Moncton tries to complete sweep over Rimouski to claim QMJHL title
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The Moncton Wildcats try to become Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champions when they take on the Rimouski Oceanic in Game 4 of the QMJHL Championship Series on Thursday evening.
Moncton pushed Rimouski to the brink of elimination on Wednesday after securing a 6-4 win in Game 3 thanks to a powerful offensive performance and strong goaltending.
The Wildcats are now going for their third league title and first since 2010 when they defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs in six games.
Vincent Collard was the star of the show for the Wildcats, putting up four goals, including one on the power play and one shorthanded.
The 6-foot-3 winger came into the series having only scored one goal the entire playoffs but now has tallied in all three games of the championship series.
Collard has seven goals and 13 points in 16 playoff games after recording 25 goals and 52 points in 64 regular season games.
"He had one of those dream performances," Wildcats head coach Gardiner MacDougall said. "You need guys to step up their game and he's one of the guys who's done it for us."
Calgary Flames prospect Etienne Morin and St. Louis Blues draft pick Juraj Pekarcik each contributed a goal and an assist in the win while 2025 NHL top prospect Caleb Desnoyers added to his QMJHL playoff scoring lead with two assists.
Morin's two points brings his career playoff total to 40 points as he is now five points shy of Conor Garland as the Wildcats' all-time leader in playoff scoring.
"Morin's progression has been really good," TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button said postgame. "He has a really strong offensive mind, he has great hands, and he has confidence when he has the puck. He knows where he wants to get the puck to, and he gets it there. A lot of guys have confidence with the puck but they can't thread the needle.
"The ability to control the offensive zone and get the puck on the right player's stick is really something that's fundamental for any offensive defenceman."
While Collard's offensive effort gains many of the headlines, it was goaltender Mathis Rousseau's play that kept the Oceanic at bay and allowed Collard to shine.
Rimouski outshot Moncton 47-25 in the game including a strong push to start the match that Rousseau had to weather.
The Wildcats had this type of scenario in mind when they acquired Rousseau and forward Logan Crosby from the Halifax Mooseheads in exchange for goaltender Jacob Steinman and three draft picks prior to the CHL trade deadline.
The trade not only gave the Wildcats one of the best goaltenders in the QMJHL over the last three seasons, but also gave Rousseau an opportunity to return to the QMJHL Final after the Mooseheads lost to the Quebec Remparts in six games in 2023.
"When we made the trade, Steinman was playing really well for us, but when you get the opportunity to get a goaltender like Rousseau, it was really important [to get him]," said MacDougall. "He didn't have the greatest start to the season but he, like our team, was trying to get better and better.
"He went to the league final in the past and didn't get the result he wanted. It's a powerful motivator when you get another chance."
Rousseau now has a 7-1 record with a shut out in the playoffs to go along with a 2.57 goals-against average and .914 save percentage as he has shared the net with first-year netminder Rudy Guimond.
Mathieu Cataford had a goal and two assists in the loss for Rimouski while forwards Jonathan Fauchon, Maël Lavigne, and Jacob Mathieu also tallied.
William Lacelle gave up five goals on 16 shots in the loss while Mathis Langevin stopped eight of nine shots in relief of Lacelle.
While Rimouski head coach Joël Perrault continues to have confidence in his team and saying that they just have to take one game at a time in a self-described cliché statement, Button believes Rimouski's focus should be what they can do to build their confidence heading into the Memorial Cup with both teams already confirmed for the tournament.
"Is Rimouski going to beat Moncton four games in a row? I don't think so," said Button. "But they don't want to go into the Memorial Cup having lost four in a row without showing what they're all about. They're a good team but they need to be disciplined and get themselves a win.
"That at the very least can get them moving into a Game 5, but they don't want to go into the Memorial Cup losing four in a row."
If Rimouski pulls out the victory in Game 4, the series will shift back to the Avenir Centre in Moncton for Game 5 on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on TSN1, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.
The CHL on TSN continues on Friday when the Medicine Hat Tigers can book their ticket in the Memorial Cup with a win over the Spokane Chiefs in Game 5 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on TSN1/5, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.