2006 Mastercard Memorial Cup
Schedule of Games |
|---|
| Game 1 - Peterborough 3, Quebec 2 |
| Game 2 - Moncton 3, Vancouver 2 |
| Game 3 - Quebec 6, Vancouver 3 |
| Game 4 - Moncton 4, Peterborough 2 |
| Game 5 - Vancouver 3, Peterborough 2 |
| Game 6 - Quebec 4, Moncton 3 |
| Game 7 - Tie-Breaker - Vancouver 6, Peterborough 0 |
| Game 8 - Semi-Final - Moncton 3, Vancouver 1 |
| Game 9 - Final - Quebec 6, Moncton 2 |
Alexander Radulov scored two goals and added three assists to help the Quebec Remparts win the championship game of the MasterCard Memorial Cup 6-2 over the host Moncton Wildcats in front of 7,160 fans.
Radulov was the CHL's top player this season, leading all three leagues in scoring in the regular season and playoffs. He didn't win the scoring title at the Memorial Cup, but was sensational in the finale, helping the Remparts claim the national championship. Radulov claimed the Stafford Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the tournament.
Radulov set up Pierre Bergeron in front of the net for the opening goal midway through the first period. Bergeron, who scored two goals in the regular season and none in the playoffs, one-timed a pass from Radulov to give the Remparts an early lead.
Radulov bumped Quebec's lead to two with 10 seconds left in the opening period. Angelo Esposito forced a turnover deep in the Moncton zone and Mathieu Melanson picked up the puck at the side boards and fed Radulov, who was alone in front of the net. Radulov swept a backhander past the glove hand of Moncton goaltender Josh Tordjman.
Esposito padded Quebec's lead to four in the second period when he received a pass from Radulov in the slot, shifted to his backhand and slid the puck past Tordjman.
Keith Yandle cut the lead in half quickly in the third period. With the Wildcats on the powerplay, the CHL's defenceman of the year one-timed a shot from the point that went by Remparts' goaltender Cedrick Desjardins to put Moncton on the board. Two minutes later, Yandle grabbed the puck in the corner and skated to the face-off circle. He wired a wrist shot over Desjardins' glove hand to give the home team some life.
Desjardins made 46 saves in the win. It's the second straight year that Desjardins has been in the final game of the Memorial Cup. Last year, he backed the Rimouski Oceanic into the final, but gave up four goals on 34 shots in a 4-0 loss to the London Knights.
It was easy to write the Remparts off early in the tournament. They were the only team that didn't win a league championship on their way to the tournament. Roy was the only coach of the four teams that hadn't been to the Memorial Cup before and they lost the tournament-opening game to the Peterborough Petes. They rallied with round robin wins over Moncton and the Vancouver Giants to set-up their bid for the championship.
"After a scoreless first period in game one, Downie opened the scoring midway through the second frame. He grabbed a pass from Jordan Morrison in the neutral zone and wired a wrist shot past Quebec goaltender Cedrick Desjardins to give the Petes a one-goal lead."
Martin Karsums, who scored seven game-winning goals for the Moncton Wildcats on their march to winning the QMJHL championship, buried the winner again when the Wildcats defeated the Vancouver Giants 3-2 in game two at the MasterCard Memorial Cup.
Radulov led all CHL scorers with 152 points in the regular season and then came within two points of tying the CHL playoff record with 55 post-season points. Radulov was held off the score sheet in Quebec's tournament opening loss to the Peterborough Petes on Friday. It was just the third time all year that the Nashville Predators prospect has been kept off the score sheet. Radulov rebounded with a pair of goals that keyed Quebec's 6-3 come-from-behind win over the Vancouver Giants.
"Our fans have been a great support all year long and now especially down in the crunch," said forward Brad Marchand, who scored a goal and an assist in the win against Peterborough. "Our fans really help us a lot."
Vancouver Giants' goaltender Dustin Slade made 22 saves in the Giants 3-2 victory over the Peterborough Petes in game five.
The Remparts were the only team that didn't win a league championship to earn their way into the 2006 MasterCard Memorial Cup. The 4-3 victory over Moncton guaranteed a spot in the championship game.
Gilbert Brule led the way offensively again for the Giants on Thursday, scoring two of Vancouver's six powerplay goals.
Matt Marquardt scored the winning goal in the third period to lift the Moncton Wildcats to a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Giants in the semi-final game of the MasterCard Memorial Cup.
"2006 was the second time that the Remparts have won the Memorial Cup. Guy Lafleur led the team to the title in 1971. The Remparts returned to the QMJHL in 1997 after a 12-year absence. They are the first champions from the QMJHL since the Rimouski Oceanic won the tournament in Halifax, NS in 2000."
