QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — After a great performance by Team Russia goaltender Sergey Kostenko in a 2-0 shutout victory last Monday November 7, Team QMJHL lost game two on Wednesday 5- 4 in a shootout despite Matthew Bissonnette’s hat trick for Team QMJHL. Danill Apalkov’s goal with Team Russia sixth shot in the shootout made the difference in favor of Russian Team leaving the QMJHL with two loses for the second time in as many years.
Sergey Kostenko was on every fan’s lips in Victoriaville trying to explain Team QMJHL first loss in game one, it was the line of Mikhail Grigorenko (1g-2a) centering the Team Russia line with Nikita Gusev (1g-2a) and Nikita Kuchenko (1g-1a) who did most of the damage totaling 8 points in Quebec.
Team Russia began the second game quickly lighting the red light behind Louis Domingue who tended the goal for Team QMJHL. Mikhail Grigorenko won the initial face off in center ice, Nikita Kucherov picked up the puck going on breakaway and beating Domingue with a wrist shot high on the glove side with only 55 seconds gone in the opening period.
While Team Russia was the only one to get on scoreboard in the opening period, Team QMJHL won the second period, scoring twice and taking the lead for the first time in the series 2-1. Bissonnette tied the game with his first of the night and the first Team QMJHL player to put a puck behind Russian netminder Pavel Shushkov with 2:01 gone in middle frame.
Team QMJHL took the lead for the time in the series when Charles Hudon scored 5:59 later. Marc-Olivier Brouillard and defenseman Nathan Beaulieu got the helpers.
Leading by one entering the third period, Team QMJHL scored with only 15 seconds remaining when Bissonnette completed his hat trick, pushing the match to the shootout.
Emil Galimov tied the game at two goals-a-piece on a shot the QMJHL netminder would certainly like to take it back at 6:12.
Usually wearing a Quebec Remparts jersey, Grigorenko got the best of his teammate, Domingue, who made a great move before beating the QMJHL netminder for Team Russia’s third goal of the game 2:02 later.
Acadie-Bathurst Titans’ Bissonnette scored Team QMJHL’s third goal of the game, his second of the night at 12:31. Nikita Gusev made it Team Russia 4-3 only eight seconds later following a great passes between Grigorenko and Kuchenkov.
Completing his hat trick Bissonnette pushed both teams into the shootout before Team Russia ended the series when Apalkov potted the winner.
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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