EDMUNDSTON, N.B. – The Edmundston Blizzard once again exploded in the third period, scoring five unanswered goals to cruise to a 7-2 victory over the Miramichi Timberwolves on Thursday night at the Jean-Daigle Centre.
The game marked the debut of two newcomers, forward Michael Arsenault and defenseman Jack Bartlett, who did not disappoint. Arsenault (2nd star) scored one goal and added two assists, as did his teammates Darien Thomson (1st star), William Labranche, and Émile Fournier. Charles-Éric Tremblay was the other Blizzard player with three points, collecting three assists.
Defensemen Samuel Cloutier and Jack Brown also performed well on offense with one goal and one assist each.
Alexis Doucet (1g, 1a) and Brayden Campbell replied for the Timberwolves, who still gave the Blizzard players a scare. Although they threw in the towel for the season by sending many good players to other teams during the trade period, the Timberwolves (12-21-2-1) gave their opponents a hard time by applying solid checks from the start of the game and took a 1-0 lead, which held until the very end of the first period.
Miramichi tied the game 2-2 28 seconds into the third period, but everything fell apart after that as the Blizzard took control with five consecutive goals.
Cédric Massé had another outstanding outing in front of the Blizzard net, recording his 17th win, a MHL high. He faced 33 shots, while his opponent, Samuel Carreiras-Pata, received 42 shots.
This is the Blizzard’s fourth straight win (19-14-1-2 = 41 pts), moving them into second place in the Eastlink North Division, tied with the Chaleur Lightning (19-11-2-1 = 41 pts) and two points behind the Grand Falls Rapids (19-12-4-1 = 43 pts).
The Blizzard will play two games this weekend. On Saturday (7:30 p.m.), they will host the Campbellton Tigers (15-15-3-1). On Sunday (3 p.m.), they will visit the Rapids.
NOTES – Defenseman Samuel Cloutier may only have two goals to his credit, but they are both game-winners. On Thursday, he broke a 2-2 tie with a sharp shot at 1:25 of the third period… With his 29th goal, Darien Thomson continues to lead the league in goals. He has 50 points and ranks fourth in league scoring. He has scored at least one goal in the Blizzard’s last five games… William Labranche has recorded at least one point in his last ten games. Most impressively, he is on a nine-game streak with two or more points. He has 22 goals in as many games… Defenseman Jack Brown is on fire. He has recorded two points in each of his last three games…
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Photos
Michael Arsenault (71) had a productive night in his first game wearing the Blizzard uniform, scoring one goal and adding two assists. In this sequence, he is closely checked by defenseman Kaden McNeil (26). Photo Percy Picard
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Source: Hugues Chiasson, communications – Edmundston Blizzard (506) 253-7741