EDMUNDSTON, Nouveau-Brunswick – Newcomers to the Edmundston Blizzard were quick to make their presence felt.
In their first game in the blue and white uniform, Jérémy D’Astous and William Labranche shook things up, giving the Blizzard a 2-1 win over the Campbellton Tigers on Thursday evening at the Jean-Daigle Centre.
Traded earlier in the week, D’Astous, for one, didn’t take long to show his talent. Brilliantly stealing the puck in the Tigers’ zone, veteran Will Allen fed D’Astous, who beat goaltender Adam Rouleau with a sharp shot into the top corner at 9:59 of the first period. It was the 17th goal of the season for the Rimouski forward, who has played the previous 27 games this season with the Grand Falls Rapids.
Although the Blizzard players outrageously dominated 20-3 in shots during the first twenty minutes, they were repeatedly frustrated by goaltender Rouleau, who has a knack of coming up big against Edmundston’s solid attack. The Blizzard ended the evening with a 48-29 advantage in shots.
In the second period, the Tigers tied the game thanks to Félix-Antoine Laflamme (15th), who beat Frédéric Cousineau with a blistering shot into the net’s top corner. It was the only time Cousineau looked behind him. The big goaltender from Malartic, Quebec, was flawless for the rest of the evening, making numerous key saves. It was certainly one of the finest performances by a Blizzard goaltender this season.
With the score tied 1-1, it wasn’t until the final frame that the deciding goal was scored. Well positioned in front of the net, William Labranche received a nice pass from Émile Fournier and, within a short distance, beat Rouleau between the pads. The 18-year-old forward from Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Québec, scored his first career winning goal at junior level, having previously played 66 games with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques.
The first two stars were awarded to Blizzard players, D’Astous (first) and defenseman Zachary Lessard (second). Lessard played a solid game on defense, considering the Blizzard started the game with only four backs. A special mention goes to Marco Martin, who had to play defense just after the halfway mark of the second period. Rouleau earned the third star.
The Blizzard (28-5-1-1) have a big weekend ahead, as they play back-to-back games in the eastern part of the province against two other strong teams from the Eastlink North Division: the Miramichi Timberwolves (18-11-0-3) on Saturday (7 p.m.) and the West Kent Steamers (21-9-2-1) on Sunday (4 p.m.).
– 30 –
Photos
Jérémy D’Astous shows his emotions after scoring the first goal of the evening. William Labranche (79) imitated him with the winning goal in the third period. Photos Percy Picard
– 30 –
Source: Hugues Chiasson, responsable des communications – Le Blizzard d’Edmundston; 506 740-0623 – (tél. cell.)