GRAND-BOUCTOUCHE, New Brunswick – A clash of the titans between the Edmundston Blizzard and the West Kent Steamers on Sunday evening at the J.K. Irving Centre in Grand-Bouctouche.
The Steamers used their favourite weapon, the power play, to score their two goals of the game, eventually defeating the Blizzard 2-1 in overtime.
In a 4-on-3 at 3:38, ex-Blizzard Alexis Daniel redirected a shot past Nicholas Sheehan to lift the crowd at the J.K. Irving Centre. For the Steamers (21-7-2-0), it was their sixth straight win. Despite the setback, the Blizzard (19-8-1-0) extended their unbeaten streak in regulation time to 10 games.
The Steamers extended their lead over the Blizzard at the top of the MHL’s Eastlink North division to five points. Edmundston, however, has two games in hand.
After a scoreless first period, the Steamers took advantage of a rare moment of defensive lapses in the second by the Blizzard, who were assessed two minor penalties during the same sequence. The league’s top team on the power play didn’t need much more, and former Blizzard Olivier Beaudoin blackened the score sheet first at 19:20.
After intercepting the puck in the opponent’s zone, Jérémy Fortin scored his 12th goal of the campaign with a wrist shot at 3:03 of the third period.
Fortin was by far the best player on the ice for the Blizzard. He earned the third star. Youngsters Ben Wallace and Noah Breau also did very well. Daniel (1st) and Beaudoin (2nd) were the other players to earn a star.
The two goalkeepers could have certainly deserved a star at the end of the meeting. They made spectacular saves throughout the game. Xavier Fisk faced 24 shots in front of the Steamers’ cage. Sheehan faced 31 shots.
The Blizzard return to Edmundston for their next two games, on Thursday, December 21 against Campbellton (7:30 p.m.) and on Friday, December 22 against Fredericton (7:30 p.m.).
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Photo
Jérémy Fortin scored the Blizzard’s only goal on Sunday evening. Photos archives Percy Picard
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, vice-president communications – The Edmundston Blizzard; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone