BATHURST, N.B. - In a thrilling matchup in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, Emile Perron scored the game-winner just 2:18 into overtime, leading the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to a dramatic 4-3 comeback victory over the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday. The Titan, now holding a record of 30 wins, 24 losses, 1 overtime loss, and 1 shootout loss (30-24-1-1), found themselves trailing 3-1 with less than 30 seconds remaining in the third period. However, Tyson Goguen ignited a last-minute surge by scoring at 19:38, followed by Colby Huggan's equalizer at 19:57, forcing the game into overtime.
Earlier in the third period, Goguen had already scored the Titan’s first goal. Dawson Sharkey and Mathieu St-Onge played vital roles by each providing two assists throughout the game, while the Titan outshot the Mooseheads significantly, 42-20. For the Mooseheads, who now sit at 17 wins, 31 losses, 8 overtime losses, and 1 shootout loss (17-31-8-1), Callum Aucoin was a standout performer with two goals, and Braeden MacPhee contributed with a goal and an assist. The Mooseheads managed one power-play opportunity but failed to capitalize, whereas the Titan did not receive any power-play chances.
In another matchup on Friday, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada triumphed over the Charlottetown Islanders with a score of 3-1. Played in Charlottetown, P.E.I., Mateo Nobert shone for the Armada, scoring twice, while goaltender Felix Hamel made a commendable 27 saves on 28 shots. The Armada, who currently lead the West Division with a record of 32-17-4-2, took a 1-0 lead after the first period and maintained their advantage through to the final period. Xavier Villeneuve added another goal, while Kyle Powers found the net for the Islanders, who hold a record of 27-25-2-1.
Continuing the night’s action, the Moncton Wildcats secured a solid victory against the Drummondville Voltigeurs, winning 4-1 in Moncton, N.B. Markus Vidicek and Dyllan Gill each contributed with a goal and an assist. Vincent Collard and Preston Lounsbury also scored for the Wildcats, who are leading the Maritimes Division with an impressive record of 44-9-2. Despite being outshot 43-37, the Wildcats benefitted from an outstanding 42-save performance by netminder Rudy Guimond. William Dumont scored the lone goal for the Voltigeurs, who hold a strong record of 34-16-3-3.
In Baie-Comeau, Quebec, the Rimouski Oceanic earned a decisive 5-2 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Jonathan Fauchon put on a stellar performance, scoring one goal and assisting on three others, contributing greatly to the Oceanic’s strong showing. Jack Martin, Maxime Coursol, Dominic Pilote, and Mael St-Denis also added goals for the Oceanic (40-12-2-2), while the Drakkar (31-21-3-1) had goals from Matyas Melovsky and Alexis Bernier but were outshot 27-20.
In Gatineau, Quebec, a thrilling overtime battle saw the Val-d’Or Foreurs edge the Gatineau Olympiques 3-2, with Nathon Brisson scoring the decisive goal just 68 seconds into the overtime period. Samuel Fiala also scored for the Foreurs, who currently have a record of 24-25-5-1. The Olympiques' Jeremie Minville scored both of his team's goals, but ultimately came up short, holding a record of 14-28-8-5.
The Sherbrooke Phoenix dominated the Victoriaville Tigres, winning 6-2. Hugo Primeau scored a hat trick, and Chad Bellemare added two goals as the Phoenix (30-19-2-4) maintained control throughout the game. Florent Houle and Mavrick Lachance contributed with multiple assists for the visiting Phoenix. The Tigres (15-37-1-3) had goals from Thomas Paquet and Olivier Laverdiere but struggled defensively, getting outshot 44-30.
The Chicoutimi Sagueneens delivered an impressive performance in Rouyn-Noranda, defeating the Huskies 7-3. Maxim Masse shone with a hat-trick, while Thomas Desruisseaux assisted on two goals for the Sagueneens (33-13-3-7). The Huskies (29-18-3-5) got two goals from Antonin Verreault and another from Remi Gelinas but could not keep pace with the potent offense of Chicoutimi.
Meanwhile, the Quebec Remparts battled the Shawinigan Cataractes to a nail-biting 6-5 shootout victory. Benjamin Vigneault scored late in the third period to tie it up, and sealed the win during the shootout. The Remparts (21-29-2-4) outshot the Cataractes 44-35, but it was Louis-Philippe Fontaine's hat trick and the assists from Jiri Klima that kept Shawinigan competitive (31-18-2-5).
POKE CHECKS: In this week's Canadian Hockey League Top 10 rankings, two QMJHL teams made the list, with the Moncton Wildcats ranked No. 2 and the Rimouski Oceanic at No. 3. The London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League were positioned as the top team.
