Inside the CHL
By Aaron Bell
These days Philippe Desrosiers must be wondering if he’ll ever let in another goal.
The Dallas Stars’ netminding prospect is on a record shutout streak that has helped Rimouski Oceanic inch up the standings with just a few weeks to go before the CHL playoffs start.
Desrosiers cooled off the red-hot Victoriaville Tigres with 31 saves in a 5-0 win on Monday that extended his QMJHL-record shutout streak to 213 minutes and 15 seconds. It was his fifth shutout of the season and third in a row.
Coincidentally, the record was just set in November by Francois Brassard of the Quebec Remparts, who posted 212:10 straight without a goal against. That beat the former record of 207:04 set by Mathieu Chouinard of the Shawinigan Cataractes during the 1997-98 season.
Brassard likely thought he would spend at least a little bit of time in the record books – especially after being the first netminder to top the mark in more than 15 years.
Desrosiers gave up his last goal against late in a 4-2 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Feb. 7.
The streak started with a 1-0 shootout win over the Halifax Mooseheads on Feb. 8. He turned aside 42 shots in regulation and overtime and then all three shooters he faced in the shootout to back the Oceanic to an upset win.
“Their goalie was hot tonight,” Moosheads defenceman Mackenzie Weegar told the Halifax Chronicle-Herald after that game. “He made a lot of great saves.”
Desrosiers also blanked the Charlottetown Islanders and Drummondville Voltigeurs.
The 18-year-old was the Stars second round pick in the NHL Draft last June.
With his recent hot streak, Desrosiers has moved up to sixth among QMJHL netminders with a 2.80 goals against average in 42 games. Philippe Cadorette of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar leads the way with a 2.35 GAA in 42 games this season. Cadorette, Desrosiers and Brassard are all tied with a league-best five shutouts this season.
In the WHL, Victoria Royals sophomore Coleman Vollrath has the best numbers, allowing an average of 2.21 goals against in 31 games this season. Tristan Jarry of the Edmonton Oil Kings is second with a 2.25 GAA and leads all CHL netminders with seven shutouts in 51 games this season.
Oscar Dansk of the Erie Otters leads the way in the OHL with 2.24 goals against in 32 games. He is also tied with Matt Murray of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for the league lead with six shutouts.
Mackenzie Blackwood of the Barrie Colts has posted the best numbers in the CHL among rookie goaltenders this season. The 17-year-old from Thunder Bay, ON has a 2.97 GAA with one shutout in 36 games.