GRAND FALLS, N.B. – The Edmundston Blizzard shook off their bad sequence and regained their composure as they easily beat the Grand Falls Rapids 8-1 Friday night at the E & P Sénéchal Centre.
Short of regular defensemen, it was not clear what to expect from Emery Olauson’s squad. After a good first period in which they took a 1-0 lead, the Blizzard literally knocked the Rapids out with five straight goals in the second period.
Tristan Fortin (14th, 15th and 1a), Mathieu Pelletier (4th and 1a), Tristan Therrien (8th and 1a), Noah Matulu (1st and 1a), Noah Gibbs (7th and 1a), Blake Richardson (4th), Jack Martin (1st), Mitchell McLeod (3a) and Matthew Beaty (3a) were the top Blizzard players on the score sheet.
Alexis Cournoyer (3rd) was the only one to beat goaltender Nicholas Sheehan in the second period. After his goal, the ice rink of the E.-et-P.-Sénéchal center was flooded with teddy bears and plush animals, a promotion organized by the Rapids’ organization.
It was a game of firsts for two new Blizzard players. Shediac forward Noah Matulu and Upper Coverdale defenseman Jack Martin both scored their first MHL goals in their very first game. Matulu pulled off the feat in the first period while Martin converted a superb pass from Matulu in the third. The two affiliate midget players (Moncton Flyers) weren’t overused but they played like veterans, confident and surprisingly bright with the puck.
Three Blizzard players, Fortin (1st), Jacob Long (2nd) and Mitchell McLeod (3rd) earned the star player nominations of the game. Blizzard led 35-25 in the shots’ column.
The Blizzard (12-5-1-1) were scheduled to face the Fredericton Red Wings on Sunday, but that game has been postponed as a player from the provincial capital tested positive for COVID-19. Edmundston will play its next game at the Jean-Daigle Centre on Friday, December 10 (7:30 p.m.) when it hosts the Rapides (9-12-0-0).
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Photo
Jack Martin and Noah Matulu show off their historic first goal pucks in the MHL just minutes after Friday’s game in Grand Falls. The two Moncton Flyers affiliate midget players made a great impression on their Blizzard debut. Photo Hugues Chiasson
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, vice-president communications – The Edmundston Blizzard; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone