BATHURST, New Brunswick – The Edmundston Blizzard recorded their sixth straight playoff victory and won their first-ever game at the K.C. Irving Centre in Bathurst on Thursday night, when they defeated the Chaleur Lightning 4-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the Metalfab MHL Cup best-of-seven final of the Eastlink North Division.
On the eve of a storm warning, a blizzard initially battered the Bathurst area on Thursday. Michael Arsenault (5th at 9:41) and Émile Fournier (3rd at 9:49) struck in quick succession to give the Blizzard a 2-0 lead in the first frame.
After a scoreless second period in which goaltender Cédric Massé delivered a masterful performance, the Blizzard extended their lead to three goals thanks to William Labranche’s sixth goal of the playoffs (10:36). The Lightning, however, rallied with goals from David Lebel (3rd at 12:46) and Jack Hayne (5th at 16:11). Michael Derbidge scored the Blizzard’s fourth goal into an empty net with three seconds remaining in the third period.
The story of the game can be summed up as follows: the Blizzard dominated outrageously in the first half of the game, just as they had done in Edmundston on Tuesday; the Lightning took control in the final 30 minutes of play; Cédric Massé was in complete control throughout the game.
The stars of the game were Michael Arsenault (1st), Cédric Massé (2nd), and David Lebel (3rd).
After leading 17-8 in shots on goal after 20 minutes of play, the Blizzard saw the Lightning take control from there on. Chaleur ultimately held a 38-25 advantage in the shots column.
With a sixth win, the Blizzard is halfway to clinching the playoff championship. Chaleur and Edmundston will face off on Saturday (7:30 p.m.) in what is expected to be a sold-out crowd at the Jean-Daigle Centre.
Here is the series schedule:
Tuesday, March 31: Chaleur 3 at Edmundston 6
Thursday, April 2: Edmundston 4 at Chaleur 2
Saturday, April 4 (7:30 p.m.) in Edmundston
Tuesday, April 7 (7 p.m.) in Bathurst
Thursday, April 9 (7:30 p.m.) in Edmundston (if necessary)
Saturday, April 11 (7:00 p.m.) in Bathurst (if necessary)
Wednesday, April 15 (7:30 p.m.) in Edmundston (if necessary)
NOTE: The Blizzard’s two goals in eight seconds set a team record in the postseason. The two fastest goals in franchise history were scored on September 30, 2021, in Miramichi, when Tristan Fortin and Austin Paul found the back of the net just 7 seconds apart… The Truro Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in their Eastlink South Division final series on Thursday against the Summerside Western Capitals with a 2-1 overtime win in Summerside.
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Photo
Goaltender Cédric Massé delivered another outstanding performance on Thursday night in Bathurst, playing a key role in the Edmundston Blizzard’s 4-2 victory. Photo archives Percy Picard
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, vice-president communications – The Edmundston Blizzard; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone