GRAND FALLS – Special teams made the difference for the Rapids on Sunday afternoon as they skated away with a 4-1 victory against the Campbellton Tigers, winning their second game in their last three outings on home ice.
Ranked last place in the MHL in power play goals before the weekend, the Rapids scored three times with the man advantage in this contest, including two tallies only 20 seconds apart in the opening period. Grand Falls also scored while playing with a man short, only their second shorthanded goal of the season.
It was also the first time since January 3 that the Rapids scored more than 3 goals.
Adam Lecours picked up the win between the pipes, making 28 saves.
It was the Rapids’ 11th victory of the season, bringing their points’ total to 30.
The performance on special teams helped the Rapids jump to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Brayden Campbell, with his 11th of the season,scored on a tip in front of the net at 10:33while his team was playing with a two-man advantage.
Then exactly 20 seconds later, also on a power play, defenseman Anton Topilnyckyj’s shot from the point went by Tigers’ netminder Nathan Mills, bringing the score to 2-0 for Grand-Falls. It was the first MHL goal forTopilnyckyj since he joned the team in mid-season.
The Rapids added their third tally of the period on a shorthanded breakaway goal from Brody Pare at 18:01. It was Pare’s 5th goal of the 2024-2025 season.
Campbellton got on the board at the mid-way point of the second period when Carter Morrison’s wrist shot found a way betweennetminder Adam Lecours and the inside post.
The Rapids would regain a three–goal lead at the 14-minute mark of the period, once again on the power play, when Isaac Allard’s shot found the back of the net.
Grand Falls was ahead 4-1 at the end of two periods of play.
No goals were scored in the final frame.
The Rapids outshot their opponents 33 to 29.
Jonah Leard was the only player on both sides to earn two points to his record with 2 assists.
The Rapids will play their next game on Friday night at the E.&P. Sénéchal Centre as they host the Fredericton Red Wings.
3 STARS OF THE GAME:
1- Brody Pare (GFR); 2- Adam Lecours (GFR);3- Anton Topilnyckyj (GFR)
Patrick Thibault
Scoring
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1st |
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10:33 |
GFR |
Brayden Campbell (11) ASST: Nicholas Brennan (16), Jonah Leard (33) (PP) |
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10:53 |
GFR |
Anton Topilnyckyj (1) ASST: Médéric Allard (8) (PP) |
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18:01 |
GFR |
Brody Pare (5) ASST: None (SH) |
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2nd |
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10:26 |
CAM |
Carter Morrison (6) ASST: Felix-Antoine Laflamme (28) |
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14:14 |
GFR |
Isaac Allard (7) ASST: Nathan Plamondon-Michaud (12), Jonah Leard (34) (PP) |
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3rd |
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No Scoring |
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