2014 TELUS Cup

GRENADIERS BREAK OUT OFFENSIVELY, ROUT MACS FOR FIRST TELUS CUP WIN

DAVID BRIEN

MOOSE JAW, Saskatchewan – Tyler Hylland had a goal and three assists, Alexandre Payusov added three helpers and eight different players had at least two points, helping the Grenadiers de Châteauguay to a 7-3 win over the Halifax McDonald’s in Wednesday’s first game at the 2014 TELUS Cup.

Martin-Olivier Cardinal, Samuel Levac and Brandon McCulloch had two goals each for Châteauguay (1-0-2), while Justin Samson, Danick Crête and Mikael Sabourin each recorded a pair of assists.

Luc Poirier, Johnny Jones and Barrett Dachyshyn had the Halifax (0-2-1) goals.

The Grenadiers wasted no time opening the scoring; McCulloch spun in the slot and beat Macs netminder Justin Ritcey just 26 seconds in, and Cardinal knocked in the rebound of a Hylland shot for a 2-0 lead just 38 seconds later.

The onslaught continued before the five-minute mark, with Levac stopping up at the top of the circle to the left of Ritcey and ripping a wrist shot past the blocker of the Macs’ goaltender.

Halifax got one back before the first intermission when Poirier intercepted a pass in the offensive zone, skated in alone and beat Grenadiers netminder Ryan Coughlin with a move to the forehand.

Penalty trouble sunk Halifax in the second period; Châteauguay struck three times on the power play – and four in total – before eight minutes had elapsed in the middle frame.

Hylland got the scoring started just 30 seconds into the period, taking a pass from Sabourin and roofing a shot over Ritcey for the 4-1 goal.

Cardinal made it a four-goal game – and chased Ritcey from the Halifax goal – hammering home the rebound of a Hylland shot at the six-minute mark.

The Grenadiers gave Reilly Pickard a rude welcome, scoring twice in 41 seconds shortly after the Macs goaltender entered the game; Levac and McCulloch each registered their second of the game, both coming with the man advantage.

Down 7-1 and outshot 37-17 through two periods, Halifax showed signs of life in the third, holding a 14-8 advantage in shots on goal, and scoring twice.

Jones stepped out of the penalty box and right into a breakaway, going underneath the blocker of Coughlin to make it 7-2 at 5:29, and Dachyshyn capped the scoring with 1:19 to go.

The Quebec champions will try to make it two wins in a row when they face the Toronto Young Nationals on Thursday afternoon (4 p.m. MT), while Halifax meets the Okanagan Rockets in the day’s first game (noon MT).