Matthew Boucher’s goal with less than four minutes remaining gave the Quebec Remparts a come-from-behind 6-5 win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix at the Sports Palace, Sunday. Boucher scored two goals as the Remparts completed comebacks from 1-0, 2-1, 4-2 and 5-4 down to tie the game each time.
In the first period, the Phoenix came out aggressively and had control of the play for the majority of the period. They scored first on a goal from forward Vincent Deslauriers midway through the frame. The Remparts scored five minutes later to tie the game on as Boucher scored his first goal, taking advantage of a mishandled puck by Sherbrooke netminder Alexandre Lagacé.
Sherbrooke responded quickly to take back their lead on a goal from winger Nicolas Poulin just 30 seconds later. The Remparts’ Zachary Moody potted a goal in a goalmouth scramble 14 seconds left in the period to tie the game at two goals a piece.
The second period would prove to be more of the same as the Phoenix again controlled the play for the majority of the period. They took a two goal lead midway through the period on goals by Julien Pelletier and Guillaume Gauthier. Gauther’s power-play marker set up by the Sharks draft pick Jeremy Roy who quarterbacked the goal from the point.
A late period collapse saw the Phoenix give up their two goal lead as the Remparts fought their way back in scoring two goals, by Derek Gentile and Olivier Garneau, thirty seconds apart with less than three minutes to go.
The third period proved to be quite intense. After being relatively quiet and missing opportunities earlier in the game Daniel Audette was able to pick pocket the puck off of Remparts captain Matt Murphy to set up Pelletier for his second goal of the afternoon. However, they relinquished the lead three-and-a-half minutes later on a goal by Remparts defenceman Aaron Dutra, tying the game at 5-5.
The Remparts caught Sherbrooke off-guard in their own end with Boucher scoring his second goal after being fed the puck from the corner to give the Remparts a 6-5 lead with four minutes to go in regulation.
The Phoenix found life after an errant clearing attempt by the Remparts gave Sherbrooke a power play with 1:50 to go. On the power play the Phoenix were unsuccessful as they were stoned on a spectacular diving save by Remparts goalie Callum Booth just before time expired.
Sherbrooke (3-4-1-0) is back in action on Tuesday, as they visit the Val d’Or Foreurs. Their next home game is Friday, when they host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
