MIRAMICHI – Led by a four-goal performance from Jeremy Duhamel, the Miramichi Timberwolves led from start to finish as they defeated the Rapids by a score of 12-5 Tuesday night at the Miramichi Civic Centre.
Duhamel now totals 31 goals on the season. Daryk Dubé-Plouffe and Sam McKinney also took part in the offensive outburst with two goals each.
Dominic LeBlanc scored twice for Grand Falls as he reached the 20-goal plateau, the third Rapids’ player to do so this season.
Yannic Bastarache, Ben Diamond and Marco Leblanc completed the scoring for Grand Falls who also finished the contest with 28 shots on net, the same total obtained by the Timberwolves.
The loss is a costly one for the Rapids as they now trail the Timberwolves by 14 points for the 4th and final available playoff spot in the Eastlink North division standings. Their record now falls to 17 wins, 23 regulation time losses and 1 shootout defeat for a total of 35 points.
It was a tough night all around for the Rapids as they got behind by four goals after only twenty minutes of play. Sam McKinney was the one who opened the scoring for the Timberwolves at 8:55, followed by Jeremy Duhamel’s first two tallies of the contest.
Daryk Dubé-Plouffe and Liam Travis completed the scoring for Miramichi.
Ben Diamond got the Rapids on the board at 13:34 with his 22nd goal of the season following a rebound in front of the net. It was a power play goal for Grand Falls.
Miramichi led 5-1 after one period of play.
A total of 7 goals were scored in the second period, including 5 in a span of only 2:59. The Timberwolves jumped to a 7-1 lead with goals from Jeremy Duhamel, Reese Allen and Max Jardine. The Rapids responded with two quick goals of their own, coming from the sticks of Yannic Bastarache (his 25th) and Marco Leblanc (his first of the season).
Daryk Dubé-Plouffe (Miramichi) and Dominic Leblanc, with the man advantage, completed the scoring as the Timberwolves led by a score of 9-4 after two periods.
Sam McKinney, with his second of the game, and Jeremy Duhamel with his 4th, added the 10th and 11th Miramichi goals in the third period. Jacob Santerre scored his team’s 12th goal.
Dominic Leblanc added his second tally of the game and his 21st of the season at 8:50 for Grand Falls.
Frédéric Plourde and Charles-Antoine Julien shared the work between the pipes for the Rapids. Ryan Knight picked up the win for the Timbwerwolves, his 10th of the season.
The Rapids return to home ice on Friday night as they host the Amherst Ramblers at 7:30 pm at the E.&P. Sénéchal Centre.
Patrick Thibault
GAME NOTES:
*Two Miramichi players finished the game with 4 points: Jeremy Duhamel (4g) and Sam McKinney (2g 2a).
Four players had a 3-point night: Daryk Dubé-Plouffe (2g 1a), Jacob Santerre and Allen Reese (1g 2a) and Felix Landry (3a).
*Dominic Leblanc (2g 1a) and Ethan Johnson (3a) picked up 3 points for the Rapids. Yannic Bastarache finished the game with 1g and 1a.
*Both teams scored 2 power play goals while the Timberwolves also added 1 shorthaned goal.
*Game attendance: 829 spectators
*Three stars of the game: 1- Jeremy Duhamel (MIR); 2- Jacob Santerre (MIR); 3- Daryk Dubé-Plouffe (MIR)
Scoring
| 1st | |||
| 8:55 | MIR | Sam McKinney (12) ASST: Daryk Dube-Plouffe (42), Kaden McNeil (3) | |
| 9:40 | MIR | Jeremy Duhamel (28) ASST: Devin Johnson (1), Reese Allen (4) | |
| 12:31 | MIR | Jeremy Duhamel (29) ASST: Felix Landry (30), Jacob Santerre (41) (PP) | |
| 13:34 | GFR | Ben Diamond (22) ASST: Ethan Johnson (12), Dominic LeBlanc (20) (PP) | |
| 15:13 | MIR | Daryk Dube-Plouffe (32) ASST: Jacob Santerre (42), Sam McKinney (35) | |
| 16:14 | MIR | Liam Travis (11) ASST: Max Jardine (18) | |
| 2nd | |||
| 1:26 | MIR | Jeremy Duhamel (30) ASST: Felix Landry (31) (SH) | |
| 4:20 | MIR | Reese Allen (6) ASST: None | |
| 12:26 | MIR | Max Jardine (5) ASST: Mason Beck (23), Travis Badcock (12) (PP) | |
| 12:56 | GFR | Yannic Bastarache (25) ASST: Ethan Johnson (13) | |
| 13:24 | GFR | Marco Leblanc (1) ASST: Evan Bellamy (27) | |
| 13:40 | MIR | Daryk Dube-Plouffe (33) ASST: Mason Beck (24), Kaden McNeil (4) | |
| 15:25 | GFR | Dominic LeBlanc (20) ASST: Evan Bellamy (28), Ethan Johnson (14) (PP) | |
| 3rd | |||
| 7:00 | MIR | Sam McKinney (13) ASST: Will Allen (11), Liam Travis (7) | |
| 8:50 | GFR | Dominic LeBlanc (21) ASST: Yannic Bastarache (33) | |
| 13:10 | MIR | Jeremy Duhamel (31) ASST: Reese Allen (5), Felix Landry (32) | |
| 15:29 | MIR | Jacob Santerre (27) ASST: Sam McKinney (36) |