Dec 09 Montreal Juniors Defeat 1st Place Shawinigan Cataractes 4-1

The Montreal Juniors, in the midst of a three game winless streak, were also playing their last game, potentially for a while, with Angelo Esposito and Jake Allen in the line-up, as the two would be heading out to try and make the roster for Team Canada at the World Juniors. Their work would be cut out for them as their opponents tonight were none other than the team that handed them their last loss, the Shawinigan Cataractes. The Juniors were up to the task.

Montreal was mentally prepared for this match, proving once again that they could skate and play with any team, as long as the work ethic was there. The Cataractes, however would get on the board first with about 1:32 left in the first period on a goal by Cédric Lalonde McNicoll but Montreal would rally back in the second with Angelo Esposito and Benjamin Rubin getting a goal and an assist each to put the Juniors ahead. Rubin's goal, his 4th of the season was scored on the powerplay after a scrum in front of the net resulted in a loose puck that Rubin put away. Esposito potted his 15th of the season off a Rubin instigated rebound six minutes later, putting it past Shawinigan netminder Timo Pielmeier.

Jake Allen was his usual self, keeping his team in this game when called upon. Included in his 27 saves was a barrage at the midpoint of the third period which had everyone wondering how the puck stayed out of the net on more than one occasion. It would even take a video replay to confirm that this was the case. Allen would go on to earn the game's 1st star. Credit the Juniors, however, with giving as much as they got, going toe to toe with the first place Cataractes. proof of this came at 11:40 when Dmitri Kostromitin skated the puck from his own end and almost ended up behind the Cataractes' netminder before making a nifty blind, drop pass to a waiting Chris Thorne who one-timed it past Pielmeier and consequently padding Montreal's lead to 2 goals. Kostromitin, a player who has of late been coming into his own as a Junior also intercepted a neutral zone pass moments later, which resulted in an odd amn rush and Esposito almost had his second of the game, were it not for a good save by Pielmeier.

Shawinigan pulled their goaltender with over a minute left in the 3rd, however Alex Wall ensured he would return rather quickly as his clearing attempt ended up caroming off the boards and into the empty net for a 4-1 Juniors victory.

When the Juniors play a game as fluid and as disciplined as this one, when all the players seem to be pulling in the same direction and the confidence level is as high as it appeared tonight, one can't help but wonder about the potential if this team ever really gets into any kind of a winning streak. After losing the last three however, a win tonight would be a pleasant welcome and I'm sure the Juniors would contemplate that winning streak come Friday night when the face the Foreurs from Val D'Or with Jean-François Bérubé taking over goaltending duties in the absence of Jake Allen. Bérubé, you will recall, notched his first shutout during his last stint between the pipes against the Rockets.

photo by Amanda Stein

Tags: Angelo Esposito \ Benjamin Rubin \ Jake Allen LHJMQ \ Montreal juniors \ QMJHL \ Shawinigan Cataractes