Remparts best Blazers in Memorial Cup opener
James Malatesta scored a hat-trick, and the Quebec Remparts used three quick goals to start the second period to their advantage, scoring an 8-3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers on the opening night of the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia.
Malatesta, the Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, built off his QMJHL Playoffs MVP campaign, while Kamloops got goals from a trio of NHL prospects in the Friday setback.
The host Blazers shot out of the gate, outshooting the Remparts 6-0 through the first five minutes of play.
Quebec opened the scoring, however, at the 7:36 mark of the opening frame when forward Justin Robidas won a footrace to a loose puck and strode toward the net from the right wing.
The Carolina Hurricanes draftee zipped a pass to his left to linemate James Malatesta, who cashed in from just outside the Blazers crease.
Kamloops earned a trio of power-play opportunities in the opening period and evened the score at 1-1 on their third man-advantage. With the Remparts serving a double-minor infraction, Blazers captain Logan Stankoven feathered a puck from behind the net to fellow forward Caedan Bankier, who then wired home his side’s first goal of the tournament from the left-wing circle.
The Blazers outshot Quebec 13-8 in the first period.
The QMJHL champions struck quickly in period two, building a 4-1 advantage inside the frist fix minutes of the middle frame on goals from Malatesta, Nathan Gaucher and Theo Rochette.
Gaucher, a first-round selection by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2022 NHL Draft, fired a slap shot past Kamloops netminder Dylan Ernst after receiving a drop pass just inside the Blazers blue line.
“I thought when they scored, we got a little deflated, tried to do a little bit too much,” said Blazers head coach and GM Shaun Clouston. “They did a great job in transition, they’re a good transition team.”
Quebec added a fifth goal before Kamloops forward Daylan Kuefler pounced on a loose puck at the top of the left-wing circle, firing it past a prone William Rousseau.
On a third-period power play, the Blazers trimmed the Remparts lead to 5-3 when Dallas Stars prospect Matthew Seminoff deflected a point shot home for his first goal of the tournament.
Gaudet and Zachary Bolduc replied for Quebec, before Malatesta completed his hat-trick on an odd-man rush with 4:28 to play.
“I think we’ve got more, hats off to their team,” Clouston said. “We’ve got to be better.”
Kamloops netminder Dylan Ernst made 25 saves in goal, while Rousseau turned aside 27 shots for the Remparts.
Stankoven led all Blazers skaters with three points (0G-3A).
Kamloops finished 2/7 on the power-play, while Quebec was 1/1.
“This is a tough one tonight, but we’re going to go back to the drawing board tomorrow,” said Blazers captain Logan Stankoven.
“We’ve got to stay positive, stay present, stay in the moment. That will be key for us.”
The Blazers are next in action Sunday, May 28 when they continue their round-robin campaign versus the Peterborough Petes (3:00 p.m. PT, Sandman Centre, TSN).
The tournament continues Saturday, May 27 with a matchup between the WHL Champion Seattle Thunderbirds and the Petes (3:00 p.m. PT, Sandman Centre, TSN).