QUEBEC CITY P.Q. — The second goal in the game by left winger Olivier Hinse in the first overtime period gave a 6-5 win over the Acadie-Bathurst on Thursday night.
“I was very excited when I saw the puck went in,” Hinse said after scoring the game winning goal at 12:18 of first overtime period. “It was my first game in playoff, last year I didn’t have the chance to play.”
“We knew we didn’t played our best hockey, we just tried to find our game,” said the left winger who played with Jonathan-Audy Marchessault and Danick Paquette on the second line.
“Bathurst came out playing very good hockey so we knew we had to play our best hockey never let go and give our best.” Said the left winger when asked what the players said to each other between the third period and first overtime.
Leading by two in the middle of second period, Patrick Roy’s team saw their opponent come back, scoring two goals in second portion of the game to force the overtime. Five goals were scored in the opening period. The Acadie-Bathurst drew first blood in the series taking a 1-0 lead with only 1:35 gone in the first period. Losing the puck in his defensive zone Quebec captain Marc-Olivier Vallerand saw his former teammate David Gilbert’s wrist shot beat Quebec goaltender Louis Domingue.
Quebec tied the score less than two minutes later when Jonathan-Audy Marshessault beat Titan goalie Guillaume Nadeau low on his glove side at 3:39. The visitors regained the lead 2-1 with Jeremie Blain power play goal at 10:38. But, like the first time, Quebec didn’t waste time before tying the score 2-2 with Dmitry Kugryshev’s first of the playoffs at 11:11.
Before the siren sounded, Quebec took the lead for the first time in the game. Olivier Hinse with his first of the night completed a great play from Marshessault and Paquette at 18:37.
Victim of three goals in first 11 shots facing 13 shots after the first twenty minute, Bathurst head coach Ron Choules pulled his starting goaltender sending Francois Lacerte to begin the second period.
“I thought that was the turning point in the game for us, obviously, I mean Guillaume (Nadeau) fought the puck a little bit there, obviously he was nervous. Even our young guys too was nervous it was their first playoff. I think it was just a matter of being young and the first time in the playoff. I think from there, the kid battle hard François Lacerte went in and did well,” Titan head coach said attempting to explain why he made the goaltender change.
With a man in penalty box, Vallerand welcomed Titan’s new goaltender scoring a shorthanded goal giving Quebec a 4-2 lead at 3:28. Jonathan Lessard;s unassisted goal for Bathurst cut Quebec lead in half beating Quebec’s netminder between the pads at 10:06.
After needing a goal, thinking the puck was hit higher than the crossbar, referee Mark Muyler allowed the goal to Danick Paquette. Paquette’s goal was scored with a man advantage at 10:47.
With Quebec on power play Bathurst veteran Eric Faille blocked a shot giving a chance to former Remparts forward Gilbert on a breakaway beating Remparts goalie for Titan fourth goals in the game at 18:36.
The only goal in the third period was scored by veteran 20-year old Faille at 2:50 forcing both teams to go to overtime.
And with 12:18 gone in overtime the former Victoriaville Tigres closed the light in the Arena with his second of the night. Quebec won first game 6-5.
Coming for his post game press conference after the game, Quebec head coach Patrick Roy was furious about his players’ effort in that first game.
“I can say that I’m not happy about the team performance tonight,” answered the head coach to the first question coming from a reporter who works for the main radio in Quebec, Quebec 800.
“I told my players they weren’t gamers, they were followers. If beating Baie-Comeau (last game of regular season) 8-0 satisfied us I’m sorry we aren’t at the right place. If Gravel (Maxime) is our best player on the ice tonight, it didn’t work. If the coaching staff want (to win) more than the players, that didn’t work either. How do you explain a team work effort like peaks and valleys it’s because the leaders aren’t gamers, they are followers, they follow the parade, they wakes in the morning and everything seem right. Am’ I in …., Yes Do I accept that? No, enough is enough. No I didn’t accept a win just because it was a win. Is that clear?”
To another question from another reporter, Roy replied, “Listen, when you have guys like Vallerand who cost you two goals, another like Cusak (Patrick) wasn’t there (didn’t play up to the expectation) excuse me, but who I’m going to blame? The young guys? Stefanovich if someone finds Stefanovich call me I will go to pick him up, it will be my pleasure. He is a guy who wants to play one day in the NHL. Lucky we had the Marshessault line. We had a two hour meeting last Saturday we said all we had to say. I questioned myself, were we really sincere? We should be extremely proud to wear the Quebec Remparts jersey, we should be extremely proud to come to the arena with an exceptional crowd like we have. This crowd tonight (10341) was better than twenty-five percent of crowd you found on a week in NHL arena. Colorado (NHL) has tough time to get crowd of 11000 on a week.”
That game was the only one in the QMJHL on Thursday night, all the other series will begin on Friday March 19.
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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