QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. —Entering Drummondville after losing only their second game of the regular season against Victoriaville on Friday night, Quebec looked to play a better game, in the hope, of ending the weekend with a win. Quebec took the lead three times in the game, third time being the charm leading them to 3-2 win against the Voltigeurs.
Quebec began the game on a strong note until a penalty to Voltigeurs center Lukas Balmelli. The penalty successfully killed by Drummondville seemed to change the tempo with the Voltigeurs taking the next five shots on goal.
After both goalies made key saves to keep the game scoreless in the first portion of first period, Quebec opened the scoring for the 12th time in as many games. Unhappy with the recent performance by Bandon Shea, Quebec head coach Patrick Roy saw the former Moncton Wildcats first round selection (13th overall) in 2011 score his second goal of the year deflecting a shot by Nick Sorensen at 10:36 giving to the Remparts 1-0 lead.
Being 0-in-1 with a man-advantage, Drummondville tied the game on their second power play opportunity. Having a hard time to keep the puck under him following a shot by Olivier Archambault, Quebec goaltender Francois Brassard saw Jerome Verrier push the loose puck into the net with 10:22 remaining in the middle frame.
Quebec regained the lead on their only shot in the second period, with Marc-Antoine Carrier’s fifth of the regular season, at 13:28. Carrier’s shot from the slot gave no chance to Louis-Phillip Guindon.
Already playing without defenseman Ryan Culkin (ankle injury) and David Hunter, Quebec lost another defenseman in captain Martin Lefebvre who left the game in the beginning of third period with a shoulder injury.
Drummondville netminder Guindon prevented Quebec from adding to their lead in first portion of the third period with a save on Nick Sorensen. Going in on a breakaway after Voltigeurs’ defenseman Francis Lambert-Lemay fell on the ice, Sorensen saw Guindon stoning Quebec European forward.
Scoring their only goal in the game being 1-in-4 with a man-advantage, Drummondville tied the game 2-2 scoring their second goal on their fifth power play opportunity. Nicholas Brouillard’s low shot beat a screened Quebec goalie at 11:07 during the penalty to Quebec forward Adam Erne.
With only one second remaining to Drummondville right winger Tomas Torok Logan Shaw gave Quebec a 4-3 lead with a one-timer beating the Voltigeurs netminder to his left with 4:34 remaining to the third period.
After the game Quebec head coach Patrick Roy was happy about the win especially with several players missing in the line-up.
“Very happy,” Roy said after his team collective effort. “The only negative aspect on my part is we played too fancy offensively. I would like to see a game where we put much puck on the net and drive to the net. We look for the perfect play. At certain point in the game we have had a four against zero and it ended with too many passes and no shot on goal. So for sure we will show these sequences to the players. But beside that I found we work very well.”
Quebec will come back home playing next three games in four nights beginning with next game against Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Thursday. On Friday night Quebec will host Shawinigan Cataractes. The team will end the weekend with Sunday afternoon confrontation against the Gatineau Olympiques.
Four other games were on QMJHL schedule on Sunday
Halifax 4 vs. Acadie-Bathurst 3
Sherbrooke 3 vs. Moncton 5
Cape Breton 5 vs. Rimouski 4
Victoriaville 4 vs. Shawinigan 3
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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