CAMPBELLTON, New Brunswick – After taking a comfortable 5-0 lead, the Edmundston Blizzard saw the Campbellton Tigers gradually making a comeback and the Restigouche team finally prevailed, signing a 6-5 shootout victory, Friday night at the Memorial Civic Centre in Campbellton.
The Blizzard took a commanding 4-0 lead after 20 minutes. They were fast to put the score 5-0 at the 14th second to start the second frame. The lead seemed to be insurmountable, but the Tigers who have an excellent offensive punch never gave up. Campbellton scored four straight goals in the second period to get to one goal behind. The locals equalized the mark at 5 in the 6th minute of the 3rd period.
Riley Bezeau put the final touch to Campbellton’s great comeback with the winning goal in the shootout.
Félix Rioux, Alex Arsenault, Tristan Gagnon and Brock McLeod scored back to back in the 1st period, which chased Tigers’ starting goalkeeper, Isaak Pelletier. At the 14th second of the second period, Arsenault shook the ropes behind Tristan Gray. But he stood up from that point on, closing the door to all Blizzard’s offensive surge. Gray reserved his best save with over a minute to go in regulation when he made a miraculous save after Chrystopher Collin had previously beat him.
Adam Bowness, Josh Crooks, Maxime Charest, Connor Richard and Sam McKinney go the puck passed Antoine Lyonnais. Campbellton led 42-38 in the shot column.
Defenseman Tommy Bertrand was back in action after an extended absence due to an injury.
Blizzard players will have to learn from this collective collapse. They will try to regroup and refocus as they wait for their next game which will be played on Sunday (3 pm) at the Jean-Daigle Centre against the Grand Falls Rapids. As for the Tigers (14-10-3-2), they got their revenge after falling by the same score of 6-5 in shootout in Edmundston on December 22nd. Blizzard’s record is 20-7-1-4.
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Photo
Félix Rioux (11) opened the score in Friday’s game in Campbellton. Photo archives Digiphoto
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, vice-president communications – The Edmundston Blizzard; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone