Quebec center Massimo Carozza (23) plays very solid hockey as third center photo by Serge Poulin
QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — With two weekends left to the regular season, Quebec plays the next three games at home before ending on the road. On Friday night, the visitor was the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Asked to play with more speed and be more physical the Adam Erne lead the way ending his night with a goal and two assists in a 3-2 win against the Huskies.
Rouyn-Noranda broke the ice scoring the first goal in the game. Alexandre Fortin redirect a shot by Antoine Waked surprising Quebec goaltender Zachary Fucale at 13:20.
Fight broke out between Huskies defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and Quebec center Kurt Etchegary both got five minutes for fighting.
Quebec ended the first period on power play following a penalty to Huskies right winger Francis Perron for delaying the game.
Quebec head coach Philippe Boucher welcome back offensive defenseman Nikolas Brouillard (15) photo by Serge Poulin
Quebec head coach Philippe Boucher welcomed three players back. Left out of the lineup last Tuesday night for work ethic Quebec left winger Anthony Duclair was in uniform to face the Huskies. Missing last seven games offensive defenseman Nikolas Brouillard made his return on Friday night. Missing most of the season due to shoulder surgery, young 16-year old Jesse Sutton also played his first game.
Trailing by one after the first twenty minutes Quebec came back scoring three times to take a two goals lead before the visitor replied with a goal with 1:02 remaining but it wasn’t enough.
After several missed scoring opportunities by Quebec in first two periods Quebec center Adam Erne scores Quebec first goal beating Rouyn-Noranda netminder Samuel Harvey between his pads on perfect pass by defenseman Raphael Maheux with 8:45 to play in middle frame.
Going deep in Huskies territory Quebec defenseman Ryan Grave gave Quebec the lead for first time in the game after his shot from the goal line, hit Rouyn-Noranda goaltender inside right pad before going in giving a 2-1 lead to home team with 3:50 left to play in middle frame.
The line of Dmytro Timashov, Erne and Kurt Etchegary united their effort ending with Captain Etchegary scoring his 24th goals of the regular season. Making the key plays on that goal was Timashov who transported the puck from one side to the other before making perfect pass to Erne.
Quebec left winger Anthony Duclair made a come back after been left out of lineup in preceeding game photo by Serge Poulin
Left alone on Harvey’s left side Etchegary only had to push the puck behind Huskies netminder after the Tampa bay prospect made a backhanded pass to Quebec center at 8:35.
Erne ended his game with first stars of the game as he ended is night with three points (1g-2a). “Think we played really good tonight. Every time we played together chemistry is really good things seem to go our way.”
Quebec head coach Philippe Boucher asked during the week that his player be faster and more physical and that is exactly what Erne did against the Huskies he led the way in that department.
“Yes I think the team played that way. We played full sixty minutes, I thought we did pretty well tonight we have to play that way here on out.” Concluded Erne on the way his teammates played the game.
Rouyn-Noranda cut Quebec lead to only one goal scoring in shorthanded situation. Huskies left winger Francis Perron with 1:02 left in the third period but it was too late from Gilles Bouchard’s team.
Rouyn-Noranda goaltender Samuel Harvey watch action in his own zone photo by Serge Poulin
“Offensively it was a tough game for us,” Rouyn-Noranda head coach Gilles Bouchard said after the game. “We missed some emotions in this game I don’t know why maybe it was the travel. Guys did not seem like usual. We seem to miss some energy on certain situation. We competed overall but we didn’t seem efficient.”
For Quebec head coach Philippe Boucher, he was happy to see his team answer against the Huskies. “I like the way the Verrier line played, Timashov played well accept for the little mistake he made on Rouyn-Noranda last goal. I don’t know if it was sending messages. We want the guys get their mouthpiece. We want them to remind that they put their mouthpiece”
As Timashov and Vladimir Tkachev forgot their mouthpiece inside the locker room in last game on Tuesday costing 500 dollars 250 each because that is a league rule.
Quebec will return in action right on Saturday hosting the Val-d’Or Foreurs.
Eight other games were on QMJHL schedule on Friday night
Cape Breton 5 vs. Charlottetown 3
Saint John 4 vs. Moncton 8
Halifax 2 vs. Acadie-Bathurst 3
Chicoutimi 2 vs. Blainville-Boisbriand 0
Victoriaville 2 vs. Sherbrooke 3
Rimouski 2 vs. Baie-Comeau 4
Drummondville 2 vs. Gatineau 5
Val-d’Or 5 vs. Shawinigan 6
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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