David Reinbacher made his AHL debut on Friday in the Laval Rocket’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Belleville Senators, having joined the organization on Monday.
The defenseman’s goal that prompted extra time in his debut game was a game-changer. It was a clever solo move that set him up for his first professional goal in North America.
After the game, Reinbacher remarked, “I’m always happy to score but the best feeling is to win with the team and get those really important points for the playoff rush.” Laval needed those two points badly because they are now trailing the Senators in the North Division rankings.
The first selection of the Canadiens in the most recent draft enjoyed his first experience in a new setting, but he acknowledged feeling uneasy when the puck dropped. Thirty seconds into the competition, he was hurled over the boards, so he didn’t have to wait long to get his feet wet.
Reinbacher was supposed to play on the third unit with veteran Tobie Paquette-Bisson. When William Trudeau left the game due to an upper body injury in the second half of the first quarter, things quickly altered.
For the remainder of the game, Reinbacher’s partner alternated between Paquette-Bisson and Olivier Galipeau, and the Rocket used five defensemen. Additionally, the 19-year-old was given a consistent rotation on the penalty kill squad.
“This morning, he seemed anxious to me, but he performed well during his first shift. Jean-Francois Houle observed, “He communicated well with his teammates and made very good zone exits.” “He covers a lot of ice and has a nice stick. He’s a big guy with good front and rear skating skills. He wrote really good plays.”
