Val-d’Or wins offensive festival over Quebec

QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. —Leading by four after first twenty minutes Val-d’Or saw Quebec coming from behind scoring four consecutive goals to bring back both teams to square one. Been dominated 18-10 in shots on goal in third periods, seeing Quebec scoring three goals in the last period after scoring one in middle frame, Val-d’Or came back scoring four other goals to finally got the last word winning 8-4 over Quebec. Nicolas Ouellet with a goal and two assists and Jacob Gaucher two goals were the offensive leaders for the home team.

Val-d’Or strike first with two goals on first five shots inside first five minutes into the game. First goal came with only 36 seconds gone on the clock as Foreurs center Jacob Gaucher redirect a shot from teammate Nicolas Ouellet beating Quebec goaltender Anthony Morrone.

Val-d’Or came back a couple minutes later adding a second goals to their lead. Foreurs right winger Yan Dion saw his shot hit Quebec defenseman Benjamin Gagne before beating Quebec netminder Morrone between his pads at 3:42. Both teams got two chances with a man up without been successful.

Beginning the second periods playing on five-on-three power play the home team didn’t missed their opportunity to add a third goal to their leads. A tic-tac-toe play between Felix Boivin, Nicolas Ouellet and Ivan Kozlov left no chance to Quebec netminder as Kozlov scored his 6th of the regular season with only 58 seconds gone in middle frame.

Foreurs defenseman Renat Dadadzhanov scored Val-d’Or fourth goals, his first this season as his long shot beat Morrone at 13:56. Foreurs fourth goals has been the signal of the end for the former Victoriaville netminder. Allowing four goals on 16 shots, Quebec head coach Patrick Roy decided to replace Morrone sending young Marc-Antoine Berube-Jalbert in.

Quebec got on board only nine seconds after Val-d’Or fourth goals. Remparts defenseman Dylan Schives scored his first of the year as his long shot beat Foreurs goaltender Jonathan Lemieux on his left side.

Trailing by three after forty minutes of play Quebec played their best periods in the game dominating 18-10 in shots on goals, scoring twice on power play with defenseman Sam Dunn getting the two goals, first one playing five-on-three as his shot from the blue line beat Foreurs netminder on his left side with 13:48 left to play.

Dunn came back on the ensuing five-on-four power play bringing back Quebec to only one goal behind Val-d’Or. Dunn shot beat Lemieux over his right shoulder at 9:59. Remparts center Philipp Kurashev brought both teams back to square one with Quebec fourth goals beating Val-d’Or netminder on his right side with a wrist shot at 11:02. Kurashev goal was also scored with a man advantage as Quebec ended their night with three of their four goals scored on six power plays.

Val-d’Or haven’t said their last word as they regained their lead 5-4 on goal by Nicolas Ouellet beating Berube-Jalbert with a backhand shot at 14:06. Quebec head coach Patrick Roy decided to return his veteran netminder back in net pulling Berube-Jalbert sending Morrone back in Quebec goal.

Intercepting a pass from Quebec defenseman Dylan Schives Karl Boudrias scored in an empty net as Quebec head coach pulled his veteran netminder sending a sixth attacker on the ice in attempt to tie the game. Gaucher’s second goal in the game, the Foreurs sixth goal in the game came at 18:32.

Val-d’Or seventh goals also has been scored in an empty net and came from the stick of Jacob Gaucher his second of the game his third of the regular season at 18:55. Foreurs last goal has been scored by William Provost his first of the year at 19:44.

Quebec will complete their five games in eight days on Friday night in Shawinigan facing the Cataractes.

Four other games were on QMJHL schedule on Wednesday night.

Halifax 8 vs. Acadie-Bathurst 2

Chicoutimi 1 vs. Cape Breton 4

Sherbrooke 5 vs. Blainville-Boisbriand 3

Saint John 4 vs. Gatineau 6

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