QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. —Coming out from a strong performance in Victoriaville on Friday night the team coached by Patrick Roy entered Chicoutimi hoping to conclude their weekend on a victorious note. Quebec lost the first confrontation in le Colisee Pepsi, seeing their opponent tying the game with less than 30 seconds remaining in third period and scoring the game winning goal in first 1:22 of overtime. Quebec made sure the story wasn’t repeated dominating the game from the start until the end.
Mikael Tam, with three goals (all with a man advantage), rookie Mikhail Grigorenko (2g-1a), Alexandre Contois (1g-3a) and defenseman Martin Lefebvre (1g-3a) brought key contribution to Quebec victory. Already getting best power play in the league the Remparts scores four of their 9 goals with a man advantage on 8 power play opportunities.
Francois Brassard has been designated as the starting goaltender by his coach even if number one goalie Louis Domingue had been returned by the Phoenix Coyotes last Friday. The Gatineau native saw the possibility of his first shutout in his junior career vanish in the third period when Lukas Sedlak beat him for Chicoutimi’s only goal of the game.
While Quebec opened the scoring on Friday night against Victoriaville, the visiting team did the same in Chicoutimi on Sunday afternoon. Sagueneens recent acquisition from Moncton for a sixth round picks, Cole MacMillan, being victim of a turnover in Quebec zone.
Trying to make a back pass to one of his teammates, the pass was intercepted giving a three-on-two breakaway for Quebec ending with first goal of the regular season by Martin Levebvre at 13:09. The Quebec veteran defenseman took a rebound from Alexandre Contois beating Chicoutimi goaltender Christopher Gibson (who had just been recently returned from the Los Angeles Kings training camp).
Killing Quebec first power play opportunity during the game, Chicoutimi penalty to center Steve Lebel prove to be costly since it led to Quebec second goal with less than two minutes remaining to the opening period. Mikael Tam one-timer following great pass from teammates Levebvre (his second points in first period) didn’t give any chance to Gibson, scoring his seventh goals in his last six games, five of them were with a man up.
Chicoutimi ended the first period seeing referee Alexandre Cote signaling another penalty to one of its players, Gabriel Bourret (slashing) with 18 seconds remaining to first period. Quebec made the Sagueneens pay for their undisciplined scoring a second goal on first three power play opportunities. Contois scored Quebec third goals, his third of regular season with only 1:22 gone in second period.
After seeing his team being victim of two Quebec power plays goal in first three attempts, Chicoutimi saw their opponent adding two more at even strength. Mikhail Grigorenko (third goal in two games) scored the Remparts fourth goal at 8:35. Adam Erne’s goal, his second in his young junior career, was the end of the night for Gibson, being pulled after being beaten five times on 17 shots.
Francis Desrosiers was welcomed in the game by Quebec’s sixth goal at 11:59 of the middle frame when center Michael McNamee took his own rebound coming from behind the net to beat Desrosier.
Undisciplined play continued to haunt Marc-Etienne Hubert’s team. After seeing his team taken some unnecessary penalties the Sagueneens head coach saw his other recent acquisition from Saint John Sea Dogs Alexandre Beauregard taken four minutes penalties one for cross checking, the other for hit from behind plus being thrown out of the game giving a four-on-three power play to Quebec.
Already leading 6-0, Quebec added two more goals. Tam scored Quebec next two goals completing his hat trick on the same penalty to Beauregard. Left alone in the slot the Quebec captain did not give any chance to Chicoutimi goalie beating him with another one-timer at 16:08 of second period. Tam completed his hat trick 2:13 later for Quebec eighth goals in the game.
In the third period, Chicoutimi scored their only goal of the game preventing of being shutout in front of their fans (3,125) when Lukas Sedlak score at 5:58. Grigorenko scored Quebec ninth goals in that game, his second of the night less than three minutes later at 8:27. Quebec next game will be next Friday September 30 when the Remparts will host the Moncton Wildcats.
Other games in QMJHL
Rouyn-Noranda 6 vs. Acadie-Bathurst 4
Shawinigan 5 vs. Rimouski 4
Gatineau 0 vs. Victoriaville 8
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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