Shawinigan blanks Quebec | Pro Hockey News

Quebec defenseman Christian Huntley (16) trying to cover Samuel Girard of Shawinigan photo courtesy of Jonathan L’Heureux of infosportquebec

QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. —Coming to Quebec as the best team in the QMJHL and in the Canadian Hockey League the Shawinigan Cataractes returned home with two more points in the standing as they signed a 6-0 win against Quebec. Right winger Alexis D’Aout with five points (1-4), defenseman Samuel Girard with three points (1-2) and defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald with two goals led visitors offensive.

Recognized last year as a team that scores lots of goals but yielding as many, Shawinigan head coach Claude Bechard want his team to be better defensively.

“We offered an excellent performance,” Cataractes head coach Claude Bouchard said near his team locker room. “Since the beginning of the year when we got the lead honestly, we played more the scores than the game. Sometimes we have some tendency to cheat a little bit we have some tendency to open the door to the opponent. Beside couple shift we took big lead soon in the game, sometimes we have had couple shift I didn’t like but honestly we almost played almost sixty minutes.”

Quebec Remparts Yanick Turcotte (17) trying to persue Shawinigan defenseman Jonathan Deschamps photo courtesy of Jonathan L’Heureux of infosportquebec

“The most important statistics for us after 10 games we only gave 22 goals, last year it was a team that gave lots of goals yes they scores a lots but we gave up lots of goals too,” said the Shawinigan head coach Bouchard. “Guys knows about it since the beginning of training camp we have things to work on, like our intensity, some details about our system. We have to become a team that is hard to play against.”

A turnover in Quebec defensive zone lead to Shawinigan first goal. Unable to get the puck out of his defensive zone, Yanick Turcotte lost the puck to Samuel Asselin making a pass to teammate Samuel Bucek. Cataractes right winger Bucek found teammate Dennis Yan roofing the puck over Quebec goaltender Callum Booth with backhand shot at 6:14.

Quebec got the first power play opportunity following a penalty to Shawinigan right winger Tommy Lemay guilty of high sticking. Visitor goaltender Mikhail Denisov close the door keeping his team one goal lead.

Shawinigan added to their lead taking advantage of their first power play opportunity following a penalty to Quebec defenseman Aaron Dutra for Holding. Unable to control the rebound on first shot by Alexis D’Aout Cataractes defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald took the rebound beating Quebec netminder between the pads at 17:51.

Shawinigan Cataractes defenseman Samuel Girard (94) ended his game with 1 goal 2 assists photo courtesy of Jonathan L’Heureux of infosportquebec

Leading 2-0 after the first period the best team in the QMJHL continued their domination scoring four times leading 6-0 after forty minutes of play.

Shawinigan defenseman Samuel Girard scores his third of the year with only 1:44 gone into the middle frame. The Nashville Predators second-round selection (47th overall) shot from the blue line beat Quebec goalie on his right side.

Already scoring with a man advantage Shawinigan scored their fourth goals in the game their second with a man advantage. Alexis D’Aout scored his second of the game at 6:05.

Already scoring once in the game American defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald scored his second of the game at 9:07 giving the visitor a 5-0 lead.

Shawinigan fifth goals mean the end of working night for Callum Booth. Been beaten five times on twenty shot Quebec head coach Philippe Boucher pulled the trigger and sent Evgeny Kiselev in.

Shawinigan added a sixth goals with 3:27 remaining in the second period. The shot by veteran defenseman Jonathan Deschamps deflected on Quebec defenseman Bryce O’Brien before beating Evgeny Kiselev.

For one, Quebec Captain Matthew Boucher admit his team seem to be impressed by the Cataractes, “Six nothing with a beginning of the game not been expected or wished. No it wasn’t funny at all. If you look back with a young team like we have yes we seem to me impress. We look like impressed I can say that. I can’t say or use our young team as an excuse but yes as far as I’m concern yes we were impressed by their team.”

For twenty year-old veteran defenseman Raphael Maheux his team came out flat they simply look the other team play or skate.

Shawinigan goaltender Mikhail Denisov register his first shutout making 14 saves photo courtesy of Jonathan L’Heureux of infosportquebec

“Effectively our team seem impressed because they are first in Canada, we have no excuse we look them played,” Quebec assistant captain Raphael Maheux said. “We look them play from first to last minutes. We didn’t hide it Shawinigan got great team but when we didn’t play up to our possibility it didn’t help at all and make them look very good.”

“It is big contract for everyone in the league,” admitted Quebec head coach Philippe Boucher as his team facing the best team in Canada and in the QMJHL. “I’m little bit deceived tonight by Callum (Booth), it was his first bad step this year allowing five goals on twenty shots, he could have been doing better. He might be intimidated, our veteran did not played well. Losing a game against Shawinigan it will happen, it will happen to lots of teams in the league. It was more the way we lose the game that I make me mad.”

Quebec will continue their four games in next five nights by playing their next three on the road. First stop will be next Friday in Drummondville facing the Voltigeurs. On Saturday the Remparts will be in Sherbrooke facing the Phoenix. Philippe Boucher’s team will end the weekend in Gatineau playing the Olympiques.

Three other games were on QMJHL schedule on Wednesday

Acadie-Bathurst 3 vs. Saint John 1

Charlottetown 3 vs. Victoriaville 1

Blainville-Boisbriand 4 vs. Rimouski 5

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