Maddox Dagenais, the first overall pick by the Quebec Remparts at the 2024 QMJHL Draft, scored once in regulation and then fired home the shootout winner in an entertaining back-and forth affair as Team Lafleur downed Team Crosby 6-5 in the inaugural QMJHL Prospects Game this evening at the Palais de Sports Leopold Drolet in Sherbrooke, QC.
Nathan Lecompte (Chicoutimi Sagueneens), Nikita Ovcharov (Quebec Remparts), Romain L’Italien (Cape Breton Eagles) and Zachary Morin (Saint John Sea Dogs) scored for Team Lafleur.
Dylan Rozzi (Saint John Sea Dogs), Alexis Fortin (Val-d’Or Foreurs), Louis-Francois Belanger (Newfoundland Regiment), Ryan Chudzinski (Moncton Wildcats) and Korney Korneyev (Victoriaville Tigres) replied for Team Crosby.
William Lacelle (Rimouski Oceanic) started the contest for Team Lafleur, stopping all 15 shots he faced before making way for Rafael Courchesne (Saint John Sea Dogs), who made 11 saves on 16 shots. Jacoby Weiner (Moncton Wildcats) opened up play for Team Crosby, steering aside 10 of 11 shots. Jan Larys (Drummondville Voltigeurs) took over for the second half of the contest, making 15 saves on 19 shots.
Ovcharov was named Player of the Game for Team Lafleur while Liam Lefebvre (Rimouski Oceanic) took home the honors for Team Crosby in a contest viewed on site by over 100 NHL scouts.
It appeared the two teams would battle to a scoreless draw after one period until Team Lafleur broke the deadlock late to earn a 1-0 advantage after 20 minutes of play. Lecompte drove to the net, pulled off a move in close and snuck a short side shot off the body of Weiner and in with just 20 seconds remaining in the frame. It was a period that featured action at both ends of the ice, particularly a few waves of pressure from Team Crosby during the second half of the period, pressing Lacelle into a number of quality stops. Overall, Team Crosby led in shots 11-6 after one.
The offense arrived in greater supply during the second period which left the clubs tied at two after two. Team Crosby would tie things up at one at the 10:46 mark. Rozzi would corral a pass from Daniel Walters (Halifax Mooseheads) coming out of his own zone, move around a flat-footed defender and lift a backhander over the shoulder of Courchesne, who had just entered the game. Team Crosby took the lead on a broken play deep in Team Lafleur territory at 12:59. Maxim Dube’s (Gatineau Olympiques) attempted centering feed from below the goal line ricocheted off Courchesne to the stick of Fortin, who’s wrist shot found the far side. Ovcharov replied for Team Lafleur on a heads-up play at the 17:29 mark. Lecompte dumped the puck into Team Crosby territory. Ovcharov beat out the icing call and immediately whipped a wrist shot over the shoulder of Larys on the near side from a tight angle. Team Crosby enjoyed a 10-9 shots edge in the middle frame.
It was a back and forth third period which would end with the two teams tied at five after regulation and Team Lafleur holding a 13-10 advantage in shots. Team Lafleur wasted no time retaking the lead as L’Italien cashed in on the doorstep just 24 seconds into the period, converting a rebound off the initial shot by Benjamin Cossette-Ayotte (Val-d’Or Foreurs). Morin would double Team Lafleur’s advantage on another far side rebound at the 3:33 mark after Ovcharov split the defense and got the initial shot off. Dagenais would make it 5-2 on the powerplay at 14:35, completing a pretty three-way passing play with Lecompte and Egor Shilov (Victoriaville Tigres). Team Crosby would quickly get one back on the man advantage just 27 seconds later, as Belanger collected a loose puck off a point shot from Tommy Bleyl (Moncton Wildcats) and roofed a wrist shot past Courchesne. At 16:49, with the Team Crosby net empty, Belanger would throw a centering feed into the blue paint. Chudzinski freed his stick long enough at the side of the crease to shovel the puck past Courchesne and make it a one-goal game yet again. Team Crosby would complete the comeback on the power play with 1:17 remaining when Korneyev picked up Chudzinski’s drive from off the back boards and tucked it home to send the game to overtime.
The clubs traded chances in a scoreless five-minute overtime. Though Team Lafleur held a 2-0 shots edge, Team Crosby nearly put the game away late in the frame as Oleg Kulebiakin’s (Halifax Mooseheads) shot hit the post. This paved the way for Dagenais’ decisive move in the shootout. Shilov also scored in the shootout for Team Lafleur while Kulebiakin replied for Team Crosby.
The QMJHL regular season resumes on Friday night, with seven games on the schedule.
