QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — Victoriaville came to Quebec minus two important players and found a way to return home victorious Quebec for the fourth time in their season series ending with 4-1-1-0 record. Carl-Antoine Delisle took charge of Tigres offensive ending the night with four points (3-1).
Photo by Serge Poulin
Leaving for Quebec without two key players in defenseman Bohumil Jank and center Philip Danault Victoriaville needed to see all other players to step up their game to have a chance to win in Quebec.
That’s exactly what the visiting team did returning home with the satisfaction of work well done.
Victoriaville seemed to master the building in Quebec playing three good games and the third one in front of 11,787.
“We played three good games here, we closed our eyes coming here without two of our important players in Jank (Bohumil) and Danault (Philip), it was important to see others players step their game up,” Tigres head coach Yanick Jean said after the game.
“Delisle (Carl-Antoine) did it, Honzik made key saves during the game that was the story of the game.”
David Honzik did the job when he had to even if the Remparts only had 23 shots.
On the other side Louis Domingue made 31 saves on 36 shots from the Tigres.
Domingue gave the impression of fighting the puck all game.
The game began slowly like boxers trying to guess what kind of strategy the other will use. Quebec only had one power play opportunity in the opening period without having real good scoring chance.
Victoriaville broke the ice with only 8:16 gone in the opening period when Delisle took a rebound from Yanick Dube shot beating Domingue for the only goal of the period. Victoriaville played good defensively allowing only nine shots with Quebec getting their scoring chances with only one minute remaining; Honzik answered the bell silencing the crowd with key saves.
Photo by Serge Poulin
Mikael Tam was whistled for delay of game giving to the Tigres their first power play opportunity at 3:25.
Contrary to Quebec, Victoriaville didn’t miss their chance with Brandon Hynes scoring his 32nd of the year at 5:19. Quebec netminder made the first save on Delisle but was unable to control the rebound, left uncovered Hynes took the rebound beating Domingue for Victoriaville second goals.
Vincent Marcoux made it 3-0 when the Victoriaville center took a rebound from a shot from the blue line taken by Andrew Smyth beat Quebec goalie at 12:21 of the second period.
Trailing by three Quebec got on the scoreboard for the first time 23 second after the Tigres’ third goal.
John Audy-Marchessault picked up a great pass from center Joel Champagne and his wrist shot beat the Victoriaville netminder top corner.
“We played good defensively, we were caught out of position couple times but we made great work with our sticks. It’s important for us to continue to progress we scored lots of goals but we need to continue to be defensively,” Jean said.
Delisle came back in the third period for Victoriaville completing his hat trick. The young 17-year-old scored his second goal of the game at 9:41 when he pushed the puck under Domingue pads following another rebounds given by Quebec netminder.
Pulling his starting goaltender Domingue with 3:00 minutes remaining in the third period Patrick Roy saw Delisle complete his hat trick in an empty net at 18:22.
Photo by Serge Poulin
Roy came in to meet the reporters after the game saying, “I didn’t want to see the team playing like that but I have to say that I saw it coming.”
“It happened during the season, I mean, you can’t ask our players to be perfect all season long. Tonight, it surely wasn’t the type of performance we expected. Like I said lately, I felt it coming; we didn’t play the kind of hockey like I would like to see and tonight it blown in our faces. Perhaps it will be good because it should wake us up we should play much better than we did in our last eight games.”
“Tonight we disrespect our fans with the kind of game we played, so on Sunday we will have to go out and offering a much better performance for our last game in front of our fans in regular season. I would like to see the team to play much better,” Roy added.
Quebec will end the home portion of their schedule hosting the Shawinigan Cataractes on Sunday March 13. The team will play their last two games to complete their regular season visiting the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Friday March 18 ending the 2010-11 regular seasons on Sunday March 20 facing Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
Other games in the QMJHL
Moncton 4 vs. Cape Breton 2
Halifax 4 vs. Prince Edward Island 2
Saint John 3 vs. Acadie-Bathurst 2 (overtime)
Drummondville 3 vs. Montreal 2 (overtime)
Val-d’Or 3 vs. Chicoutimi 2
Gatineau 6 vs. Lewiston 3
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
