Blainville-Boisbriand has been in tough as of late, and despite new additions, they fall again to Val-d'Or.
Week 17 has begun, and the QMJHL's holiday trade period has closed. Teams have had time to bolster their rosters and choose their direction for the rest of this season. For the Armada, despite their additions, a slump just can't seem to be busted.
Zoomed In: Blainville-Boisbriand (1) - Val-d'Or (4)
Foreurs defenseman Hemrick Carbonneau gets around Armada blueliner Mathieu Taillefer. (Photo: Dany Germain)Blainville-Boisbriand started the season as favourites, and it was easy to see why. They were loaded up to the gills with talent, multiple NHL first-round picks, and guys who will be drafted high.
And for most of the season, they've lived up to the billing. Despite key injuries to all three star off-season acquisitions, starting goalie Jakub Milota, Bill Zonnon and Spencer Gill. They also had to live without superstar Justin Carbonneau, who got an extended look with the St. Louis Blues at the start of the campaign.
But they kept on chugging, leading the Western conference all the way into the new year. But in December, things suddenly started to get rocky. The wins stopped coming so often, and they started having serious troubles in goal.
So, they went out and added during the break. Big additions on the back end in Mathieu Taillefer and Jan Golicic, and a star goalie in William Lacelle, for even more insurance around Milota's situation. They also got Bill Zonnon back from injury, who's been generally very good in his ice time.
But, they continue to lose. 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, and that includes Wednesday's loss to Val-d'Or.
The Foreurs kicked off the scoring through Benjamin Olivier in the first, but Ludovik Grenier equalized exactly a minute later, with Golicic picking up an assist in his Armada debut. That sent the teams to the locker room tied 1-1, with Blainville holding a 10-5 lead in shots.
While you'd expect the top contender to come out swinging in the second, it was actually the Foreurs who piled on the pressure. Mathias Bourque scored, then Val-d'Or star Philippe Veilleux scored his 26th of the year, giving the hosts a two-goal advantage heading into the third.
Just 2:31 into the frame, Maxime Coursol put the game to bed on the power play, giving the Foreurs a 4-1 lead that they held onto the rest of the game.
Olivier and Coursol each had two (1+1) points in the victory, while Emile Beaunoyer stopped 27 of 28 Armada shots. Meanwhile, Lacelle had a rough outing in his Blainville-Boisbriand debut, saving just 21 of 25.
The Armada now sit third in the West, behind both Rouyn-Noranda and Drummondville. Gill and Milota still aren't back, and they were also without Xavier Villeneuve for tonight's contest. They desperately need to get healthy soon as the games ramp up in meaning down the stretch.
Other Scores
Gatineau (0) - Moncton (7)
Cape Breton (2) - Rimouski (1)
Quebec (2) - Sherbrooke (3) (OT)
Player of the Night
Teddy Mutryn (MON) - 1 goal, 2 assists
Tonight's Games
Gatineau at Saint John - 6 PM EST
Blainville-Boisbriand at Rouyn-Noranda - 7 PM EST
Cape Breton at Shawinigan - 7 PM EST
Related
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