Arber Xhekaj scored his first goal in a Laval Rocket jersey in a 5-2 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night at Place Bell.
The defenseman, who was demoted from the Montreal Canadiens in early December, played his seventh game for the American League farm club. He had previously collected three assists with his new training.
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In the second period, Xhekaj took advantage of a power play to put the puck into the net with a powerful shot. It was the Rocket's third of four goals in the game. Three of his successes came while a rival was in prison.
Other Rocket scorers in the middle period included William Trudeau, Logan Mailloux and Brandon Gignac. Sean Farrell completed the rankings in third place. Striker Philippe Maillet shone with three assists.
In addition, Gignac extended his streak of games with at least one point to eight. He collected 11 points during his winning streak.
Before the winning goal, Jakub Dobes made 24 saves. He was thwarted by shots from Alex Nylander and Dmitri Samorukov. At the other end of the ice, goaltender Magnus Hellberg was challenged 38 times.
This game marked the Quebec team's return to their homeland after playing three away games. She has won three of her last four games. Head coach Jean-François Houle's club is benefiting from a six-day Christmas break and will therefore start playing again on December 28th. To mark the occasion, the Rocket will visit the Senators in Belleville.