Box Score
(FRANCIS VERREAULT SCORED TWICE, UPPING HIS TOTAL TO
15 GOALS IN 17 GAMES. PHOTO BY DEREK DRUMMOND)
MONTREAL - Francis Verreault-Paul, an
All-Canadian senior from Mashteuiatsh, Que., scored twice -
including the game-winner - and added an assist as No.1-ranked
McGill skated to an easy 7-2 triumph over visiting Ottawa in
OUA men's hockey before 390, including Detroit Red Wings head coach
Mike Babcock, at McConnell Arena, Saturday.
It marked McGill's 15th consecutive win over the Gee-Gees and
clinched a playoff berth for the eighth consecutive season. With
six games remaining before post-season play begins, the Redmen lead
the OUA East with a sparkling 18-2-2 record and have assured
themselves of finishing no worse than third in the 10-team
division. McGill, which plays at Carleton (12-8-3) on Saturday, can
tie the single-season school record for wins established under head
coach Kelly Nobes last year (24-2-2) should they
come out victorious in all remaining contests.
The seven-goal outburst was McGill's highest total in 39 games
overall, dating back to a 10-5 win at Ottawa, Feb. 18, 2011. All
but five of McGill's 18 skaters registered at least one point on
the scoresheet.
"We had a slow start but got our feet moving halfway through the
first period and certainly found the back of the net as the game
wore on," said Nobes. "Our offensive zone play was real good. We
ran some good routes on the power-play had good net front presence
there and certainly showed some good signs."
The Redmen, who led 3-1 after one period and 4-1 after two, had
a 37-22 edge in shots, including a 16-6 margin in the middle
frame.
Verreault-Paul, who led the nation in goals during each of the
past two seasons, tallied a power-play goal at 15:44 of the opening
stanza to give McGill an insurmountable 4-1 lead. He added another
early in the final period to cap a five-goal outburst. Despite
missing five games, it was his 15th marker in 17 games, four shy of
the CIS lead in that department.
Linemate Patrick Belzile, a gritty 6-foot-2,
205-pound winger from Saint-Eloi, Que., who missed the entire first
semester due to illness, netted his first of the season and added a
pair of helpers.
Alex Picard-Hooper, the third member of that
newly formed line, and the all-time assist king at McGill,
collected three assists to run his record tally to 179 in 160 games
overall.
"It was nice to see Belzile score his first goal," added Nobes.
"I thought it was great transition play up the middle with 'Pic'
and a nice pass to set up Pat for that goal. (The recent move of
Belzile to the top trio) adds a little sandpaper on that line and
gives us more balance through all our lines."
Rounding out the scoring for McGill was team captain
Evan Vossen (10th) of Swift Current, Sask.,
defenceman Ryan McKiernan (3rd) of White Plains,
N.Y., Benoit Levesque (6th) of Vaudreuil, Que.,
and Christophe Longpre-Poirier (6th) of Longueuil,
Que.
Guillaume Donovan of Gatineau, Que., and
Mathieu Methot of Ottawa, replied for the
Gee-Gees, who have now dropped four in a row and tumbled from
third-place to eighth over the last three weeks. If the season
ended today, Ottawa would meet McGill in the opening round of the
playoffs.
Goaltender Hubert Morin made 20 saves and
improved his record to 10-3. He continues to lead all OUA
netminders with a stingy 1.97 goals-against average and is ranked
fourth with a .922 save percentage.
Gee-Gees starter Russell Abbott (7-10) was
beaten five times on 30 shots before being yanked early in the
final period. He was replaced by Aaron Barton, who
saved five of seven shots in just over 17 minutes of play.
McGill went 1-for-5 on the power-play and erased all six
shorthanded situations, running their kill streak to four
consecutive games and 26 in a row since they were last beaten on
Jan. 7.
"I'm certainly happy with the way our PK has performed over the
last few games," said Nobes. "The guys are taking pride in the fact
that were doing well there and hopefully we will keep going in that
direction."
REDMEN RAP: A surprise visitor to McConnell
Arena, for the second straight day, was Babcock, the former Redmen
captain, who spent four nights and part of his down time during the
NHL all-star break in Montreal, catching up with old stomping
grounds and classmates... Babcock, who skated for the Redmen from
1983 to 1987, also dropped by a day earlier to deliver some
inspirational words to the Redmen and Martlets during practice on
Thursday... Rumour has it that he enjoyed a couple of smoked meat
sandwiches and at least one poutine during his rare, extended visit
to the city... McGill improved to 92-77-10 lifetime against the
Gee-Gees.
SCORING SUMMARY
Ottawa 2 at McGill 7
(Friday, January 27, 2012 - McConnell Arena)
GOALS BY PERIOD:
Ottawa 1-0-1 -- 2
McGill 3-1-3 -- 7
1st Period-
1, Ottawa, Guillaume Donovan 6 (Chamberland),
1:55.
2, McGill, Patrick Belzile 1 (Picard-Hooper,
Verreault-Paul), 7:50.
3, McGill, Ryan McKiernan 3 (Vossen, Vachon),
10:36.
4, McGill, Francis Verreault-Paul 14
(Picard-Hooper, Belzile), 15:44 (PP).
Penalties-
Picard-Hooper Mcg (hooking), 11:52;
Jalbert Ott (slashing), 13:25;
Langelier-Parent Mcg (slashing), 13:25;
Leduc Ott (high sticking), 15:10.
2nd Period-
5, McGill, Evan Vossen 10 (M.O. Vachon, B.
Morse), 18:04.
Penalties-
Biniek Mcg (tripping), 2:50;
Blain Ott (inter. on goaltender), 9:31;
Miller Ott (high sticking), 16:02;
Chamberland Ott (cross checking), 18:34.
3rd Period-
6, McGill, Francis Verreault-Paul 15 (A.
Picard-Hooper, P. Belzile), 3:07.
7, Ottawa, Matthieu Methot 10 (L.O. Blain),
3:34.
8, McGill, Benoit Levesque 6 (M.
Langelier-Parent, M.A. Daneau), 6:25.
9, McGill, Christophe Longpre-Poirier 6 (V.
Bourgeois, N. Biniek), 11:54.
Penalties-
Boisvert Mcg (slashing), 8:33;
Levesque Mcg (slashing), 9:46;
Miller Ott (roughing), 13:38;
Picard-Hooper Mcg (dble minor for roughing), 13:38;
Verreault-Paul Mcg (roughing), 16:31;
Blunden Ott (hooking), 16:36.
Shots on Goal-
Ottawa 5-6-11 -- 22.
McGill 7-16-14 -- 37.
Power Play Opportunities-
Ottawa 0 / 6;
McGill 1 / 5.
Penalties-
Ottawa 7 / 14;
McGill 8 / 16.
Goalies-
Ottawa,
Russell Abbott (start, L, 7-10-0, 30 shots-25
saves; 42:47);
Aaron Barton (ND, 7 shots-5 saves, 17:13).
McGill,
Hubert Morin (W, 10-3-0, 22 shots-20 saves,
60:00).
Attendance: 390
Start: 7:02 PM
End: 9:17 PM
Length: 2:15
Referee-Mathieu Bergeron.
Linesmen-Maxime Chaput and Jonathan Alaire.
MOLSON CUP THREE STARS:
1. MCG - 18 Francis Verreault-Paul
2. MCG - 9 Alex Picard-Hooper
3. MCG - 11 Evan Vossen
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
McGill Athletics & Recreation
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile
website)
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
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@EarlZukerman (twitter)
