By The Canadian Press on March 17, 2023.
SHAWINIGAN, Que. – The Gatineau Olympiques extended their momentum in the QMJHL with a 20th straight win Friday. Gatineau (46-12-4-2) downed the host Shawinigan Cataractes 6-1. The Olympiques had already sewn up top spot in the West Division. Gatineau forward Alexis Gendron, a Philadelphia Flyers draft pick, scored his 51st and 52nd goals of the season. Cam MacDonald, Marcel Marcel, Olivier Nadeau and Zachary Dean all contributed single goals for the visitors. Gatineau’s Francesco Lapenna stopped 38 of 39 shots for the win while his Shawinigan counterpart Antoine Coulombe turned away 35 of 41. Leo Braillard scored the single goal for Shawinigan (28-31-2-3). The QMJHL regular season wraps Sunday. WILDCATS 2 ISLANDERS 1 (SO) MONCTON – Cole Bishop scored the lone shootout goal in Moncton’s victory with Alexis Daniel scoring in regulation for the Wildcats (33-28-1-2). Wildcats goalie Jacob Steinman stopped 32 of 33 shots in regulation and all four shootout attempts by the Islanders (25-31-6-2). Michael Horth scored Charlottetown’s one goal with goalie Jakob Robillard stopping 31 shots in the loss. EAGLES 3 TITAN 1 CAPE BRETON, N.S. – Cam Squires scored twice for the Eagles with goaltender Nicolas Ruccia repelling 28 shots for the win. Antoine Roy also scored for Cape Breton (27-33-3-1). Ty Higgins scored for Acadie-Bathurst with Joshua Fleming making 40 saves for the Titan (19-38-5-3). MOOSEHEADS 4 SEA DOGS 3 SAINT JOHN, N.B. – Alexandre Doucet notched the game-winner at 8:22 of the third period for visiting Halifax (47-10-4-3). Attilio Biasca, Jordan Dumais and Evan Boucher also scored for the Mooseheads who had already clinched first in the QMJHL’s Maritime Division. Halifax goalie Brady James stopped 29 shots for the win. Vince Élie, Peter Reynolds and Danny Akkouche countered for the Sea Dogs (23-37-4-1). Goaltender Ventsislav Shingarov had 36 saves in a losing cause. VOLTIGEURS 5 FOREURS 1 VAL-D’OR, Que. – Xavier Fortin’s two goals paced Drummondville to victory with Tyler Peddle, Justin Côté and Jérémy Lapointe each chipping in a goal. Netminder Riley Mercer stopped 28 of 29 shots for the Volts (26-33-4-1). Val-d’Or’s lone goal came from Louis Robin, with goalie Mathis Lussier turning away 40 shots for the Foreurs (24-38-2-1). PHOENIX 7 HUSKIES 1 ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. – Jakub Brabenec led Sherbrooke with a pair of goals. David Spacek, Justin Gill, Marc-André Gaudet, Ethan Gauthier and Israël Mianscum each contributed single goals for the Phoenix (46-13-3-2) Olivier Adam repelled 26 shots for the victory. Edouard Cournoyer scored once for Rouyn-Noranda (35-23-4-3) with Huskies goalie turning away 39 shots in the loss. REMPARTS 6 TIGRES 5 VICTORIAVILLE, Que. – Nathan Gaucher’s goal with less than a minute remaining in the second period stood up as the winner for Quebec (49-12-1-2) and capped a run of six unanswered goals by the Remparts. Gaucher and Zachary Bolduc scored twice with Justin Robidas and James Malatesta each adding a goal for the Remparts. Netminder William Rousseau had 28 saves in the victory. Francesco Iasenza, Nikita Prishchepov, Frédéric Brunet, Igor Mburanumwe and Tommy Cormier replied for Victoriaville (39-18-1-6). Gabriel D’Aigle stopped 29 of 35 shots in the loss. SAGUENÉENS 4 OCÉANIC 3 CHICOUTIMI, Que. – Émile Duquet’s overtime winner at 1:52 pushed Chicoutimi past Rimouski. Chicoutimi (32-29-3-1) also got goal from Emmanuel Vermette, Alexis Morin, Thomas Desruisseaux and Émile Duquet. Sags goalie Charles-Antoine Lavallée made 20 saves. Mathys Laurent, Julien Béland and Luka Verreault each scored for Rimouski (32-29-3-1). Océanic goaltender Patrik Hamrla stopped 29 shots. DRAKKAR 2 ARMADA 1 BLAINVILLE-BOISBRIAND, Que. – Justin Poirier’s goal 41 seconds into the second period was the winner for Baie-Comeau (28-32-3-2). Isaac Dufort also scored for the Drakkar, with Olivier Ciarlo posting 29 saves. Mikaël Denis scored for Blainville-Boisbriand. Armada goalie Charles-Édward Gravel stopped 36 shots. This roundup was generated automatically with a CP-developed application. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2023. 51