Clermont stops 38 shots as Olympiques tie series with 3-2 win over Sea Dogs

<p>SAINT JOHN, N.B. – After a quick start, Maxime Clermont kept the Gatineau Olympiques going Saturday night.</p> <p>Clermont made 38 saves as the Olympiques hung on for a 3-2 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs in Game 2 of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s President’s Cup final.</p> <p>”We played a solid game and we were very opportunistic,” Gatineau head coach Benoit Groulx said. “Our goalie was outstanding. He made key saves at key moments.</p> <p>”To beat these guys, you have to put your ‘A’ game on the ice and you have to be lucky.”</p> <p>The best-of-seven championship series is tied 1-1 and continues Monday and Wednesday in Gatineau, Que.</p> <p>Hubert Labrie, Tommy Tremblay and Nicolas Deslauriers scored for the Olympiques, who led 2-1 after the first period and through 40 minutes.</p> <p>Simon Despres scored both goals for the Sea Dogs, while Saint John netminder Jacob DeSerres made 21 saves.</p> <p>Labrie’s point shot through traffic gave Gatineau a 1-0 lead at 4:26 of the first period. The Olympiques went up 2-0 when Tremblay scored just over five minutes later.</p> <p>Gatineau centre Philip-Michael Devos took a double-minor for high-sticking at 10:17 of the first, setting the stage for Despres’ power-play marker at 12:50. Gatineau went up 3-1 when Deslauriers’ long-range wristshot from a sharp angle squeaked through DeSerres’ pads at 5:01 of the third period.</p> <p>DeSerres was pulled with just under three minutes left and Jonathan Huberdeau set up Despres’ second at 18:51. But Clermont stood tall the rest of the way to preserve the win.</p> <p>”I thought they played real well,” Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant said of the Olympiques. “We had all kinds of chances to win the game. We played OK, but we didn’t work hard enough.</p> <p>”We worked hard the last two-and-a-half minutes to get close, but you have to (give them) more of a battle. Clermont was the best player on the ice again tonight.”</p> <p>Gatineau has kept Saint John to just two goals in both games, something that had happened just one other time in the playoffs before the President’s Cup.</p> <p>”We ended up winning tonight, but we know it’s going to be tough to repeat that Monday,” Groulx said. “We did a fair job against them, but they had 40 shots. For us, the effort was great and we have nothing to lose and hopefully we keep playing like that at home.”</p> <p>Saint John’s speedy forwards were often slowed up in the neutral zone. And when they did gain the zone, Gatineau’s defencemen were strong during one-on-one battles.</p> <p>”They have a good offensive team, so we just have to be mean defensively and good things will happen,” Deslauriers said. “Our composure was good.”</p> <p>Gatineau also was solid on the penalty kill, keeping Saint John to one goal on four power plays.</p> <p>”We almost came back, but they played a sound game and a tight defensive game and we just weren’t up for it,” Sea Dogs forward Stephen MacAulay said. “They took it to us physically and we didn’t match it.”</p>