MIRAMICHI – Jacob Santerre scored three goals at the Miramichi Civic Centre on Saturday night as the Timbwerwolves defeated the Grand Falls Rapids by a score of 7-2.
It was Miramichi’s second win in less than a week against the Rapids who have now dropped four games in a row.
Santerre (3g 1a) and Daryk Dubé-Plouffe (1g 2a) led the Timberwolves’ offense which has scored a total of 19 goals against the Rapids in the last two outings against Grand Falls.
Ben Diamond, who was the catalyst of the Rapids’ attack on Saturday night, finished the game with 1 goal and 1 assist, including his 23rd tally of the season while his team was playing shorthanded.
With their fourth leading scorer out of the lineup (Evan Bellamy), it got worse for the Rapids in the opening period when 25-goal scorer Yannic Bastarache was ejected from the game following a fighting major penalty. Grand Falls fell behind 1-0 with less than 3 minutes remaining in the frame on Jacob Santerre’s first goal of the game at 17:56.
Both teams totaled 122 minutes in penalty in the opening period as the Rapids were penalized for 71 minutes.
The Timberwolves took control of the game in the middle frame as they scored three unanswered goals. It started at 11:37 with Jeremy Duhamel’s 32nd of the season following a faceoff win in Rapids’ territory. Daryk Dubé-Plouffe (his 34th) scored Miramichi’s third goal at 14:04 while Will Allen made it 4-0 with only 43 seconds remaining in the period.
Travis Badcock added the Timberwolves’ fifth goal at 2:29 of the third period with a shot from the point.
The Rapids got on the board at 4:14 on Mathis Huot’s 10th goal of the season which came on a power play. Huot took control of a rebound in front of the net on Ben Diamond’s shot.
Jacob Santerre scored his second of the contest at 8:08 on a one-timer. Then Ben Diamond made it 6-2 with a shorthanded breakaway goal which came at 14:20.
Finally, Santerre would complete his hat trick at 17:56, bringing the final score to 7-2.
Frédéric Plourde faced a total of 40 shots in net for the Rapids. Jack Flanagan picked up the win for Miramichi, making a total of 30 saves.
The Rapids are currently sitting 6th in the Eastlink North standings and will be looking to get back on the winning track next weekend when they play two home games. Friday night, they will host the Summerside Western Capitals (7:30 pm) while on Sunday afternoon (3 pm), Grand Falls will clash with the Pictou County Weeks Crushers at the E.&P. Sénéchal Centre.
Patrick Thibault
GAME NOTES:
*Game attendance: 1111 spectators
*Three stars of the game: 1- Jacob Santerre (MIR); 2- Will Allen (MIR); 3- Zachary Duguay (MIR)
Scoring
1st
17:56 MIR Jacob Santerre (28) ASST: Travis Badcock (13), Sam McKinney (37)
2nd
11:37 MIR Jeremy Duhamel (32) ASST: Zachary Duguay (1)
14:04 MIR Daryk Dube-Plouffe (34) ASST: Jacob Santerre (43), Mitchell Swaine (4)
19:17 MIR Will Allen (2) ASST: Jack O’Blenis (2), Zachary Duguay (2)
3rd
2:29 MIR Travis Badcock (7) ASST: Will Allen (12)
4:14 GFR Mathis Huot (10) ASST: Ben Diamond (26), Ethan Johnson (15) (PP)
8:08 MIR Jacob Santerre (29) ASST: Daryk Dube-Plouffe (43), Kaden McNeil (5)
14:20 GFR Ben Diamond (23) ASST: None (SH)
17:56 MIR Jacob Santerre (30) ASST: Daryk Dube-Plouffe (44), Sam McKinney (38) (PP)