EDMUNDSTON, N.B. – The Edmundston Blizzard sealed their series against the West-Kent Steamers with a hard-fought 3-2 victory on Saturday, March 21, at the Jean-Daigle Centre, sweeping the MHL Metalfab Cup Eastlink North Division semifinal series in four games.
The Blizzard has thus qualified for the division finals against the winner of the Chaleur-Grand Falls series. Chaleur leads 3-1 in the series, which moves to Grand Falls on Sunday, March 22 (7:30 p.m.).
Unlike the previous game, the Blizzard got off to a strong start, scoring both goals in the first period. Eliott Guenette (2nd of the playoffs) opened the scoring at 3:30, followed by Charles-Éric Tremblay (2nd) at 14:43.
The Steamers cut the lead to one goal on Spencer Caines’ (1st) goal at 2:03 of the second period. But Justin Trottier (3rd) scored a superb goal at 4:35 to restore the Blizzard’s two-goal lead (3-1).
With a 3-1 lead heading into the third period, the Blizzard needed to stay alert while continuing to push the pace. However, the Steamers, who had been relatively quiet through the first 40 minutes, came out strong for the final 20 minutes of play. After all, they had to turn it on if they hoped to get back into the series. And that’s when the MHL Goaltender of the Year, Cédric Massé, made them work for every goal.
Zachary Paulhus (1st) scored at 2:44, and suddenly the Steamers were back in the game, trailing 3-2.
The Blizzard held on from there, much to the delight of the very noisy 2,690 spectators, the largest crowd this season at the Jean-Daigle Centre.
Massé (1st), Tremblay (2nd), and Guenette (3rd) were named the game’s three stars.
The Blizzard outshot the opposition 26-25. Massé and Xavier Farrah engaged in a thrilling duel in front of their respective nets.
Defenseman and captain Pierre-Marc Minville was undoubtedly the Steamers’ best player in the series. The 20-year-old is wrapping up his junior career, as are seven of his teammates. The Steamers played with five 20-year-old players on Saturday.
A highlight for the Blizzard was the contribution from the second and third lines. On Saturday, Eliott Guenette, Justin Trottier, and Charles-Éric Tremblay had a standout night.
Trottier’s contribution has been nothing short of exceptional. With his relentless effort and incredible defensive play, he’s shining in the playoffs. He has six points in four playoff games, and there’s no sign he’ll slow down, driven as he is by a contagious passion. The game-winning goal he scored showcased this perfectly and highlighted his maturity. Rather than shooting from a short range, he completely fooled the opposing goalie with a brilliant deke.
Every team had between six and eight 20-year-old players this season. The Blizzard has only two! That says a lot about these playoffs and next season!
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Photo
Cédric Massé delivered yet another standout performance that cemented his status as the MHL Goaltender of the Year. He was rock-solid in the third period. Photo by Percy Picard.
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Source: Hugues Chiasson, communications – Edmundston Blizzard (506) 253-7741