Victoriaville Tigres defeated Drummondville Voltigeurs 8-7 in their Quebec Major Junior Hockey League clash on Sunday evening. The home side ground out the win in a game that had nothing to do all evening, ending with both teams' defences finding no answer. It was a fitting response for Victoriaville, who had picked up just two wins from their opening six matches.
The result keeps both sides level on zero points after the opening round, though the gap in games played tells a different story. Victoriaville have been through six matches while Drummondville have played just one, but neither side has managed to secure any points yet. Things came to a head in this encounter, with the visitors having looked solid in their previous outing against Sherbrooke Phoenix.
What struck about the match was the attacking intent from both sides, with neither team willing to sit back. Victoriaville had switched to a more open approach, and Drummondville found themselves chasing the game after going behind. The away end never stopped, but it wasn't enough to turn the result.
For Victoriaville, this marks a shift in momentum after a mixed start that included losses to Val-d'Or and both defeats against Drummondville earlier in the month. They had lost their last meeting with the visitors 4-7, but this time they held firm when it mattered. The home side now sit eighth with six games under their belt.
Drummondville's single point of reference remains their 2-0 victory over Sherbrooke, but this result suggests they have more work to do. We had forecast an away win with reasonable confidence, but the match went differently — Victoriaville simply had too much quality in the final third. The table stays unchanged at the top, with both sides still searching for their first points of the campaign.
