Wildcats need OT again; Voltigeurs are back in series

Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Mooseheads

It's officially time to bring out the "brink" terminology in this year's QMJHL playoffs.

The Moncton Wildcats, Rimouski Oceanic, Chicoutimi Sagueneens and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies all took 3-0 series leads thanks to wins on Tuesday night. All four teams will look to book trips to the second round with wins on Wednesday.

The Wildcats once again had their hands full with the Quebec Remparts, needing overtime for a second time in this season. St. Andrews native Gabe Smith netted the winner at 8:34 of the extra frame.

Gabe lugs it in and the puck finds him again.
GAME OVER. https://t.co/JsTx3vLWTy pic.twitter.com/XiHIOLVUOg

— Moncton Wildcats (@monctonwildcats) April 2, 2025

The Oceanic went 3/6 on the power play in a 4-0 win over the Charlottetown Islanders. Eriks Mateiko had five shots in that game. Rimouski has shutout Charlottetown in back-to-back games.

The final game in Acadie-Bathurst Titan history could be played Wednesday night at the KC Irving Regional Centre. Kassim Gaudet scored at 3:39 of overtime to give the Sagueneens a 4-3 win and a 3-0 series lead. Chicoutimi went 2/6 on the man advantage.

Lastly, the Huskies edged the Gatineau Olympiques 2-1 to take a stranglehold on that series.

Some other updates from Tuesday's action...

• Former Sea Dogs forward Noah Reinhart scored at 4:12 of overtime to give the Val-d'Or Foreurs a 4-3 overtime win over the Shawinigan Cataractes. Reinhart now has three goals this post-season. Shawinigan leads that series 2-1.
• The Drummondville Voltigeurs are back in their series thanks to a 4-1 win over the Halifax Mooseheads at Scotiabank Centre. The Mooseheads lead that series 2-1 after two surprising road wins over the weekend. Tuesday's contest was a close one yet again with the Volts carrying just a 1-0 lead into the third period.
• In a game that started an hour late due to travel issues, the Cape Breton Eagles defeated the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 5-1 at Centre 200. Former Sea Dogs forward Cole Burbidge had a goal. The Drakkar lead that series 2-1.
• The Sherbrooke Phoenix took a 2-1 series lead thanks to a 6-4 home victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
• One division final is underway in the Maritime Hockey League. The top-ranked Edmundston Blizzard edged the Campbellton Tigers 4-3 in Game 1 of the North Division final. The South Division final between the Truro Bearcats and Pictou County Weeks Crushers gets underway on Thursday.
• The NCAA's Frozen Four field is set: NCHC foes Denver and Western Michigan will meet in one semifinal while the other will feature Hockey East's Boston University taking on Penn State from the Big Ten. The tournament begins next Thursday in St. Louis.