QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — With first place of the Telus Eastern Division on the line, Quebec Remparts played much better in gaining a victory for the 9,666 fans who came to see the game.
Like Friday night, Quebec found themselves trailing 1-0 with less than five minutes gone in the opening period. Left alone to Remparts goaltender Louis Domingue Lewiston right winger Stephan Fournier pushed the puck in an empty net giving a 1-0 lead to the MAINEiacs at 4:04.
But Quebec replied with the next two goals ending the opening period with a 2-1 lead.
Remparts defenseman Martin Lefebvre took a shot inside offensive blue line tying the score 1-1 6:14 into the period. Frederick Roy with 1:08 remaining in the opening period completing a tic-tac-toe play beating Lewiston goaltender Tyler Piercy who is the third netminder in the organization.
Answering a question after the game about his goaltender choice for this important game Lewiston head coach Jean-Francois Houle said, “We were in a three games in three nights and Nicholas Champion needed some time off. He lost eight pounds in the Friday night game and four others in last night’s game in Shawinigan. We need to take care of our players, we only are in November, and if you look our schedule we played lots of games in so many days.”
Piercy played only two games with the MAINEiacs since the season began allowing ten goals. Piercy’s goaltending average was 5.00 and his save percentage was 0.846.
Talking about his team performance the MAINEiacs’ Houle was satisfied of his team effort, “For a team that played three games in less the 72 hours, I think the guys did very well.”
Quebec scored two power plays goal taking 4-1 lead with less than four minutes remaining.
Veteran center Joel Champagne scored his 14th of the season with a two-man advantage when he pushed the puck under Lewiston netminder after seeing three other teammates being frustrated at 12:29 of the middle frame. Ryan Bourque completed Remparts offensive for the night with another power play goal this time a five-on-four power play at 16:50. Bourque’s shot from the right faceoff circle beat Piercy low on his glove side.
Lewiston came back reducing Quebec lead scoring their second goal with only 28 seconds remaining in the second period. Former Remparts defenseman Samuel Carrier pushed the puck under Domingue right pad for the last goal in the game at 19:38.
“We began the game on stronger notes today, and we have had some result. Their goaltender seems little so I tried to shoot top net. I just want to shoot on net and it went in,” Martin Lefebvre said after scoring the first Quebec goal in the game.
“It was bizarre game, I think we did good things at certain time but it was sloppy in others. But overall, I have to be honest; I’m satisfied of team performance,” Quebec head coach Patrick Roy said after the game.
Answering a question about one of his veteran’s performance lately, Roy has been clear.
Left on the bench most of the game veteran John Audy Marchessault didn’t play up to Roy expectations.
“When you can have a guy like Marchessault on your fourth line, you certainly demonstrate lots of depth,” Roy said.
“He is closer to the door,” continued Roy, We are a team; we need to play like a team that’s all. No I didn’t have discussion with him, We won’t have any discussion anymore, It’s clear in my head, It’s happen on the ice. If I think we are at the end of the rope, we will go to another option.”
Quebec will get back in action next Thursday November 25 hosting the Rimouski Oceanics. On Friday November 26 Quebec will play Chicoutimi Sagueneens also in Quebec. The team will end their weekend on the road visiting Rimouski.
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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