QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — Winners of 10 games, Saint John awaited the visit of Quebec hoping to continue their winning streak. On the other end, Quebec left home confident they could win their third meeting having split first two. Unfortunately for Remparts fans who followed the team, Saint John registered their 11th win, 4-1, in front of 6,327 happy Sea Dogs fans.
Quebec weathered the storm in the first half of the opening period in the Harbour Station, but the Sea Dogs scored three goals in 6:03 leading 3-0 after the first period, dominating the shots on goal department 18-3.
Saint John opened the scoring on their sixth shot on goal. After making two saves on Jonathan Huberdeau and Danick Gauthier, Francois Brassard was unable to do anything on Tomas Jurco who came out from behind the net to bank the puck in at 6:18.
Faking a shot on goal Saint John defenseman Charles-Olivier Roussel left the puck to Maxime Villemaire who just had to put the puck in empty net giving the home team a 2-0 lead at 11:59.
Less than a minute later Gauthier scored his 40th of the season redirecting a pass from Pierre Durepot over Brassard’s left shoulder.
Quebec head coach Patrick Roy decided to pull Brassard sending veteran goalie Louis Domingue.
Trying to change the tempo of the game Logan Shaw dropped his gloves against Ryan Tesink with no clear winner in that fight.
Playing his ninth game of the season following two wrist surgeries, Stanislav Galiev made it 4-0, beating Domingue with precise shot high on the left side.
Anthony Duclair got Quebec on the board completing a great effort by teammates Mikhail Grigorenko and Frederick Roy at 17:32.
With a record of 1-9-1-1 when trailing after two periods, Quebec put themselves in a very difficult position to overcome the deficit. Already trailing 3-0, the Remparts step on the ice still trailing by three 4-1.
Saint John goaltender ended his game making 25 saves out of Quebec 26 shots. Domingue allowed only 1 goal in 47:39 minutes of play, making 24 saves on 25 shots in relief of Brassard. Saint John dominated the shots on goal 38-26
Quebec left Saint John immediately after the game heading for Moncton to face the Wildcats tonight in what will be the second game of three games in three nights.
Six other games were on QMJHL schedule on Friday
Victoriaville 3 vs. Halifax 5
Acadie-Bathurst 1 vs. Moncton 3
Val-d’Or 3 vs. Drummondville 4 (shootout)
Shawinigan 3 vs. Baie-Comeau 2
Rouyn-Noranda 4 vs. Blainville-Boisbriand 5
Gatineau 4 vs. Chicoutimi 3
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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