Phoenix dispatch Huskies in Game 7 on the road

For the first time in their team’s modern history the Sherbrooke Phoenix have advanced to the second round of the QMJHL’s President’s cup playoffs after defeating the No.7 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in seven games. Despite being down 3-2 in the series after game 5, the No.10 Birds came out on top with spectacular back-to-back wins to make their first ever appearance in the second round. Sherbrooke won Game 6 in front of 2,955 excited fans at the Palais des Sports, 4-3 in overtime thanks to the heroics of Czech forward Marek Zachar, and Game 7 saw the Birds dominate in a 3-1 win on the road disappointing the 2,991 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies fans packed into the Iamgold Arena. After Tommy Beaudoin beat Reilly Pickard on a penalty shot to put the Huskies 1-0, the Phoenix kicked into high gear overpowering their opponents scoring the games next three goals to take home a 3-1 win and punched their ticket to the next round. Former Huskies first-round pick Evan MacKinnon tied the game, 1-1, halfway through the second after beating netminder Samuel Harvey with a quick shot off a two-on-one with Nicolas Roy. Pickard picked up the rare goalie assist on the play as well. Less than five minutes later Félix Robert scored his first goal of the postseason and the eventual game-winner on Harvey with a hard shot in the slot. Halfway through the third period Nicolas Poulin scored his fourth goal of the series putting the Phoenix ahead by two when he got his own rebound in the slot. Pickard made 30-of-31 stops in the do-or-die game while his opponent Harvey stopped 41-of-44 shots. See full story in the Thursday, April 5th edition of The Record.