EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick – Goaltender Nicholas Sheehan was once again breathtaking, making several miraculous saves as he led the Edmundston Blizzard to a 7-0 victory over the Fredericton Red Wings on Friday night in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 2,648 at the Jean-Daigle Centre.
Sheehan turned aside 33 pucks to record his fifth shutout of the season. What’s more, keeping the MHL’s top scorer, Carter McCluskey, and his outstanding linemates off the scoresheet in the last two games is a feat in itself.
Sheehan even registered two assists during the contest. His career total of five assists is a record for a Blizzard goaltender.
Noah Matulu (6th and 7th), Dominic LeBlanc (25th and 1a), Mathieu Boucher (4th and 1a), Philippe Collette (28th and 1a), Jérémy Fortin (28th), Justin Hébert (12th), Jérémie Thibodeau (3a) and Carl-Anthony Massé (2a) did the damage up front for the Blizzard, who won their 18th straight home game. Their last setback at the Jean-Daigle Centre came on November 17, 2023.
Sheehan (1st), LeBlanc (2nd) and Boucher (3rd) were chosen as the game’s three stars.
Edmundston swept the eight-game series against Fredericton. The two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs starting next Thursday (7:30 p.m.) at the Jean-Daigle Centre.
The Blizzard (38-12-1-0) tied two single-season team records for most wins (38 in 2022-2023) and points (77 in 2019-2020 and 2022-2023).
Simon Olivier’s men will play their 52nd and final game of the regular season on Sunday (3 p.m.) when they visit the West Kent Steamers (34-15-2-0).
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Photo
Goalie Nicholas Sheehan neutralizes Slava Melikov’s efforts on this sequence. Photo Percy Picard
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, vice-president communications – The Edmundston Blizzard; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone