Maxim Barbashev played heroes in overtime with the winning goal for the Moncton Wildcats in Game 7 of the series against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, who lost 5-4.
Moncton therefore advances to the second round thanks to this victory which allows it to take the honors of the series 4-3 to join the Halifax Mooseheads who will be the next opponents. Halifax was 36 points ahead of the Wildcats in the regular season standings.
Alone in front of goaltender Olivier Ciarlo after being well fueled by a long pass from Charles Beaudoin, Barbashev lifted the puck to the top with a deft backhand shot at 14:53 to lift Center Avenir.
Shortly before the game-winning goal, Baie-Comeau thought it was right to celebrate when Charles-Thomas Larochelle pushed the puck into the Wildcats net, but the goal was disallowed. A video replay confirmed the initial decision of referee Mario Maillet.
This is the first time in QMJHL history that a series requires five overtime games. It is also the tenth time in history that a team has won three games in overtime in the same series.
This series will also have been equal until the end as evidenced by the goals scored by the two clubs, which hit the target 24 times each before the winning goal.
Dufort redeems himself
It was a goal by Isaac Dufort, his third of the game, on a two-on-one attack with 2:09 left in the third that forced the Drakkar into extra time. The goal allowed Dufort to breathe a little easier as he was assessed a double-minor high-sticking penalty with 4:48 left in the third for a high-sticking Etienne Morin. It was during this penalty that Vincent Labelle put the Wildcats ahead 4-3 with 4:17 to go. Labelle also had two assists.
Moments later, after Labelle put the Wildcats ahead at the end of the game, Moncton goaltender Jacob Steinman closed the door in front of Matyas Melovsky, who was spinning alone in front of him.
Alexis Bernier was the author of the other goal for the Drakkar in the first 60 minutes of play.
Félix Gagnon and Marc-Antoine Séguin had two assists each.
Anthony Hamel hit the target twice for the Wildcats in regulation time. The other was the work of Oscar Plandowski.
For his part, Étienne Morin was an accomplice on three of the Wildcats’ four goals.
Steinman stopped 32 of the 36 pucks he faced in front of the Moncton net. Ciarlo made 33 saves in a losing cause.
Baie-Comeau has not reached the second round of the playoffs since 2015.
Round two playoff preview:
Rouyn Noranda vs. Gatineau
Drummondville vs Sherbrooke
Rimouski vs Quebec
Moncton vs Halifax