FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – David toppled Goliath. The Fredericton Red Wings, last team in the overall MHL standings, played a solid game to defeat the top team, the Edmundston Blizzard, 4-3 in a shootout.
It wasn’t until the seventh round of shootouts that the outcome was known, when Owen MacPherson found the back of the net to give the Red Wings (7-16-0-1) a seventh win.
The Blizzard (23-3-1-1) looked to be on their way to victory, but Jake Tracey tied the score at 3-3 with 80 seconds remaining in the contest.
Ryan Hopkins (8th and 9th) scored the Wings’ other two goals and earned an assist. Salem Johnson had a fine night for the home team with three assists.
Nathan Plamondon (11th), Émile Fournier (18th) and Philippe Collette (15th) took turns scoring for the Blizzard, who had managed to take the lead (3-2) for the first time in the game at 8:15 of the third period by capitalizing on a two-men power play.
Fournier tied the mark for the most goals in a season for the Blizzard, a record he shares with Alex Arsenault, who achieved the feat in 52 games during the 2019-2020 season. Fournier joined him in just 28 games.
In overtime, the Blizzard could have ended the game had they capitalized on two breakaways.
Goalie Mathieu Mongrain stole the show in front of the Wings’ cage. He faced 37 shots. On the other side, Frédéric Cousineau, was playing his first game in a Blizzard uniform. He faced 32 shots.
The three stars were awarded to Red Wings players: Hopkins (1st), Mongrain (2nd) and Johnson (3rd).
The Blizzard will return to the Jean-Daigle Centre rink on Friday, December 13 (7:30 p.m.) when they host the Grand Falls Rapids.
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Photo
Nathan Plamondon scored Blizzard’s first goal on Friday in Fredericton. Photo archives Percy Picard
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Source: Hugues Chiasson, responsable des communications – Le Blizzard d’Edmundston ; 506 740-0623 – (tél. cell.)