It wasn't a perfect opener to Chicoutimi's 2026 Mem Cup campaign, as their puck management suffered against an opportunistic Everett side.
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens start behind the eight ball at this year's Memorial Cup, losing their opening game to the Everett Silvertips.
Turnovers and an inability to create offence until it was too late were the biggest problems for Chicoutimi, who battled in the game but couldn't win in key moments.
Here's all the action from night two of the tournament.
Everett (5) - Chicoutimi (3)
Chicoutimi defenseman Alex Huang absorbs a big check from Everett forward Matias Vanhanen. (Photo: Steve Dunsmoor / CHL)Losing in a short tournament is never a good thing.
The margins in the Memorial Cup are so fine every year, that starting off 0-1 is always a concern. Unfortunately for the Sags, they'll have to climb uphill after falling in the opener to a Silvertips team that looks excellent.
Jesse Heslop got the party started early for Everett, putting a quick backhander past Lucas Beckman just 1:14 into the game, on the team's second shot of the night.
The Silvertips would have the first nine shots of the game, but Chicoutimi needed just one to get it level. It was Christophe Berthelot, who's proving himself to be a big-game player, who got the Sags on the board with their first Memorial Cup goal since the millennium shift.
That score would hold into the dressing room, and the Saguenéens came out in the second period with a bit more spark. Alex Huang sniped one bar down walking in from the point, giving his team its first lead of the night.
However, they'd only be in front for 33 seconds. Lukas Kaplan fired one through Beckman, one the goalie would love to have back, and got the game tied at two.
That goal seemed to spark Everett, who really settled into their game from there. They started to pile on offensive pressure, and gave Chicoutimi a ton of trouble exiting their zone.
Those turnovers would eventually catch up to them, as Heslop took the puck off of Alexis Bernier's stick before sending a beautiful pass from behind the net to Zackary Shantz, who finished into the open cage.
Another turnover led to the 4-2 goal, as Silvertips superstar Landon Dupont jumped a into the play, made a beautiful toe drag move through two defenders, and fired a cross crease pass to Carter Bear to double up the advantage for the WHL side.
That would be how the second period ended, with Everett holding a 21-13 lead in shots as well as a two-goal lead. It was exactly where they wanted to be heading into the third, holding the lead as they have basically all season.
The Silvertips really controlled the chances in the first half of the third period, too. Their transition game really loved the risks Chicoutimi had to take to push back into the game, and they forced a ton of saves out of Beckman, who did his part to keep his team in the game after a couple goals he would want back earlier in the game.
That's not to downplay Anders Miller in the Silvertips goal, who made a few unreal stops of his own, including the likely save of the tournament on Anton Linde in the second period.
But, as the clock ticked down in the third, it seemed like the Saguenéens were going to run out of time. However, a penalty to Bear for closing his hand on the puck with 1:05 to go in regulation gave them a slight lifeline, which Maxim Masse capitalized on with a one-timer to get the game within a goal with 28 seconds left.
Off the ensuing draw, with the net still empty, a stretch pass attempted by Nathan Lecompte was picked off in the neutral zone by Matias Vanhanen, who put the game away for good.
Overall, Chicoutimi weren't too far off the pace, and will be disappointed with the end result. They won't have too much time to fret, though, as they're right back at it Sunday night in a massive game against the host Kelowna Rockets, who are also coming off a loss in their opening game.
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