Mar 20 2010-11 Regular Season Ends in 5-2 Loss for Juniors

With 2^nd place already clinched, it was no surprise that Juniors coach and GM Pascal Vincent rested many key players including giving his number 1 goaltender Jean-Francois Bérubé the night off.

The result was a 5-2 loss to the home team Gatineau Olympiques which should now be brushed off as the Juniors now must prepare for their first round matchup agains the Halifax Mooseheads. Game 1 is in Verdun on Thursday March 24^th. .

Please read on for the official Juniors game recap.

The Gatineau Olympiques played host to the Montreal Juniors, with the home team winning by a score of 5 to 2.

The Gatineau offense came out strong, scoring three unanswered goals. The first one by Igor Levitsky, his 10^th of the season, the second by Alex Gagnon, his first of the campaign, and the third one coming off the stick of Félix Bergeron, his seventh of the season.

The Juniors then struck back, with Nicholas Parisella scoring his first of the season. Philippe Halley gave Gatineau another three goal lead by scoring his 27^th of the season, but Montreal forward David Rose countered with his 22^nd of the year, bringing Montreal back within two after forty minutes of play.

However, it was as close as the Juniors would get, as Tommy Tremblay sealed the win for the Olympiques with an empty net goal in the final moments of the third period.

Between the pipes, Montreal’s Étienne Marcoux turned away 18 of the 22 shots fired his way, while at the other end, Gatineau’s Maxime Clermont stopped 28 of 30 shots. Philippe Halley (GAT), Nicholas Parisella (MTL) and Igor Levitsky (GAT) were respectively named first, second and third star of the game.

The Montreal Juniors will next play on Thursday March 24^th, opening the 2011 QMJHL playoffs on home ice.

Tags: etienne Marcoux \ Gatineau Olympiques \ hockey \ LHJMQ \ Montreal juniors \ Nicholas Parisella \ QMJHL