Wednesday, November 18, 2009

ALL-STARS SWEEP RUSSIANS

STATION NATION POST-GAME
FINAL: Team Russia 3, Team QMJHL 8


SHAWINIGAN – The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League All-Stars capped off a perfect 2-0 record against the Russian Selects on Wednesday as they took the victory by score of 8-3. It was a physical affair with many players being laid out by opposing players.

The QMJHL squad has traditionally struggled in game two of the challenge but handled themselves well. The Russians are now off to Barrie for a meeting with Team OHL.

Luke Adam opened the scoring at 2:05 of the first period. Chicoutimi forward Nicholas Deschamps fed a beautiful back hand pass from behind the icing line that found the stick of Adam who roofed it over Igor Bobkov.

The physical play continued to heat up as the first frame went on. “This is the makings of a fun night,” said Rogers Sportsnet broadcaster Sam Cosentino.

Russia tied the game at 10:33 when Kirill Petrov scored the best goal of the Subway Series. He came out from his own blue line and through center while beating several defensemen. He then made a nice toe drag going across the line a wired a shot from just inside the QMJHL zone that fooled Maxime Clermont.

Petrov was back at it at 16:31 when his original shot went off the pads of Clermont and to the stick of Maxim Kitsyn who netted his first of the series. That goal made it 2-1 Russia and gave them their first lead in almost four periods of hockey.

In the second period Team QMJHL exploded for five goals. At 5:07 Michael Bournival fed a cross ice pass to Fredericton native Kelsey Tessier who had a wide open net at the side of the goal to tie the game 2-2. Shortly after the goal some rough stuff started involving Hubert Labrie but the Russians chose to save their fists for games five and six against the WHL.

Jacob Legace and Adam had a two-on-one chance and made no mistake at 8:19 as the Eagles forward potted his second of the game. Less than two minutes later Marc-Olivier Vachon fed Gabriel Bourque who tipped it by Bobkov five hole to give the Q a 4-2 lead.

At 8:30 the hometown hero Charles-Olivier Roussel laid at Petrov with his head down coming across the line. Petrov left the game and rejoined the team on the bench in a suit during the third period.

With the QMJHL on the power play, Philippe Paradis assisted on a Vachon goal to make it 5-2. The Russians made it interesting at 14:10 when a Nikita Pivtsakin point shot beat Louis Domingue five hole to make it 5-3. At 15:15 Simon Despres cross checked Maxim Karpov but didn’t go to the box as Karpov was called for diving.

With the QMJHL on the power play, Despres cranked a point shot off the cross bar. Then at 16:13 Edmonton prospect Philippe Cornet finished off a tic-tac-toe to give the Canadians a three goal lead.

The Quebec league all-stars outshot the Russians 19-8 in the second period.

In the third period it was all Team QMJHL. Deschamps scored on the power play at 4:22 after picking up the garbage in the crease. Adam had the original shot but managed to get in the middle of the blue paint for the Sagueneens forward.

The scoring became complete at 17:38 of the third as Adam let a floater go from the slot and over the blocker of Bobkov. Deschamps was credited with the goal after getting a stick on the shot.

Domingue and Clermont combined to stop 23 of 26 shots. Igor Bobkov, an Anaheim Ducks third round pick, stopped 35 of 43 shots. Canada went 4/8 on the power play while Russia went 1/4.

NOTES: The attendance was 4,047… player of the game for Russia was Denis Golubev while Luke Adam was the star for the QMJHL All-Stars… Yann Sauve had three shots and was a -1. He was responsible for the second Russian goal after Petrov moved around him and got an assist… Simon Despres had two shots and was a -2. He had two penalty minutes after getting into some rough stuff in the second period… Guy Lafleur was the honorary captain and dropped the ceremonial puck… Moncton Wildcat Mark Barberio was not scheduled to play in this game but had to fill in for the sick Marco Scandella… “I got to be physical and competitive,” said Simon Despres before the game… for such a new building, Bionest Centre sure shows a lot of concrete.

NEXT GAME: Russian Selects vs Team OHL. Thursday, November 18, at 8:00 pm at Barrie Molson Centre.

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