On a day when the Montreal Canadiens shook up their coaching staff with the firing of Dominique Ducharme, the Laval Rocket kicked off a three-game series against the Syracuse Crunch, with plenty on the line for themselves. The Crunch sat right behind the Rocket in the chase for a North Division playoff spot, despite the Rocket having games in hand.
In terms of good news, the Rocket were bolstered by the insertion of Sami Niku into the lineup after he went through waivers prior to the All-Star break. However, injuries still hampered the team, as Alex Belzile, Lukas Vejdemo.