Quebec return home defeat Val-d’Or

Quebec goaltender Dereck Baribeau following the action around his net photo courtesy of Jonathan L’Heureux of infosportquebec

QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. —Coming home after losing their last game in Baie-Comeau Quebec opened the weekend against one of the best teams in the QMJHL. After a scoreless first period, Quebec broke the ice in middle frame adding two goals in the third to finally sign a 3-1 win against Val-d’Or. Losing his first confrontation just after been traded to Quebec Dereck Baribeau took his revenge making 20 saves out of 21 shots to win against his former team.

Quebec got first real scoring chance on a penalty shot allowed to Quebec left winger Matthew Boucher as Val-d’Or Skyler Struman prevented Quebec forward to shoot. Foreurs goaltender Etienne Montpetit made the save with 11:49 remaining in the opening period.

Beneficiary of the first power play opportunity following a penalty to Val-d’Or center Alexis Pepin Quebec didn’t do anything on their first chance with man up. Quebec got two great opportunities to break the ice both from Olivier Garneau, first one on breakaway in shorthanded situation, the second one on a turnover. On both occasions Montpetit made the saves preventing Quebec to open the scoring.

Acquired in the Callum Booth traded, Quebec forward Olivier Mathieu scored his second in the QMJHL and with Quebec surprising Foreurs netminder with a wrist shot under Montpetit right arm giving 1-0 lead to Quebec. Igor Larionov and Darien Kielb got the assists at 3:18.

Quebec left winger Matthew Boucher on penalty shot in first period photo courtesy of Jonathan L’Heureux of infosportquebec

Quebec began the third with another great chance as Louis-Philip Cote hit the post with less than two minutes gone into the period. Taken several costly penalties lately in game, Mathieu Ayotte took another one for elbowing giving another chance to Val-d’Or to tie the game, fortunately for Quebec fans I the stand Philippe Boucher’s team successfully killed the penalty. Alexis Pepin and Maxim Mizyurin got great scoring chances but like his opponent Baribeau was solid making key saves on both occasions to preserve his team lead.

Quebec got great chance to add to their lead getting a five-on-three power play for 1:50 second following consecutive penalties to Foreurs Tyler Higgins and Alexis Pepin. Val-d’Or played very well and killed the five-on-three without given good scoring opportunities to Quebec.

Playing four-on-four Quebec found a way to get a two-on-one breakaways as Mathieu Ayotte made perfect pass to Matthew Boucher who went on breakaway alone in front of Etienne Montpetit beating him between the pads with 6:24 remaining.

Being perfect almost all game against his former teammates, Baribeau wasn’t able to stop Ivan Kozlov who was the only one to put a puck behind the Quebec native only 39 seconds after Quebec second goal cutting Quebec lead in half.

Looking for the tying goal Val-d’Or head coach pulled his netminder sending sixth attackers, unfortunately for Mario Durocher, Dmitry Buynitskiy scored what became the insurance goal in an empty net at 19:19.

For Val-d’Or head coach Mario Duocher he recognized that his team didn’t seem to have enough gas in the tank as his team played the night before.

Val-d’Or left winger Alexandre Couture going after the puck in corner photo courtesy of Jonathan LHeureux of infosportquebec

“We played last night and with all new players, I think we did not have any gas at all but we were in the game all along. It wasn’t a great game but on the other end it only gave me a message, we have 19 years old, 20 years old and we still missing some gas. We still have two months for working. You know we will have two games in two nights in playoffs so we will have to work on it. That is the advantage, we still have time,” Val-d’Or head coach Mario Durocher said after the game.

Quebec goaltender Dereck Baribeau was really happy after winning after his former teammates especially as it did not went well when he faced his former teammates as he was just traded to Quebec from Val-d’Or and playing in Val-d’Or against his former teammates.

“It was really fun guys played big game ahead of me,” Quebec goalie Dereck Baribeau said near locker room. ““They didn’t got real good scoring chances against me, I was stressed as the game began but guys help me playing very well in front of me.”

“I wished the victory more than the shutout that is things happened but I just concentrated to stop the puck until the end.”

Val-d’Or left winger Tommy lemay (9) battling with Quebec Andrew Coxhead for the puck photo cortesy of Jonathan L’Heureux of infosportquebec

Quebec head coach Philippe Boucher seem happy to get the win against Val-d’Or. “Should we evaluate the show now,” said the head coach Boucher answering question about the quality of the show. “Sure we would lie to give a show, I didn’t see the game from the same eye of you,” continued Boucher to one reporter questioning the quality of the show.

“I think you have had great ambiance in the stand, I think guys worked, in power play we complicated things, maybe that was there that it wasn’t great show, I will agree with you maybe the five-on-three but for the rest, players blocked shots, I have a team that need to work to win game and that is what we did tonight.”

Quebec will be back in action on Sunday afternoon completing the weekend at home hosting the Shawinigan Cataractes.

Six other games were on QMJHL schedule on Saturday

Rouyn-Noranda 3 vs. Drummondville 4

Cape Breton 7 vs. Moncton 2

Blainville-Boisbriand 3 vs. Gatineau 2

Charlottetown 3 vs. Sherbrooke 0

Chicourimi 6 vs. Acadie-Bathurst 4

Baie-Comeau 3 vs. Saint John 5

Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com