MONTREAL, QC.–What would have ordinarily been just another game between two long-standing rivals took on a new twist Wednesday evening, as the Québec Remparts turned into the representation of storied Canadiens’ ex-goaltender Patrick Roy and the Chicoutimi Saguenéens likewise became that of the last Habs’ captain to raise the Stanley Cup, Guy Carbonneau.
While that may have been motivation enough for broadcasters to broadcast and fans to tune in, the two teams’ games against one another have generated their own usual added energy this season and this was no different. After special teams took over in a fairly open-ice affair, the 3rd place Remparts, having taken the last four meetings by a single goal, prevailed this time by a final score of 5-2.
Chicoutimi’s Guillaume Asselin, acquired by the Saguenéens in the transaction that saw Canadiens’ 2009 1st rounder Louis Leblanc become a member of the Montreal Juniors, opened the scoring 5:59 into the opening period. Ryan Bourque was serving a hooking minor as Asselin took a pass from Guillaume Cloutier and put it behind Coyotes’ draft pick Louis Domingue.
It wasn’t long before the Remparts countered with a power play tally of their own, as Joël Champagne’s 24th of the season evened the mark at 1. Then Ryan Culkin would give his team the lead for the first time in the game before the two teams headed into the dressing room.
Another Roy, Chicoutimi’s Alexandre, scored a goal down two men in the second frame as he was being tripped up by a Remparts’ defender, even breaking his visor on the play as he slammed into the boards. The excitement was shortlived, however, as Tomas Filippi capped off a tic-tac-toe passing play shortly thereafter.
Unbeaten in regulation after two periods, Vincent Barnard and captain Michaël Tam of the Remparts added to the lead shortly after it was announced that Asselin was mysteriously assessed a game misconduct. Minus their leading scorer, the Sags were unable to muster much in the way of offense, despite outshooting their opponents in the period 11-8.
Patrick Roy, coming into this game with a QMJHL record of 259 wins and 144 losses, saw his team’s record increase to 45-15-1-3 as Québec continues to chase the Montreal Juniors in the standings. Twelfth-place Chicoutimi, for their part, fall to 27-26-5-6 as their losing streak extends to three games. Guy Carbonneau’s record since arriving behind the bench in relief of Richard Martel is now 6-4-0-1.
Summary:
1st period
CHI Guillaume Asselin, (35) (Guillaume Cloutier, Charles Hudon), 5:59 (PP)
QUE Joël Champagne, (24) (Mirko Hoefflin, Tomas Filippi), 9:08 (PP)
QUE Ryan Culkin, (6) (Matthew Brown, Olivier Hinse), 17:14
2nd period
CHI Alexandre Roy, (8) (Unassisted), 5:15 (SH)
QUE Tomas Filippi, (27) (Alexandre Grenier, Alex Wall), 5:48 (PP)
3rd period
QUE Vincent Barnard, (21) (Olivier Hinse, Axel Rioux), 1:59
QUE Mikaël Tam, (19) (Joé Dubé), 5:39
Power Play
CHI 1/3, QUE 2/3
Louis Domingue made 27 saves as the Remparts outshot their rivals 33-29. The two teams play once more this regular season, this time at the Centre Georges-Vézina next Friday, March 18th. Chicoutimi’s next game is this Friday night as they return home to face the Val-d’Or Foreurs for the first of two back-to-back games against the Abitibi franchise. The Remparts next host the Victoriaville Tigres this Friday, then Michaël Bournival and the Shawinigan Cataractes are in the provincial capital on Sunday afternoon as the Remparts will close out their last homestand of the year.
