Baie-Comeau wins in Quebec | Pro Hockey News

QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. —Coming out of a 7-1 loss against Drummondville on Thursday night Baie-Comeau came in Quebec playing much better game, winning 6-2 over Quebec. Jordan Martel with two goals one assist and Tyler Hylland with two goals led Drakkar offence on Friday night.

“The final score was on our side, in first period I felt our team was hesitant, we were little bit on our heels. But as the game went along we seem to find our rhythm, we have had great things, I like the way we bounce back, like I said, it was the past year experience that work for us.” Baie-Comeau head coach Martin Bernard said.

Like two boxers who studied each other in first round of a fight, Quebec drew first blood in first period, scoring first goal in the game. Quebec center Louis Filip Cote, on great pass from teammate Aleksei Sergeev, beat Baie-Comeau goaltender Justin Blanchette over his left shoulder, with a precise wrist shot with 3:52 to play, in the opening period.

Baie-Comeau tied the game 2:39 into middle frame. Drakkar right winger Jordan Martel wrist shot had been partially stopped by Quebec goaltender Dereck Baribeau’s glove but slowly going in for Martel second goal of the regular season.

Visitor took the lead for first time in the game, taking advantage of their fourth power play opportunities with 4:04 remaining, in second period going 0-in-3 power play opportunities. Shawn Element put in a rebound shot taken by teammate Jordan Martel for Baie-Comeau second goal in the game.

Still in the game, trailing by one after forty minutes of play, Quebec saw the visitor hitting twice inside the first 1:24 seconds. D’Artagnan Joly took advantage of a turnover as Quebec veteran defenseman Benjamin Gagne loose the puck inside his own defensive zone. Drakkar forward Gabriel Fortier found teammate Joly beating Quebec goalie with a wrist shot between Baribeau’s pads.

Just 1:10 later another turnover by veteran defenseman Gagne led to Baie-Comeau goal as Samuel L’Italien for visitor fourth goals at 1:34. Allowing four goals on 22 shots Quebec head coach Patrick Roy decided to pull his starting netminder in favor of Anthony Morrone.

Going 0-in-4 with a man advantage in the game getting their fifth power plays Quebec head coach decided to pull his netminder playing six-on-four in hope to see his team score and cut Drakkar leads. Instead, it was Baie-Comeau scoring in an empty net as Tyler Hylland scores his first of two empty net goals in the third period. First one came at 7:06.

Quebec score a second goal as defenseman Christian Huntley surprised Drakkar netminder with a long wrist shot from the blue line beating Blanchette on his right side at 8:57.

Having nothing to lose Remparts head coach pulled his netminder Morrone again in hope his team get a goal but again, Hylland scored his second of the game, also in an empty net with 9:39 left on the clock.

“On power play we didn’t played up to our expectation for the kind of team we played against a team with lots of maturity,” admitted Quebec head coach Patrick Roy. “They are deep at forward position, so our power play should have been much better if we would like to have a chance to win that game.”

Pulling his netminder in third with lots of time left on the work worked sometimes but on Friday night it played against Patrick Roy’s team as the Drakkar scored twice in an empty net.

“For sure we will always try,” continued Roy, answering a question about his strategy of pulling his netminder in third periods with lots of times left on the clock. “Even at home we won’t let our fans down, we always will push to come from behind in a game. When you play against a team like that (Baie-Comeau) scoring four goals, you need to take decision faster, tonight, it didn’t work. The other night in Rouyn-Noranda we have had lots of chances. The beauty of that is it give a chance to our player to practice it.” Quebec head coach Roy said.

Quebec will play three games in three night beginning next Thursday with first stop in Chicoutimi facing the Sagueneens. On next Friday Quebec will be back home hosting Acadie-Bathurst before returning on the road on Saturday in Blainville-Boisbriand.