Quebec completes weekend on victorious note

QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. —Beginning the weekend with a victory against Moncton,

Quebec completed it with another win, 4-2 against Cape Breton. Anthony Duclair, with 1 goal 2 assists, was the best offensive player for Patrick Roy’s team.
 
With the score 1-1 after two periods, Quebec missed three great chances to break the tie two by Mikhail Grigorenko one by Frederick Roy and Duclair.
 
After scoring only once in first forty minutes, the teams traded goals to begin the third scoring 3 goals inside 2:16, two by Quebec in 36 seconds. Missing the net in the second period, Roy redirected a shot from the blue line by defenseman Vincent Barnard at 8:34.
 
Cape Breton came back tying the score 2-2 at 10:14 on a wrist shot from the blue line by Loic Leduc, a shot Francois Brassard would certainly like to see again.
 
Quebec regained the lead 36 seconds later on a shot that left no chance to Cape Breton goalie Philippe Trudeau who ended the game facing 33 shots making 30 saves. Adam Erne completed Quebec offensive with an empty net goal at 18:43.
 
“We know what we have in our hands, we made our game plan with what we have in hand,” Cape Breton head coach Ron Choules said after the game. “We always played good game here. I don’t know but Patrick’s (Roy) system and mine seem to work well. His team got much more talent than mine but Patrick and Martin (Laperriere) did an excellent job with their team. For us it’s a challenge.”
 
“Sometimes I felt bad for them (players) because they always played well each time we came here.”
 
The Screaming Eagles is a young team with the goal to compete until the end of regular season. Unfortunately for Cape Breton’s coach his team didn’t reach their goal in Quebec.

“Sure we have a young team but we didn’t reach our goal at least we came out of this game with one point.”
 
Coming to Quebec after losing against Rimouski last Friday Cape Breton (28-31-1-2) didn’t show much offense shooting only 4 times on Brassard who tended Quebec goal after Louis Domingue won on Friday night.
 
Quebec was the only team to get on scoreboard in the opening period with Duclair 28^th of the year at 10:59.
 
Consecutive penalties to Quebec Roy and Philippe Archambault, led Cape Breton to their first goal in the game. After making first save on Jonathan Brunelle the puck came right back on Alexandre Lavoie’s stick registering his 21^st of the regular season at 12:13 of the second frame.
 
“They played very well, we just have to give credit to Cape Breton,” were the first words pronounced by Quebec head coach Patrick Roy after his team second win over the weekend. “It wasn’t the same team when we went there, they played with lots of intensity and I’m convinced they couldn’t come out with a loss playing the way they did here this afternoon against lots of other teams.” “We have had our chances, maybe we weren’t as sharp as the other games. The biggest difference was we weren’t as fast as we should to put pressure on their defensemen, it gave them time to organize themselves, so this week, on Tuesday, we will work on it.”
 
“We have had our chances to score but we weren’t lucky, what ticked me a little bit was our power play. I found we were a bit sloppy we had the lead when we got our first opportunity it was time to try to add to our lead. It was a team that as far as they can keep the score low more they stay in the game, more they will want to play. That’s what happened,” concluded Roy in his post game press conference.
 
Quebec next game will be this Wednesday hosting the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
 
Three other games were on QMJHL schedule on Sunday
Acadie-Bathurst 4 vs. Prince Edward Island 3 (shootout)
Shawinigan 5 vs. Baie-Comeau 3
Victoriaville 3 vs. Gatineau 2
 
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com