Monday, November 8, 2010

Russian All-Stars take game #1

Press Release

SAINT JOHN, November 8, 2010 – A very skilled and highly motivated Russian All-Star squad came into Harbour Station ready to play tonight in the opening game of the 2010 Subway Super Series. Maxim Kitsyn led the way for the Russians, scoring two goals and setting up another in a 5-4 victory over the QMJHL All-Stars 5-4 in front of a full house of 6,488 fans.

In the opening frame, Team QMJHL capitalized after Yuri Urychev was called for interference at the defensive end. Nathan Beaulieu blasted a shot from the blue-line which found an opening between goaltender Dmitry Shikin’s pads. The Russian delegation of All-Stars didn’t take too long to tie the contest up at one as Maxim Kitsyn beat Olivier Roy with an accurate wrist-shot over his glove at 5:29.

Phillip Danault made a sensational play with a man down, poke-checking the puck from a Russian defender in his own zone to create a two-on-one opportunity which enabled teammate Nicolas Deslauriers to put the home team up 2-1 at 14:21.

Three goals were scored in the first six minutes of the second frame. Anton Burdasov made a fine play by squeezing between two defenders to score his first goal of the Subway Super Series at 2:20. Sixty-two seconds later, Michaël Bournival one-timed a Brandon Gormley feed past a sprawling Dmitry Shikin. Finally, Denis Golubev tied the score up at three at 5:19.

Back and forth they went until Alex Saulnier gave a one-goal lead back to the crowd favourites before the mid-way point of the second period. Head coach André Tourigny then proceeded to give Jean-François Bérubé some playing time by sending him into the fray.

Maxim Kitsyn recorded his second goal of the game at 0:17 of the third period to square it up at four. The Russian All-Stars then took the lead for the first time in the game following a Nikita Pivtskakin marker at 7:01. That would be all she wrote for the QMJHL All-Stars as their opponents clogged the neutral zone and limiting the number of quality scoring chances.

Maxim Kitsyn was named the star of the game for the Russian delegation of All-Stars while Phillip Danault got the nod for the QMJHL squad.
Game two of the Subway Super Series is set for Wednesday in Drummondville. The game will be broadcast live on both Rogers Sportsnet and RDS. Check your local listings for details.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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