As a matchup of the two best teams in the Outaouais Senior AA Hockey League (OSAAHL), both squads headed into the game with plenty of motivation to come out on top knowing the winner would take the top spot in the standings.

In the first period, both teams exchanged a similar number of scoring chances with the shot totals favouring Mont-Laurier 11-9 after 20 minutes of play.

In the second period, the Montagnards came out strong and were rewarded for it with a power play goal to open the score a minute before the half-way mark. Just over two minutes later, Mont-Laurier doubled their advantage with another power play marker.

With less than five minutes left in the frame, things got even worse for the home side, after the Montagnards expanded their lead to 3-0.

Fortunately for the boys from Coulonge, Stephane Paré – last year’s OSAAHL top goal scorer – finally got the monkey off his back with his first snipe of the campaign on the power play, making it 3-1 going into the second intermission. Assists went to Matthew Warren and Hugo Petit.

After two periods of play, Mont-Laurier led the shot department 25 to 21.

Having already pulled off a number of high-character third period performances this season, the Comets headed into the final frame knowing that a comeback was well within reach and that they needed to focus on the little things to make it happen.

Just over half-way into the third, Comets energy player Benoit Harris made it 3-2 with his third of the season, assisted by Justin Lafleur and Maxime Belley.

A moment later, the Montagnards struck again, making it 4-2 with less than nine minutes left.

With just over three minutes to go, Lafleur got one back for the Comets with his first of the season, making it 4-3 going into the dying stages of the game.

But that’s as close as it got, as the Montagnards went home with their fifth straight win, while handing the Comets their first loss in over two months.

The Comets record fell to 10-5-0, placing them in second place in the OSAAHL standings behind Mont-Laurier who occupies the same record.

After the game, Comets goaltender Danick Boisvert said he was disappointed about how his team started, noting that they likely took their opponent too lightly for their own good.

“We were a little bit above ourselves, I think,” he said. “We neglected our adversary a bit. Not neglected, but we didn’t take them as seriously as we should have.”

Looking back on the performance he said that his team should’ve done more with their opportunities in the opening frame considering how many quality chances they had.

But he added that a lack of discipline in the second period while straying away from what’s been a successful game plan was ultimately what did them in.

“We missed a few goals in the first period,” he said. “The puck wasn’t really bouncing for us. But it wasn’t the usual Comets playing. We weren’t skating, we lost the middle of the ice, we didn’t back check as much as usually. Defensively, we gave a lot of space to the other team.”

“I think they kind of surprised us a bit in the second period,” he added. “Plus, we got a few penalties and that’s what pretty much threw us off-guard.”

Satisfied with his team’s play in the final period, Boisvert said that it was the kind of urgency he expects the Comets to come out with every shift of every game.

“We dominated the third period,” he said. “We skated, we hit them. It was really our team identity.”

For their next game, the Comets are set for a rematch against the Montagnards in their home barn with an opportunity to take back first place in the league.

But that’s the last thing they’ll be focused on.

“We’re not thinking about that,” he said. “We know we’re the team to beat. Right now, it’s just about regrouping our core and our team-spirit and to go there with the mindset that we aren’t invincible. That’s what we’ve won our games with and that’s what we’re going to do for the rest of the season.”

On Jan. 18, the Pontiac Senior Comets lost for the first time in over two months – snapping their nine-game winning streak – after losing to the Mont-Laurier Montagnards 4-3 at home. Comets’ goaltender Danick Boisvert battles through a scramble of sticks and skates in front of his crease early in the game.

Register or subscribe to read this content

Thanks for stopping by! This article is available to readers who have created a free account or who subscribe to The Equity.

When you register for free with your email, you get access to a limited number of stories at no cost. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to everything we publish—and directly support quality local journalism here in the Pontiac.

Register or Subscribe Today!