EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick – In front of the biggest crowd of the season at the Jean-Daigle Centre, the Edmundston Blizzard showed no mercy to the Truro Bearcats, the MHL’s best defensive team, defeating them 7-2 on Saturday night. Twenty-four hours earlier in Grand Falls, the Blizzard had blanked the Grand Falls Rapids 8-0.
William Labranche’s magic hands captured the attention and stunned the 2,739 spectators. The 18-year-old forward literally took goalie Rylan Benner’s pants off with two masterful plays. Later in the third period, he deflected a shot for his hat trick and his sixth goal in five games. First star of the evening, the player from Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Québec, also picked up an assist.
Carl-Anthony Massé (13th and 3a) and defenseman Raphaël Denis (10th and 3a) earned second and third stars respectively. Philippe Collette (22nd) scored his fifth winning goal of the season and his second one in two nights. Jérémy D’Astous (21st) rounded out the scoring for the Blizzard who, combined with a setback by Summerside (29-6-2-1) on Saturday, lead the overall MHL standings by three points.
Forward Will Allen picked up two assists for the Blizzard. For Collette, he stretched his streak of games with at least one point to 12.
Éli Baillargeon (2nd) and Eric Halliday (3rd) provided the Bearcats’ soft reply, firing just 14 shots at goaltender and former Truro goalie Austin Caley, who made his first appearance at the Jean-Daigle Centre. The Blizzard bombarded the opposing cage with 43 shots.
The Blizzard will play on the road next weekend against two first-rate opponents, the West Kent Steamers (21-10-4-1) on Friday, and the Summerside Western Capitals (29-6-2-1) on Saturday.
– 30 –
Photo
William Labranche will score on this breakaway against goalie Rylan Benner for the first of his three goals of the evening. Photo Percy Picard
– 30 –
Source: Hugues Chiasson, responsable des communications – Le Blizzard d’Edmundston ; 506 740-0623 – (tél. cell.)