Bulans Sparks Saguenéens Chicoutimi to 3-2 Series Lead
saguenéens chicoutimi took a 3-2 series lead Friday night with a shutout win over the Huskies in Chicoutimi, and the matchup now shifts to Sunday afternoon on the smaller ice surface at the aréna Glencore in Rouyn-Noranda. Peteris Bulans opened the scoring in the first period, setting the tone for a game that finished with 4,400 spectators at the Centre Georges-Vézina.
Bulans Starts the Night
Bulans scored first for the Saguenéens in the opening period, and that early goal gave them a lead they did not surrender. He later said the group has to keep things simpler on a small rink and cut down on turnovers, because those mistakes can punish a team fast on less space.
“On doit garder les choses encore plus simples sur une petite glace et limiter les revirements,” Bulans said after the win. “C’est ce qui peut nous faire mal, donc on veut simplifier notre jeu en plaçant des rondelles en fond de territoire pour ensuite appliquer de l’échec avant.”
Yanick Jean on Momentum
Yanick Jean said the playoff picture does not carry over from one night to the next. “Il n’y en a pas [de momentum] en séries,” he said, adding, “Il n’y en avait pas plus avant le match qu’après le match [de vendredi].” He said both teams have to reset and “start again from zero” before Sunday’s game.
The coach also said the Saguenéens need to prepare specifically for the smaller rink in Rouyn-Noranda. “Il faut se préparer en fonction du match de dimanche, sur une petite glace,” he said, and added that the team must “changer certaines choses” for a return to a small surface after what it did not do well in Game 4.
Rouyn-Noranda Changes the Ice
The venue switch is not a small detail. The teams played at the Olympic-sized Centre Georges-Vézina in Chicoutimi, then move to the aréna Glencore, whose rink is less long and less wide than any other in the LHJMQ. The series has already shown how much the surface can alter the way both sides have to play.
Jean praised Bulans, Jordan Tourigny and Emmanuel Vermette for the work they put in on Friday, while the crowd of about 4,400 gave the Saguenéens home support before the trip to Abitibi. The next step is simple: handle the smaller ice better than they did earlier in the series, keep the puck under control, and protect the lead they earned with Friday’s 3-2 victory.
