Petes remain alive at Memorial Cup after win over Remparts
The Peterborough Petes remain alive at the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia after a 4-2 win over the Quebec Remparts Tuesday night.
Tucker Robertson (SEA), J.R. Avon (PHI), Avery Hayes and Connor Lockhart (VAN) scored for the Petes while Michael Simpson made 26 saves.
Quebec got goals from James Malatesta (CBJ) and Nathan Gaucher (ANA) while William Rousseau stopped 25 shots. Quentin Miller turned aside seven shots in relief over the final 16:23.
The victory ensured Peterborough would play in Thursday’s tiebreaker game against either Kamloops or Seattle. Those two teams meet Wednesday where the winner will advance to the semi-final.
“We always seem to be at our best when our backs are against the wall,” head coach Ron Wilson said. “It’s like we have to be pushed to the limit to come out and play to the best of our ability.
“We had to beat a very good team that [still] wanted to win. Now we’re in the tournament.”
#SeaKraken prospect Tucker Robertson breaks the deadlock! #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/7NgGhln1mI
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 31, 2023
After a scoreless first, the clubs combined for five goals in the second period. Robertson opened the scoring at 9:03 as after Vsevolod Komarov blew a tire in the corner, Brennan Othmann (NYR) fed the Kraken prospect out front as he buried the one-timer for his first of the tournament.
Avon doubled the lead at 11:36 as he scored on a give-and-go with Chase Stillman (NJ) as the pair broke in on a 2-on-0 but Quebec got a goal back two minutes later through Malatesta’s tournament high fourth goal.
Hayes’ third restored the two-goal lead for Peterborough at 15:07 before Gaucher neatly finished Kassim Gaudet’s pass just 27 seconds later to make it 3-2 after 40 minutes.
“I don’t think our confidence ever wavered,” Robertson said. “We know how good we are.”
Give-and-go finished off by #FueledbyPhilly prospect J.R. Avon! #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/kjt2fQu7Rx
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 31, 2023
Lockhart had the lone goal of the third at 3:37 as his shot from the wall hit Charle Truchon’s skate and beat Rousseau, who was then removed from the game.
“We were starting to look like ourselves again,” Wilson said. “We had to be at our best to beat them and I thought we did the right things when we needed to.”
Quebec had already secured its spot in Sunday’s final Monday night after they beat Seattle 3-1. The Petes will play the loser of Wednesday’s contest between the Blazers and Thunderbirds in what is the first tiebreaker game since 2015.
“Those first two games were nothing like the team we are and we wanted to go out and prove it today,” Robertson said.
