Petes hand Remparts first loss at 2023 Memorial Cup
For the Peterborough Petes, it was win or go home. They earned the former with a 4-2 decision over the Quebec Remparts at the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia in Kamloops, British Colombia on Tuesday night.
Tucker Robertson, J.R. Avon, Avery Hayes and Connor Lockhart scored for Peterborough (1-2-0), who also received a 26-save performance from OHL Playoff MVP Michael Simpson. The Remparts replied with James Malatesta’s tournament-leading fourth goal and Nathan Gaucher’s second in three games. William Rousseau made 25 saves for Quebec (2-1-0) before being replaced by Quentin Miller, who stopped all seven shots he faced during the final 13:47 of the contest.
Following a first period that featured no goals and a 9-5 advantage in shots for Peterborough, the floodgates would open in the middle frame and the Petes skated off with a 3-2 advantage after 40 minutes. Peterborough broke the scoreless deadlock midway through the second period when Robertson, cruising down the right wing uncontested, deposited a cross-ice pass from Brennan Othmann past Rousseau. The OHL Champions doubled their lead at 11:36 when Avon pounced on a loose puck in the neutral zone, started a two-on-one rush with Chase Stillman and finished the play off by converting a return pass from close range.
The Remparts would strike back two minutes later when Justin Robidas found Malatesta wide open at the lip of the crease, who in turn shoveled a shot past Simpson. Hayes would reclaim the Petes’ two-goal advantage on a 4-on-4 by walking into open ice in the high slot area and clanging a shot off the post an in at 15:07. It would take exactly 25 seconds for the Remparts to close the gap once again, when Gaucher redirected Kassim Gaudet’s centering feed to make it a 3-2 game. The Petes held an 18-9 lead in shots on net during the second period.
Peterborough posted its fourth goal at the 3:37 mark of the third to round out the scoring when Lockhart’s shot from the boards deflected off Charle Truchon’s skate and past Rousseau. This would bring in Miller between the pipes for his Memorial Cup debut.
With the win, the Petes have forced the first tie-breaker game at the tournament since 2015. They’ll next suit up on Thursday when they face the loser of tomorrow night’s round robin finale between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Kamloops Blazers.
The Remparts have already punched their ticket to Sunday’s Championship Final, where they’ll battle for the franchise’s third Memorial Cup title and the QMJHL’s fourth straight.
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