QUEBEC CITY P.Q. — The Drummondville Voltigeurs closed their quarter-final series against Rimouski Oceanic with a 6-1 win in game five at home in Marcel Dionne Center in front of 3,225 happy fans.
Drummondville defenseman Marc-Antoine Desnoyers, with four points (3g), Sean Couturier two points (1g), played important roles in their team’s victory. The other scorers for Drummondville were Marc-Olivier Vachon and Gabriel Dumont. The lone goal for Rimouski was scored by Captain Felix Lefrancois with less than six minutes remaining in the second period.
Voltigeurs Captain Marc-Olivier Vachon was happy to end the series in front of their fans.
“Sure it’s always pleasant to end a series in front of our fans. We complicated things a little losing a game in Rimouski. We weren’t happy about the way we played that game but maybe we were to confident after winning our last 22 games if you go back to regular season games, but tonight we have had the chance to ended it in front of our fans and we were really happy about it,” said Vachon.
Vachon also talked about the whole series and the expectations.
“For sure it wasn’t easy to play against team that haven’t any pressure, but we proved we are able to play under pressure we have lots of gamer on our team and it went pretty well if we accept the game in Rimouski. I think we are happy the way the series went overall,” said Vachon.
Questioned about the possibility of having to face the Moncton Wildcats in next series Drummondville Captain recognizes it will be a series for man.
“It will be two great teams, it will be a series for man,” Vachon said. “They ( Moncton) made some acquisitions at Christmas to be and play better. It will be very good series, with lots of intensity, that’s how we like it and the fans like it.”
Drummondville dominated first period scoring first two goals in the game on 16 shots. Sean Couturier opened the scoring taking a rebound from Olivier Hotte’s shot beating Rimouski goaltender Philippe Tremblay 4:50. Voltigeurs defenseman Marc-Antoine Desnoyers gave 2-0 lead to Drummondville with his third goals of the series at 14:31.
Drummondville continued their domination adding three other goals leading 5-1 after forty minutes. A great individual effort by Dumont in a shorthanded situation led to the third goal for Drummondville 42 seconds into the second period. Vachon saw his effort in the goalmouth rewarded when the puck finally crossed the goal line 9:43 in second period.
Desnoyers beat Oceanic goaltender with a one-timer on a power play for the Voltigeurs fifth goal.
Felix Lefrancois for Rimousmi broke the ice with Oceanic’s only goal in the game on Rimouski sixth shot on Drummondville netminder Jake Allen at 14:32. The shots on goal reflected the home team domination 28-7 in favor of the Voltigeurs.
Desnoyers completed his hat trick beating Oceanic netminder Tremblay low on his glove side at 10:44 in third period.
With less than three minutes left in the game Rimouski head coach Clement Jodoin sent 20-year old goaltender Matthew Dopud in the game, giving one last appearance to the veteran netminder to end his junior career after four years in the league.
Goaltenders: Rimouski Philippe Tremblay 35 shots 29 saves, Matthew Dopud 2 shots 2 saves. Drummondville Jake Allen 12 shots 11 saves.
Power plays: Rimouski 0-8 Drummondville 1-5.
Three stars selections: first Drum Marc-Antoine Desnoyers, second Drum Sean Couturier and third Drum Olivier Hotte.
In Moncton: The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies needed two overtime periods to force a game five with 5-4 win against the Moncton Wildcats. Philippe Cornet got the game winning goal 14:28 into second period of overtime. Game five will be tonight 7:30.
The Wildcats took a 3-0 lead after the first period. Nicholas Deschamps on a power play, Randy Cameron at even strength and Kelsey Tessier his first of two in the game, first one with a man advantage got the Moncton goals.
Jerome Raymond his first of the playoff broke the ice for Rouyn-Noranda. The Huskies came out playing very strong hockey scoring the first three goals in the period to take the lead for first time in the game 4-3. Gabriel Levesque, Sergey Ostapchuk on a power play and Jordan Caron got Huskies goals. But with 24 seconds remaining in the third period Tessier the Wildcats acquisition from Quebec at trading deadline scored his second of the game pushing both teams to play overtime.
Goaltenders: Rouyn-Noranda Mickael Audette 50 shots 46 saves, Moncton Nicola Riopel 47 shots 42 saves.
Power plays Rouyn-Noranda 1-2 Moncton 2-5
Three stars selections: first Rou Philippe Cornet, two Rou Jeff Desjardins, and third Mon Randy Cameron
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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