LAVAL 4, Cleveland 1
