CHALEUR TAKES 2-0 SERIES LEAD OVER THE RAPIDS

BATHURST – The Chaleur Lightning scored four times in the second period, including two on the power play, as they defeated the Rapids by a score of 6-3 Sunday afternoon in Bathurst to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven MHL MetalFab quarter final series.

Once again, special teams played a key role in this contest for the Lightning as they scored a total of 3 goals on 8 attempts with the man advantage, compared to 1 goal on the power play for the Rapids.

With the score tied 3-3 in the third period, Jack Hayne scored twice to give Chaleur a two-goal lead heading into the third. Hayne was thus credited with his second winning goal of this series.

The Rapids started the game with an early goal on Jonah Leard’s one-timer from the slot at the 2-minute mark of the game, his 3rd goal of the series. However, Owen Arnold’s screen shot from the point tied the game for Chaleur at 9:21.

It was a frantic second period as a total of six goals were scored. Bailey Shortall gave the Rapids a 2-1 lead at 2:19, but the Lightning scored twice in a span of 1:24 to go ahead 3-2 on goals from Carter Bromley and Zachary Rushton.
At the midway point of the period, Loic Francoeur also scored with the man advantage for Grand Falls when his one-timer found the back of the net, tying the game 3-3. Then Jack Hayne followed with two goals to give the Lightning a two-goal lead, the second one coming on the power play following an unsportsmanlike penalty to the Rapids.
It was Hayne’s 3rd and 4th goals of this series. Three of them have come with the man advantage.

Probably the turning point of the game occurred at the start of the third period when the Rapids went on two successive power plays. Chaleur was able to shut the door while holding Grand Falls to only 5 shots on goal for the entire third period.

Ben Cross added the Lightning’s 6th goal at 13:07, another PP marker.

Goaltender Jack Flanagan stopped 25 shots for the win while Adam Lecours made 23 saves on 29 shots.

Game three of the series will be played Wednesday night at the E.&P. Sénéchal Centre in Grand Falls. Puck drop is at 7:30 pm.

 

ADITIONNAL NOTES

*Jonah Leard was the Rapids’ leading scorer with 1 goal and 2 assists.

Jack Hayne led the way offensively for the Lightning with 2 goals and 1 assist while Carter Bromley and Ben Cross finished with identical records of 1 goal and 2 assists.

*Chaleur has now scored 6 power play goals in this series (average of 3 per game) compared to 3 for the Rapids.

*Three stars of the game: 1- Jack Hayne (CHA); 2- Zachary Rushton (CHA); 3- Ben Cross (CHA)

Patrick Thibault

 

Scoring

1st
2:52	GFR	Jonah Leard (3) ASST: Declan Kennedy (1)
9:21	CHA	Owen Arnold (1) ASST: Jack Hayne (2), Jayden Burtt-Munn (1)
2nd
2:19	GFR	Bailey Shortall (1) ASST: Jonah Leard (1), Coen Miller (2)
7:14	CHA	Carter Bromley (1) ASST: None
8:38	CHA	Zachary Rushton (1) ASST: Ben Cross (1) (PP)
10:00	GFR	Loic Francoeur (1) ASST: Jonah Leard (2), Anton Topilnyckyj (2) (PP)
14:01	CHA	Jack Hayne (3) ASST: Zachary Rushton (2), Ben Cross (2)
18:39	CHA	Jack Hayne (4) ASST: Carter Bromley (3), Cohen McCallum (3) (PP)
3rd
13:07	CHA	Ben Cross (1) ASST: Carter Bromley (4), Cohen McCallum (4) (PP)