EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick – The Edmundston Blizzard announced their colors at Game 1 of the Metalfab MHL Cup best-of-seven final with an easy 7-3 victory over the Pictou County Weeks Crushers in front of another enthusiastic crowd of 2,884 gathered at the Jean-Daigle Centre on Friday night.
While the Blizzard’s four forward lines were firing on all cylinders, as they have been since the start of the playoffs, the Weeks Crushers’ most threatening trio (Lucas Canning-Carter Murchison-Logan O’Neil) was rather subdued thanks to the Blizzard’s airtight defense.
Jérémy D’Astous’s 2nd and 3rd goals of the playoffs, plus an assist, earned him the game’s first star. Philippe Collette (2nd star) and Carl-Anthony Massé (3rd star) rounded out their evening with a goal and two assists each. For Collette and Massé, it was their 2nd and 9th goals respectively of the current series.
Émile Fournier (12th), Darien Thomson (3rd) and Marco Martin (3rd) each collected a goal and an assist.
Defensemen Zachary Lessard and Raphaël Denis picked up two assists each.
Carter Murchison (7th and 1a), Owen Arnold (1st) and Kiefer Avery (3rd) struck back for the Weeks Crushers.
The Blizzard dominated the pace of the game, as evidenced by the shots on goal: 37 to 22.
Head coach Simon Olivier has a lucky hand every time he sends goalkeeper Austin Caley into action. The 19-year-old Texan has not suffered a single setback since joining the Edmundston team in January. He has won 15 consecutive games, including 5 in the playoffs. He currently boasts the best goals-against average in the playoffs at 2.52.
His counterpart on Friday, Thomas Fontaine, had a taste of the Blizzard’s powerful attack, and his average rose to 2.63. Goaltender Frédéric Cousineau, who may be the starter on Saturday night, has an average of 2.81, the third-best goaltending average in the playoffs.
The two teams will square off on Saturday evening (7:30 p.m.) at the Jean-Daigle Centre for the second game of the series.
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Photo
Jérémy D’Astous celebrates after scoring the winning goal at 8:27 of the second period on Friday night. He converted a superb pass from Carl-Anthony Massé, pictured at the back. Photo Percy Picard
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Source: Hugues Chiasson, communications co-ordinator – Edmundston Blizzard – 506 740-0623 – (cell.)