Quebec gets last word winning in shootout over Victoriaville

QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — Ending a three-game stretch at home playing the Victoriaville Tigres, Quebec needed a shootout to finally win against the Tigres 2-1. Dominating the first forty minutes in shots on goal 24-10, Patrick Roy’s team only had a thin 1-0 lead to shot on the scoreboard. As the game went on the visiting team seem to find their legs back. Not having able to score a goal on first weekend Victoriaville tied the game with 5:07 remaining in the third period. As neither team was able to score in five minutes overtime Andrew Coxhead scored the goal that gave Quebec the win.

“I think we got out pretty strong, with 15 shots in first period we should score more than once, that is where the game has been played as far as I’m concerned,” Quebec head coach Patrick Roy said.

“We weren’t opportunistic around the net, the English expression we busy, we controlled the first forty minutes of play, at the end we might force the game a little bit, giving them two breakaways but Dereck (Baribeau) was phenomenal in these circumstances,” Roy said.

“In overtime we got our chances, Kurashev was alone on the side, we have to shoot with more confidence. We didn’t seem confident around the net so it might have to work on that. I like our intensity, we dominated, you have some sequence of play where we were two minutes in their zone, you can’t asked for more. We controlled the play but around the net, we will have to be better if we want to score goals” said Roy who got his 350th wins in the QMJHL.

Going 2-in-9 in regular season, 0-in-2 in first period, Quebec took advantage of their third power play opportunities in the opening period to open the scoring. Being perfect on the first 12 shots Victoriaville goaltender Tristan Cote Cazenave has been beaten by Quebec right winger Pierrick Dube with 2:16 remaining scoring his first of the regular season.

Thinking they had tied the score 1-1 on their second power play opportunities in middle frame by Dominic Cormier first goal, Victoriaville saw the referee Guillaume Labonte waving-off Tigres goal after going on video review as the play was offside.

Dominating 15-5 in first period Quebec still dominated 24-10 after two periods of play.

As the visitors were dominated in first two periods Victoriaville played better in third periods even if they ended the period with six shots on net finally scoring their first goal in 2018-19 regular season with 5:07 remaining.

Keeping his shutout alive making several key saves it took a redirected shot to finally beat Quebec goaltender Dereck Baribeau. Taking a shot from the blue line Tigres defenseman Nicolas St-Pierre saw his shot been redirect by teammate Simon Lafrance beating Minnesota Wild prospect on his glove side.

Both goaltenders closed the door in the five minutes overtime as the game needed to go in shootout before determining a winner. As the siren announced the end of overtime, Quebec center Andrew Coxhead has been found guilty of slashing on Tigres forward Dominic Cormier who had been prevented of shot on Quebec netminder. A penalty shot has been allowed to Victoriaville defenseman Cormier got a penalty shot but Baribeau made the save.

Quebec was the first team to send their shooters in Aleksei Sergeev. Tigres netminder Tristan Cote-Cazenave made the save. Victoriaville first shooter Mihkael Abramov gave the lead 1-0 with Tigres first goal. Quebec defenseman Etienne Verrette saw his shot been saves by Cote-Cazenave.

After been beaten on first shot Quebec veteran netminder made consecutive saves on Simon Lafrance, Isiaiah Gallo-Demetris, Enrico De Cesare and Egor Serdyuk.

Matthew Grouchy tied the score 1-1 in shootout, Philipp Kurashev saw Tigres netminder made the save but Andrew Coxhead made the difference scoring the game winning goal giving Quebec a 2-1 win.

“It is nice to get that win no matter how we got it,” Quebec center Andrew Coxhead. “Yeah, I felt it was a good game, we played pretty well the whole thing, we didn’t quit there at the end when we got that goal,” said the Bedford Nova Scotia native.

Showing in Quebec without having able to score a goal since the season began a week ago, Victoriaville head coach was happy to see his team scoring their first goal but as he said,” At the beginning of the game we felt the guys were nervous, we tried to tell them how it will be to play here in Videotron Center but when you get a young team, you have to live it once. I thought we were better as the game progressed. Our undisciplined in the beginning of the game cost us the momentum. But as the game went on we found our legs back. We saw what kind of a team we are, if we want to have success, we have to have enthusiasm like we had at the end of the game. I think it was a good game for us.” Concluded Tigres head coach Robitaille.

Quebec will go on the road for next two game facing Sherbrooke on Friday night and making next stop to Drummondville facing the Voltigeurs on Saturday.