Played on Apr 12, 2025
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
Game Played in Centre Gervais Auto
General Game Notes: The final score did not reflect just how close this game truly was. With five of the seven goals coming in the third period, the game remained tied late into the final frame. Shawinigan ultimately came out on top, but not without a hard fought battle from Sherbrooke, who pushed until the very end. It was not until two empty net goals sealed the deal that Shawinigan was able to secure the victory.
Mathys Fernandez (G, L, 6’0″, 179, Shawnigan Cataractes, 03/25/2005)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Fernandez was able to show tonight that he has solid size, athleticism, vision, and exceptional skating that he showed getting out of his net to stop rims. He can be mistake prone with the puck, sure, but he was typically judicious about when he chooses to leave the crease and was always one to own up to his mistakes. He is athletic, he can make some dazzling saves, and he was an absolute rock when he needed to be tonight. There was a stretch of time in the first and second period where no goals were being scored, he needed to shut the door because his opponent was as well. It was a time where whoever blinked first was probably going to lose the game, Fernandez stood tall.
Felix Plamondon (D, L, 6’1″, 163, Shawnigan Cataractes, 03/18/2006)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Not totally know for producing offense, and you could tell by the goal he scored, but Plamondon plays a simple game that sometimes allow offense to creep in. He scored a nice goal from the point simply getting his shot through traffic and beat the goal due to him having zero idea where the puck was in the first place. His mobility is limited but this goal you could see him push back into the middle after a D to D pass where a lot of defenseman would drift to the wall, this allowed him to create a shot lane that at least was going to get to the slot area and beat the first layer of blocks. The rest of the goal was a gift but just getting the puck to an area is half the battle. Defensively tonight often he got pulled out of position in order to finish a check that just did not need to be finished, or he will try to rattle off this massive hit that just did not need to happen. When he stays calm, he keeps himself in a solid position to defend, but when he starts running around is when get can get turned around.
Jacob Lachance (C, L, 5’8″, 154, Shawnigan Cataractes, 07/31/2006)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Lachance with the game winner tonight scored a getting a two on one pass that he blew right past the goalie. Without stick handling or having to get it set, he did this one timer wrist shot and was able to get great connection on it. For how big he is, usually shots with this much power are reserved for larger players. Lachance does a good job at playing on his toes, he is always in motion but kind of has to be, when he starts to become stationary, he is more prone to being closed on. He is not the biggest player on the ice and because of this, he has to use his speed every time he has the puck. Fortunately, he does have the quickness to evade larger players.
Louis-Philippe Fontaine (C, L, 5’9″, 205, Shawnigan Cataractes, 08/12/2004)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Despite everything he lacks in size, Fontaine still manages to really drive offensive play. He has an abundance of creativity and he can dazzle whenever he touches the puck. He has a pretty good shot, but more importantly, he has an eye for finding space with the puck and setting up his teammates, which is what gave him so many scoring chances tonight. His ability to weave in and out of space with and without the puck, he makes it hard for larger slower footed defenseman to track him. He is not a burner on his feet but he is a shifty skater who can bait defenders into poor plays in order to create time with the puck.
Vince Elie (RW, R, 5’8″, 196, Shawnigan Cataractes, 04/05/2005)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Elie was able to showcase tonight that he is capable of creating offense by himself, but he is at his best when paired with a great triggerman. That all being said, his game is not without its flaws. Elie is undersized, and as a result he can get outmuscled for pucks consistently. Additionally, his energy and relentlessness were not enough to allow him to be super consistent throughout the game tonight. Too many really great shifts followed up by some let down shifts. His skating and vision allows him to be a puck mover, and that in turn is what gives him chances to use his speed to get open and get it back, which is where he gets his shot chances. Something he needs to get a rhythm going.
Matvei Gridin (RW, L, 6’2″, 190, Shawnigan Cataractes, 03/01/2006)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: One of the better players on the ice, Gridin can beat defenseman off the rush no problem just like he did in his goal tonight. He was able to get on his horse and drive by a defenseman then take the short route to the net and get to the far post where he was able to slip it past the goalie. Where he really sets himself a part from his peers is his play away from the puck. He does a good job at understanding where his teammates have time and space to make a play, and he attacks open ice. At times, if the pass does not get to him, he can look like he flying the zone before defense is established but he just reads everything quicker than others causing him to leave, maybe, before he should.
Yoan Loshing (LW, L, 5’9″, 173, Shawnigan Cataractes, 02/29/2004)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Loshing has decent size and strength for a forward, and uses a blend of that size and strength as well as well above average speed to create enough time and space with the puck to create scoring chances. Despite not being the biggest player on the ice, Loshing showed that he is strong and can fight his way to pucks, but his positioning could stand to improve and he should not anchor a penalty kill. He is a defensive plus thanks to that speed as a forechecker and his work ethic, but it is a small plus. Where that speed really shows up is how quick he can exit his own zone and turn what looks like a sloppy zone entrance into an impressive net drive.
Felix Ouellet (RW, R, 5’10”, 173, Sherbrooke Phoenix, 07/03/2006)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Ouellet was able to bury home his own rebound getting a whack at an already lose puck. Ouellet did a good job at staying with the puck and not drifting past the goal line, where most guys would end up too deep to finish the puck. Ouellet was able to show that when he blows right by slower defensemen to get a breakaway chance, he can be a crucial depth scorer. But his offensive tools outside of his speed are largely non existent, and as a result he struggles to produce at all when its not him versus the goalie. He processes the game slower than he plays it, meaning he is prone to missed opportunities and poor choices.
Jean-Felix Lapointe (D, L, 6’6″, 205, Sherbrooke Phoenix, 07/11/2005)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: Lapointe was not the most impressive skater, but there are few defensemen his size who can skate at an average level. As a result, he can help out his teams transition game, even if it is only a minor plus. His shot is not great nor are his puck skills, so keep him off the power play, but in general his offense is decent for someone his size and with his profile. Defensively, Lapointe is a bit of a mixed bag. His size means that he has some pretty significant natural advantages in the dirtier areas of the ice, but he is not always one to utilize his size as best as he could, and he is not an overwhelmingly physical defenseman. Instead, his best defensive assets are his reach and his stable style.
Thomas Rousseau (RW, R, 5’10”, 165, Sherbrooke Phoenix, 02/12/2008)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Rousseau opened the scoring getting net front off a face off win where he was able to tip a shot from the point home. He showed goal scoring instincts here by immediately attacking the net when he noticed his defenseman had time and space to get a quality shot off. Rousseau is skilled player with the puck but one part of his game that stands out as a skilled player is sometimes he will rattle off a big hit that frees the puck, or he will finish his check in order to energize his team and rattle his opponents, he plays with a hard streak to him which is why he is very valuable on the ice. This adds another dimensions to his game and not just the standard size winger who can skate fine and hold on to the puck, this makes his game diverse and can play with a lot of different types of players.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images