QUEBEC CITY , P.Q. — Back from a three-game road trip dating back to last Sunday, the Quebec Remparts face the Montreal Junior in the first of a home-and-home series tonight. The second game will be Saturday in Quebec.
After their last victory on Friday at home (1-0) over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Patrick Roy’s team left for three games on the road that began against the worst team in the QMJHL, Baie-Comeau Drakkar last Sunday.
At first when you look at that confrontation the best team in the Q versus the worst you would have said it would be an easy win.
But au contraire, it took all that Quebec had to win in overtime thanks to a Joel Champagne deflection of Mikael Tam shot from the point at 1:18 of overtime.
On Wednesday, the team played their second game of the road trip and faced the Lewiston MAINEiacs in their home arena, the AndroscogginBank Colisee.
An old adage said, “When you play with fire, you run the risk of burning yourself.”
That’s exactly what happened to Roy’s team, when Quebec lost 4-3 playing sloppy in their own zone leaving their goaltender alone and taking bad penalties at inopportune times.
After seeing Etienne Brodeur breaking the ice for Lewiston at 12:59 in the opening period, Quebec came back with the next two goals to take the lead. Mikael Tam (2:09) and Ryan Bourque (14:05) upheld the Quebec hopes. But Jess Tanguy brought both teams back to square one with less than a minute remaining in the second period (19:04) tying the score 2-2.
Trying to kill a penalty (Samuel Henley) Lewiston regained the lead with the second goal of the night by Brodeur at 7:08.
Quebec came back to tie the game at three with a power play goal of their own at 8:35.
Olivier Dame-Malka sealed the fate of the visitors with the game-winning goal for the team coached by Jean-Francois Houle at 14:06 for MAINEiacs twelfth victory of the season in 21 games.
Quebec will end their road trip with a visit to Montreal facing the Juniors. An expected visit because Quebec will come to Montreal still being the best team in the QMJHL. On the other side lots of hype has been made around the 2009 Montreal Canadiens first round selection. (18 overall) Louis Leblanc.
Every junior hockey fan in Montreal is looking forward to seeing the home town club come out of this first confrontation as winner with Leblanc playing a key role. On the other hand, Quebec is guarding against losing the first of the contests and does not relish the prospect of entering game two after losing the opening match.
Quebec wouldn’t like to have to return home to le Colisee on Saturday for the second meeting knowing they already lose the first confrontation.
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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