(Shawinigan) The Shawinigan Cataractes are one win away from the President Cup title and a Memorial Cup appearance.
Posted yesterday at 10:21 p.m.
The Cataractes triumphed for the sixth time in overtime in the playoffs and beat the Charlottetown Islanders 5-4 on Wednesday in the final of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The Cataractes took a 3-0 lead in the final series and are one win away from a first QMJHL title. Daniel Renaud’s men have not been defeated in this overtime playoff.
It was only 46 seconds into overtime that the Cataractes flashed the red light.
Charles Beaudoin attempted to put the puck in front of the net, but Islanders defenseman Noah Laaouan intercepted it and presumably fired it into his own net.
Xavier Bourgault shone in the victory with two goals and an assist.
His teammates Mavrik Bourque and Isaac Ménard had a goal and an assist while Olivier Nadeau had three assists.
In the loss, Patrick Guay distinguished himself with two goals and an assist while defender Lukas Cormier had a goal and two assists.
Jakub Brabenec ended the game with a goal and an assist.
Antoine Coulombe stopped 32 shots to sign the victory.
Francesco Lapenna made 16 saves in the loss.
The clubs will return to the ice at the Center Gervais Auto in less than 24 hours, Thursday evening. The amphitheater was sold out on Wednesday – 5,199 spectators attended.
If the Cataracts triumph on Thursday, they will have at least 11 vacation days. The Memorial Cup will be played on June 20 in Saint-Jean, New Brunswick.
After starting the game with a knife between their teeth, the Islanders reaped the rewards of their labor by hitting the mark just four minutes after the initial face-off. Cormier’s point shot was redirected by Brabenec and left Coulombe no chance.
The locals were quick to respond. Only 48 seconds later, a cross pass from Nadeau allowed Bourgault to draw and beat the goalkeeper on the glove side.
At 13:37 in the first period, Cormier restored the Islanders’ lead with a shot from the top of the slot.
Only 1:54 after returning from the locker room, Bougault tied the game again with 12e series net. He took advantage of the fall of Lapenna – instigated by an Islanders defender – to shoot in an almost deserted cage.
For the first time in the game, the Cats took a 3-2 lead. At 6:17 Ménard fired a one-time slapshot after a pass from behind the net and it was the hosts’ third goal on four shots.
Guay brought the teams back to square one after a rocky streak past Coulombe with just under five minutes left in the middle period. He deflected the shot from Cormier point to vibrate the ropes.
Nearly three minutes later, Guay did it again when he pounced on the loose puck at the mouth of the net to beat Coulombe in speed.
Cataractes captain Bourque tied the game at 4-4 when he was left alone in the slot and his shot slipped through the goalie’s pads.
The debate was settled in overtime when Laaouan redirected Beaudoin’s pass into his own net.