QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — The second goal of the game by Alexandre Grenier gave Halifax a 4-3 win with 56 seconds remaining in overtime. Grenier’ wrist shot beat Quebec goaltender Louis Domingue for Quebec third OT loss.
Both teams traded goals in the first period and Halifax scoring the only goal in second, the fans in the Metro Center saw great action possibly the best period of the game where both goaltenders made key saves leading their respective team to play a fourth period.
A penalty to Quebec 19-year-old defenseman Owen Werthner with 2:19 left to play in the overtime proved costly for Quebec head coach Patrick Roy’s team.
After several key saves during a five-on-three and five-on-four shorthanded situations at the end of third period, Domingue was unable to hold off a four-on-three situation, seeing Grenier, beat Quebec goaltender to his right side. Halifax ended the game being 2-6 with a man advantage. Quebec ended the game being 1-8.
Quebec opened the scoring with Anthony Duclair 6th of the year. Jumping on a rebound shot from defenseman Mikael Tam Duclair beat Halifax netminder Zachary Fucale at 3:26 in the opening period.
A turnover at the Quebec blue line created by rookie defenseman Anthony Gingras who saw his pass is intercepted by Moosehead forward led to the Halifax tying goal on a two-on-one breakaway. Quebec rookie defenseman Anthony Gingras saw his pass intercepted by Mooseheads forward Luca Ciampini who found Nathan MacKinnon beating Domingue for his sixth of the regular season at 12:42 in the first period.
Facing the best power play in the QMJHL ( Quebec 38.5 percent 15-53) Halifax (worse penalty killing in the league 23-75) successfully killed Remparts power play twice in the first period. The Mosseheads has had only one chance with a man advantage but was unable to put the puck behind Quebec goalie.
Fans who came to attend the game at Metro Center in Halifax (6003) had to wait almost until the end of middle frame before seeing the home side taking the lead for first time in the game.
After reviewing the goal to make sure the Halifax forward didn’t deflected the puck higher than normal, Alexandre Grenier has been credited of Mosseheads second goal by referee Jonathan Langeville, after tipping in a shot from former Baie-Comeau first round pick in 2011 Nathan MacKinnon with 1:24 remaining in the second period.
Entering the third period leading by one, Halifax takes a 3-1 lead after seeing Matthew Boudreau takes a rebound pushing the puck behind Quebec netminder at 7:17.
Quebec cut Halifax lead to one goal 1:37 later with Gingras scoring his first goal in the QMJHL. A shot from Philippe Archambeault was tipped in behind Mosseheads goalie gave Quebec their second goal at 8:54.
Quebec tied the game three all with Mikhail Grigorenko 11th of the year at 12:22 with a man advantage. Halifax forward Cameron Critchlow served a penalty for check from behind at 11:49.
Neither team was able to score goal the rest of regulation time leading both team to the overtime. Quebec was 1-2 in overtime losing against Chicoutimi and Shawinigan. Quebec only win came against Acadie-Bathurst last Thursday.
Quebec will end its three games in four nights facing the 2010-11 Memorial Cup Champion Saint John Sea Dogs on Sunday afternoon.
Five other games were on schedule in QMJHL on Saturday
Gatineau 2 vs. Chicoutimi 5
Cape Breton 0 vs. Shawinigan 3
Moncton 6 vs. Drummondville 2
PEI 3 vs. Saint John 10
Rimouski 4 Rouyn-Noranda 1
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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