The Chicoutimi goaltender delivered 27 saves on Sunday to help defeat host Kelowna.
After a disappointing 5-3 loss to the Everett Silvertips in their opener on Saturday at the Memorial Cup in Kelowna, B.C., Ottawa Senators prospect Lucas Beckman and the Chicoutimi Saguenéens had little time to dwell on the defeat.
Beckman and company were right back at it on Sunday night, facing tournament host Kelowna, with both teams completely uninterested in starting the event at 0-2.
Liam Lefebvre scored his second goal of the game at 5:03 of three-on-three overtime to lift Chicoutimi to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Kelowna. After a sloppy breakout by the Rockets, Lefebvre launched a rocket of his own, blasting a one-timer past Josh Benini to secure the win.
After an opening game where he allowed a pair of goals he'd like to have back, Beckman rebounded on Sunday, turning aside 27 shots. That included a fabulous glove save to keep the game tied with about 30 seconds left in regulation.
The Memorial Cup action continues Monday night when the Kitchener Rangers take on Everett. The Silvertips are looking to become just the fourth American-based team to win the Memorial Cup, joining the Portland Winterhawks, Spokane Chiefs and Saginaw Spirit.
Kitchener impressively opened the tournament on Friday with a dominant 5-0 win over Kelowna. The Rangers also have some Sens content, defenceman Matthew Andonovski and forward Lucas Ellinas. Neither player recorded a point in the opening win, but both are important pieces for a talented Rangers lineup.
After Monday’s matchup against Everett, it's the Rangers' turn for a back-to-back. Kitchener will face Chicoutimi before Kelowna closes out the round robin on Wednesday night against Everett.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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