Mar 20 QMJHL Playoffs - Montreal Juniors Travel to Rouyn-Noranda Tied at 1 Game Apiece with the Huskies

Less than 24 hours since these two teams last fought through a 5-3 Juniors victory, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Montreal were back at it for game 2 of this best of seven round of the QMJHL playoffs. This game was key before the teams would head out to Rouyn-Noranda as it would mean the difference between a two game hole for the Huskies or a 1-1 tie, which in essence, made it a brand new, best of 5 series.

The order of the day for coach Pascal Vincent must have been for his players to be more physical. At the end of the 1st period, Montreal outhit the Huskies 20-3, but the score would not be so lopsided. With Pier-Antoine Dion in the box for an interference call, team leader in scoring, Sergey Ostapchuk one timed a faceoff win and cleanly beat Jake Allen with 4:28 remaining in the period.  Only seconds later, Montreal would get their own opportunity on the power-play and would not waste it when TJ Brennan wristed a rising shot from the blue line, beating Mikael Audette glove hand side. Jake Allen was the busiest of both goaltenders as he faced 13 shots, but the Huskies appeared frustrated by the constant physical attention the juniors were providing them.

With David Foucher in the box for having delayed the game with a missed clearing play, the Huskies could not have asked for a better start to the second period. On the power-play, Christophe Losier was allowed to simply skate in between the hash marks and rip a shot through Jake Allen's pads as he was unable to squeeze them fast enough. Merely seconds later, Jerome Coté tried a similar play through a crowd and it too would beat Allen as the Momentum and the lead would swing in the Huskies favour.

Trying to get his team energized, Samuel Grenache would square off with Alex Émond with Grenache getting the slight nod in the mild skirmish. This would be followed by a brief 5 on 3 power-play chance for Montreal, however despite some good chances, Mikael Audette was solid and the juniors could not connect. But the huskies would get into the same penalty trouble that saw them give up 10 chances last night alone. Guillaume Asselin would bring the Juniors to within one goal with a beautiful wrist shot from the top of the left circle that Audette had no chance on. The man who started it all, Samuel Grenache, would then tie the game with a hard rising shot from the right side after receiving a smart pass from Jérémy Gouchie sending the home crowd into a frenzy and setting the tone for an exciting third period as the teams would skate off the ice with a 3-3 tie.

After a rather tentative beginning to the third, it would be the Huskies who would draw first blood and break the 3-3 tie when Montreal could not clear their zone and in the ensuing scrum after Allen gave up a rebound, Michael Beaudry popped his first of the playoffs to the back of the net. Montreal would pour it on to try and tie it with some very impressive give and go's and  one-timers, but Audette was up to the task despite Montreal's onslaught. Guillaume Asselin had the potential tying goal on the end of his stick when he came in on Audette on a breakaway with less than 4 minutes remaining in the period, but for the second time in as many nights, he was unable to bury the puck. Montreal would really  lay on the pressure with the remaining minutes, including the pulling of Jake Allen in lieu of the extra attacker, however time would run out and the series would be tied at 1. Montreal had outshot the Huskies 14-6 in the period and 38-28 during the game.

The Juniors and Huskies will now head back to Rouyn Noranda where they will play what will surely be 2 very exciting games to continue the series on Tuesday the 24th and Wednesday the 25th with the next Juniors home game slated for Friday the 27th.

For all the game's stats, plaease visit the QMJHL boxscore .

Tags: Guillaume Asselin \ Jake Allen \ LHJMQ \ Montreal juniors \ playoff \ QMJHL \ Rouyn-Noranda Huskies \ Samuel Grenache \ Sergey Ostapchuk \ TJ Brennan