QMJHL pushes decisive Game 6 with 3-1 win over Russia
Tuesday November 18, 2014
By Josh Sweetland/CHL
Bathurst, NB – In a must-win contest for the CHL to keep hopes alive of capturing the SUBWAY Super Series title the QMJHL got the job done on Tuesday night in Bathurst, New Brunswick.
The QMJHL penalty killing crew came away black and blue following numerous third period shot blocks in a 3-1 victory over Russia in Game 5 of the 2014 SUBWAY Super Series. Outshot 22-1 in the third frame, Montreal Canadiens goaltending prospect Zach Fucale was a rock in goal to be named QMJHL Player of the Game and push a decisive sixth game on Thursday night in Rimouski.
“I think I lost track of all the blocked shots in the third period,” said Fucale who made 40 saves in the win. “It was a complete team effort out there tonight. I was pretty busy in the third period, but the boys in the room all pitched in and we got the job done. Everyone was committed to playing a team game.”
Sherbrooke Phoenix forward Daniel Audette’s goal and assist along with goals from Francis Perron and Anthony Richard were enough offense to power Team QMJHL to victory. The win brings the CHL to within a point of Russia in the six game series. Russia now holds just an 8-7 lead in points after being outscored 8-2 over the past two games.
An inspired QMJHL group jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Francis Perron and Daniel Audette. Though the QMJHL was outshot 11-8, the team did an effective job keeping Russia’s dangerous shooters to the perimeter, limiting the early work for Fucale in goal.
Though it looked as if Russia would take an early lead when Egor Korshkov shoveled a rebound past an oustretched Fucale inside the first two minutes, the official on the play ruled no goal as Fucale had been bumped just prior to the puck crossing the goal line as things remained scoreless.
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies winger Francis Perron lit up the scoreboard at 6:43 on the powerplay. Perron was the beneficiary of the presence of linemate Anthony DeLuca in the high slot who acted as a decoy to draw Russian goaltender Igor Shesterkin out of position. Daniel Audette’s cross-ice pass found the stick of Perron who snapped a quick release over the glove of Shesterkin as the K.C. Irving Regional Centre erupted.
After recording a helper on the first goal, Audette resembled a left-handed shooting version of his former NHL star father Donald Audette at 11:53, cruising down his off-wing to beat Shesterkin over the glove once again with assists to Anthony DeLuca and Laurent Dauphin.
Russia may have led the first period shot clock in terms of quantity, but the QMJHL generated many of the prime quality chances.
After some early saves from Fucale in the second, Team QMJHL stretched its lead to three as the speed of Drummondville Voltigeurs forward Joey Ratelle created space for linemate Anthony Richard to beat Shesterkin through the five hole on an odd-man rush at 5:33.
Facing the challenges of playing on back to back days with a flight in between, Russia managed to battle through fatigue and get on the board during 4-on-4 play with some hard work at 14:08. Hard nosed centreman Ivan Fishchenko won a battle along the end boards, poking a loose puck to Vyacheslav Leshchenko who curled behind the net to find a waiting Dmitry Yudin who beat Fucale with a one-timer.
Fucale saw increasingly more action in front of him as the game wore on. Team QMJHL spent much of the second half of the period in the penalty box, forcing him into a few key saves to preserve the two goal cushion.
The third period saw much of the same from the QMJHL, who had a hard time maintaining the energy and jump they showed in the early going. Much of the play was contained inside QMJHL territory in the third as Russia had three more man advantages in the opening 16 minutes of the period.
Team QMJHL held a frustrated Russian squad to an 0 for 9 mark on the powerplay on Tuesday while going 1 for 4 in their opportunities. The victory gives the QMJHL four straight wins over Russia dating back to November 7, 2012.
The series finale is set for Thursday night at the Colisée de Rimouski when the puck drops at 7:00pm ET. The game can be seen on Sportsnet ONE as well as TVA Sports.
For more information including how to purchase tickets please visit www.subwaysuperseries.ca.