Shawinigan wins at home against Quebec

QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — Former Remparts assistant coach Daniel Renaud left Quebec last summer after becoming the new Shawinigan head coach. Showing a record of 0-8 after first eight games, Renaud’s team, lost their first meeting against his former team in Quebec, 3-1. Winning last four out of six games, led offensively by Jeremy Manseau (two goals) and Jan Drozg (goal two assists), Shawinigan took their revenge winning 5-3 against Quebec.

In an offensive first period, Shawinigan took a 4-1 lead. Ranked last in QMJHL on power play at 11.8 percent with 8-in-68 the Cataractes scored first two goals in the game on their first two power play opportunities.

Vasily Glotov was the first to beat Quebec goaltender young 17 years old Oliver Troops on his left side after been forgotten in the slot at 4:03. Quebec veteran forward Luke Kirwan was in the penalty box found guilty of high sticking.

Shawinigan came back 1:45 later also been beneficiary of their second power play chances as Quebec center Andrew Coxhead was in the box for two minutes. Cataractes center Jeremy Manseau scored first of two goals in the initial period with a wrist shots beating Quebec netminder on his left side.

Already playing without two regular defenseman in veteran Andrew Pico and rookie Tomas Dajcar, Quebec saw another defenseman left the game in first minutes of the game as Charles Huntley has been hit on his left heel.

Home team added a third goal to their lead with second goal of the game by Manseau who redirect a long shot from teammate Jason Horvat at 7:46.

Allowing three goals on first Shawinigan nine shots in less than eight minutes, Quebec head coach Philippe Boucher decided to pull his young starting netminder Troops sending Olivier Chalifour in.

Quebec broke the ice with their first goal in the game as Luke Kirwan completed great play getting great pass from Philipp Kurashev beating Shawinigan goaltender Mikhail Davidov at 11:39.

Shawinigan regained their third goal leads with 5:06 remaining in the first period. Already registering two assists on Cataractes first two goals, Jan Drozg scored Shawinigan fourth goals in the first period at 14:54.

A good indication of the Cataractes domination in first period, Shawinigan led 18-4 in shots on goal.

Trailing by three goals, Quebec cut Shawinigan leads to two goals with the second goal in the game by veteran 20 years old forward Luke Kirwan. Kirwan low shot beat Cataractes goalie between his pads with only 57 seconds gone in the middle frame.

A key moments in the game came with less than four minutes remaining in the second period. Already been 2-in-4 with a man advantage, Shawinigan, has been the beneficiary of a five-on-three for 1:08, following consecutive Quebec penalty to rookie defenseman Braeden Virtue and Matthew Boucher.

Successfully killing the two men advantage, Quebec also killed the five-on-four that follow for fifty seconds. Shawinigan was 2-in-6 on power play. Quebec was 0-in-0 after forty minutes of play.

Philipp Kurashev brought Quebec to only one goal short with his 5th of the year as his precise wrist shot beat Shawinigan netminder with 2:16 left on the clock. Pulling his netminder in favor of a sixth attackers, Quebec head coach Philippe Boucher hoped his team found a way to get the tying goal like he saw his team did in the past this year.

Unfortunately for the visiting head coach Boucher, Shawinigan captain and defenseman Gabriel Sylvestre took a chance and shoot the puck from his own net and he scored last Cataractes goal in an empty net with 26.8 seconds remaining in the third period leading Shawinigan to their fifth wins in last seven games.

Quebec will return home to complete their weekend hosting Sherbrooke on Sunday afternoon.

Fourth other games were on QMJHL schedule on Friday night

Rouyn-Noranda 1 vs. Acadie-Bathurst 0 (overtime)

Val-d’Or 2 vs. Moncton 5

Gatineau 6 vs. Baie-Comeau 2

Drummondville 0 vs. Blainville-Boisbriand 2

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