Two clubs in contention for the North Division lead meet when the Toronto Marlies visit the Laval Rocket this Saturday afternoon in the FloHockey AHL Game of the Week (3:00 p.m. ET).

A 3-2 shootout win at Laval on Friday night pushed the third-place Marlies to within four points of first-place Cleveland. Sandwiched between Cleveland and Toronto are the Rocket, who are one point behind the Monsters. Friday night’s match-up with Toronto started a run of nine of 11 games at Place Bell for the Rocket, who have the AHL’s fourth-best home record at 6-1-1-1 (.778).

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Laval goaltender Jakub Dobeš left Friday’s game immediately after Toronto’s second goal with an undisclosed injury. Connor Hughes took over and stopped 19 shots in relief.

The Laval roster also got a shake-up Friday as well hours before the team’s meeting with the Marlies when the parent Montreal Canadiens swung a deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Coming to the Rocket is defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer in a deal that sent forward Jacob Perreault back out west. The 25-year-old Hoefenmayer had 1-6-7 in 11 games with the Bakersfield Condors. Perreault, who is still only 22 years old and was a 2020 first-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks, had struggled to break in full-time with the Rocket this season and played just six games while also spending time with the team’s ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivières Lions (1-4-5 in five games).

Laval also got second-year forward Joshua Roy back from the Canadiens this week. Roy (10-8-18) is tied with Alex Barré-Boulet for the team scoring lead, and his 10 goals also match Jared Davidson for tops on the club. Roy, 21, appeared in four games with the Canadiens on his recent recall. He supplied a goal Friday night and also converted a shootout chance.

The FloHockey AHL Game of the Week will stream live and free across FloHockey's social media platforms. See below for details on how and where to watch.

What You Need To Know About Toronto at Laval

Game Details

Toronto Marlies at Laval Rocket, Saturday, 3:00 p.m. ET*

Where to Watch: Subscribers can continue to watch via FloHockey.tv or the FloSports app 

Free Streams: Follow the game across FloHockey's social channels including YouTube, Facebook and X. More details below.

Toronto Marlies: What To Watch For

Rookie goaltender Artur Akhtyamov earned the win Friday night with 22 saves. The 2020 fourth-round pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs came to the AHL this season with just 21 games of KHL experience, but he has gone 7-0-1 | 1.70 | .933 in eight games and also collected two shutouts. Toronto has used a goaltending rotation that also features Dennis Hildeby and NHL veteran Matt Murray.

The Marlies have been hit hard lately by NHL recalls. Nikita Grebenkin, Fraser Minten, and Alex Nylander are missing from their forward ranks along with defenseman Marshall Rifai. But forward Alex Steeves returned from the Leafs and had 1-1-2 Friday. His shorthanded goal gave him 168 points with the Marlies, tying him with Kris Newbury for the franchise lead.

On the back end is prospect Topi Niemela (0-8-8 in 15 games), who had 8-31-39 in 2023-24, his first AHL campaign.

Laval Rocket: What To Watch For

The Rocket got off to a 12-2-0-0 start but took a slight jolt last week on a road swing through Pennsylvania, where they dropped games to Hershey, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and Lehigh Valley while surrendering 14 goals. However, they responded with a 3-2 win at Syracuse this past Wednesday night.

While the status of Dobeš remained unknown immediately after Friday’s game, Hughes has been excellent in his first North American pro season at age 28. Signed by Montreal after seven seasons in Switzerland, he has helped relieve some of the workload for Dobeš and gone 6-3-1 | 2.17 | .921 for the Rocket and provided a reliable option for head coach Pascal Vincent.

Laval boasts an impressive group of prospects. Rookie forward Owen Beck, who went to the Canadiens as a 2022 second-round selection, picked up his fifth goal Friday night. He finished with 34-47-81 in 57 games last season in the OHL between the Peterborough Petes and Saginaw Spirit on his way to winning the Memorial Cup. Davidson, 22, has emerged as a strong candidate for future time with the Canadiens, who took him in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. After an 11-goal rookie season, the forward already has 10-5-15 through 19 games.

Defenseman Logan Mailloux, who went 31st overall in 2021 to the Habs, won a spot on the AHL All-Rookie Team last season with 14-33-47 in 72 games. This season he has 5-9-14 in 17 games for the Rocket and also has appeared in five games for Montreal this season and gone 1-2-3.

How To Watch AHL Free Stream On YouTube

On Saturdays throughout the season, the AHL and FloHockey will present a free Game of the Week on YouTube. The home team's broadcast will be shared as a free stream on FloHockey's YouTube page. The free broadcast will begin shortly before puck drop. Check FloHockey and AHL social channels to see which game will be streaming each week.

WATCH HERE

How To Watch AHL Free Stream On X

On Saturdays throughout the season, the AHL and FloHockey will present a free Game of the Week on X (formerly known as Twitter). The home team's broadcast will be shared as a free stream on FloHockey's Twitter page. The free broadcast will begin shortly before puck drop, posted on FloHockey's X feed. Check FloHockey and AHL social channels to see which game will be streaming each week.

WATCH HERE

How To Watch AHL Free Stream On Facebook

On Saturdays throughout the season, the AHL and FloHockey will present a free Game of the Week on Facebook. You can access the game multiple ways on the Facebook. FloHockey will stream both home and road (if available) broadcasts on its Facebook page. The game can also be found live on the AHL's Facebook page.

WATCH HERE

How To Watch The AHL On FloHockey 

The AHL is streaming on FloHockey and the FloSports app. Live games, replays, highlights and breaking news will be on both platforms. 

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