NHL draft prospect Lauta leads Russia past QMJHL

Forward Artur Lauta, a prospect for the 2016 NHL Draft, scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period to help Russia defeat the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 3-2 on Tuesday in the fifth game of the CHL Canada-Russia Series, at Lamgold Arena in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.

Forward Andrei Svetlakov, also a 2016 draft prospect, had a goal for Russia, as did Sergei Boikov, a Colorado Avalanche draft pick. Goaltender Alexander Trushkov, a 2016 draft prospect, made 31 saves to help Russia win its first game in the series. Russia was swept in two games each against the Western Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League.

Anthony Richard (Nashville Predators) and Nicolas Roy (Carolina Hurricanes) scored for the QMJHL. Goaltender Samuel Montembault (Florida Panthers) made 17 saves.

The QMJHL tied the game late in the second period but Lauta, a 6-foot, 183-pound right wing who plays for Omsk's team in Russia's junior league, beat Montembault over his glove off the rush with 2:13 left in the second period.

Trushkov made the lead stand up, making five saves in the third period.

Russia took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Boikov and Svetlakov. Richard, a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 100) of the Predators, got the QMJHL on the board when he intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and got the puck to linemate Julien Gauthier, an A-rated prospect for the 2016 NHL Draft in NHL Central Scouting's September players to watch list. Gauthier got it into the Russia zone and pushed it ahead to Anthony Beauvillier (New York Islanders), who passed to Richard in the slot for the goal.

Roy, a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 96) by the Hurricanes, tied the game 2-2 when he scored a power-play goal by beating Trushkov under his glove at 15:07 of the second.

The final game of the Canada-Russia Series is Nov. 19 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

All players participating in the games are eligible for the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship, which starts Dec. 26 in Helsinki, Finland.