QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — After leading 2-0 in the first 31:53 of the game, Gatineau saw Saint John come back scoring two goals in 2:01. But refusing to see the President Cup getting out of his case, the Olympiques gave all they had seeing Jean-Gabriel Pageau score the game winning goal with exactly 10:00 to go in the third period giving a 3-2 win to Gatineau over Saint John to force game six back in Gatineau home.
After trailing 1-3 in last year’s playoff against Montreal Junior and coming back from 0-2 deficit this year against Drummondville, and 1-3 against Quebec, Gatineau refused to die forcing at least another game in the QMJHL President Cup Final.
“I can’t see why we should have been demoralized. We are in the final. We would like to be here. We even have the series we want. Three of the first four games ended only by one goal. How many teams could claim that in our league this year,” the Gatineau head coach Benoit Groulx said in le Droit after game four in Saint John.
“Besides the third game, we have had a chance to win in every other game. We know how we should play to win and our goal didn’t change.”
All the ingredients were there to expect a great game even if, neither team was able to break the ice, in the opening period.
For Gatineau, the main focus was to win game five, to get a chance to go back home for game six. For Saint John, it was the chance, to put an end to the final and win the QMJHL Final, and be the QMJHL representative, at the next Memorial Cup Tournament.
Both teams got great scoring opportunities, especially, during power plays. Each team saw referees sending player in the box on both side giving power play opportunities to both teams.
During a penalty to Gatineau left winger Jacob Conread, Saint John forwards Stephen MacAulay and Ryan Tesink got great scoring chances but on each occasions Olympiques goaltender Maxime Clermont made the saves.
Saint John defenseman Simon Despres went to the box for cross checking getting a front row seat, to see his netminder Jacob DeSerres making great saves on Gatineau defenseman Nicolas Deslauriers twice. Olympiques defenseman Hubert Labrie, who had left game four, after only two shifts in first period but answered present in game five, saw his shot blocked by Clermont. Tye McGinn got last Gatineau great scoring chances in first period.
After a scoreless first period, the teams scored four goals two on each side. Three were scored at even strength while Gatineau got their first goal with a man advantage.
Gatineau opened the scoring on four-on-three power play when Christian Ouellet, with Saint John team running around, beat DeSerres top shelve at 3:19 of second period.
Maxime Clermont continue to play key roles for Benoit Groulx’s team, making crucial saves on Saint John Jonathan Huberdeau with his left pad and another big save on Stanislav Galiev.
For his part, Sea Dogs goalie DeSerres made key saves on Philippe Halley (three times) during the period and Philip-Michael Devos (twice).
Being cut up along the board the three Saint John forwards opened up the space for Olympiques defenseman Adam Janosik, who went from left to right before letting his shot go beating Saint John netminder between the pads at 11:53.
Sea Dogs defenseman Eric Gelinas thrown the puck on net from the left point, and saw his wrist shot beat Clermont for first Saint John goal in the game at 14:37.
Steven MacAulay tied the game two all when, after stealing the puck in the slot from Gatineau defenseman Janosik who tried to be too fancy, MacAulay’s shot beat Clermont over his shoulder on his blocker side 2:01 later.
Saint John defenseman Eric Gelinas thought he had scored with a wrist shot from the point, but after review, referees Todd Thomander and Jonathan Langeville, signaled to the 6,488 Sea Dogs fans in the Habour Station, no goal.
The puck never really crossed the goal line.
Instead of seeing Saint John lead by one, Gatineau center Jean-Gabriel Pageau broke the tie with his 13th goal of the playoffs. Going around Sea Dogs defenseman Pierre Durepot, Pageau slid the puck under DeSerres’ skates at 10:00 of the third period giving a 3-2 lead to the visitors.
A penalty to Gatineau defenseman Mathieu Gagnon could have been disastrous for the Olympiques with less than four minutes left in the game. But, fortunately, Olympiques netminder stood there like a plywood plate against Saint John’s big arsenal of MacAulay, Galiev, Huberdeau, Nathan Beaulieu, and Simon Despres.
Game six is back in Robert Guertin Center on Sunday night May 15.
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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