SHORTALL SCORES IN OVERTIME AS RAPIDS WIN 5th STRAIGHT
GRAND FALLS – Bailey Shortall’s overtime goal propelled Grand Falls to a thrilling 6-5 victory Friday night on home ice against the Edmundston Blizzard, giving the Rapids a 5th consecutive victory. Greg Leland’s squad is now only 1 point back of the Blizzard for second spot in the Eastlink North division standings with only five games remaining for both teams in their respective regular season schedules.
It was a close game from start to finish as the Blizzard twice came from behind from a two-goal deficit to tie the score.
The Rapids jumped to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame with goals from Loïc Francoeur at 4:11 and Dereck Asselin at 8:32. However, Edmundston tied the score with two goals in an 18-second span at the end of the period. François-Xavier Mercier and Darien Thomson both scored for the visitors as both teams skated off the ice after twenty minutes of play deadlocked at 2-2.
Eliott Guenette scored a shorthanded goal for Edmundston at 4:46 of the second period, giving the Blizzard a 3-2 lead. With both teams playing with intensity and skating to a fast-pace game, it was the Rapids’ turn to come back from behind with three goals in less than three minutes.
Coen Miller tied the score with a power play goal at 13:46 following a rebound in front of the net. Then Tristan Richard and Loïc Francoeur (his 2nd of the game) both scored in a span of only 18 seconds, giving the Rapids a 5-3 lead. That’s how the score remained through forty minutes of play.
As they did in the opening frame, the Blizzard came back with two goals in the third period to tie the score. William Labranche found the back of the net at 5:24 while Émile Fournier tied the score on the power play at 7:09.
It was a quick start to the overtime period, but the Rapids came out as the better team. With less than two minutes into extra time, Bailey Shortall took control of a loose puck at his own end and went on a breakaway, beating Blizzard goaltender Cédric Massé on a low shot between the pads to send the Rapids to their 26th victory of the season.
Despite scoring 11 goals in total, both teams played a good defensive game with Grand Falls having a 35 to 32 edge in the shots on goal department. Adam Lecours made a total of 27 saves to earn his 21st victory of the season between the pipes.
Both the Rapids and the Blizzard will meet once more before the end of the regular season. That matchup will be played next Thursday night in Edmundston. Meanwhile, the Rapids will play another home game on Sunday afternoon as they host the Campbellton Tigers. Puck drop is at 3pm at the E.&P. Sénéchal Centre.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
*Loïc Francoeur scored 2 goals for the Rapids while Tristan Richard, Coen Miller and Bailey Shortall both finished the game with 1g 1a. Brody Paré also finished with two points, earning 2 assists.
William Labranche (1g 1a) was Edmundston’s leading scorer.
*It was Bailey Shortall’s second winning goal since joining the Rapids. His first came last Sunday in a 4-1 win by the Rapids over the Miramichi Timberwolves.
*A total of 1057 spectators were on hand for this divisional matchup.
*Both missing from the Rapids lineup were defenseman William Patey (injured) and forward Reid Calder (suspension).
*Three stars of the game: 1- Loïc Francoeur (GFR); William Labranche (EDM); 3- Tristan Richard (GFR)
Patrick Thibault
Scoring
| 1st | |||
| 4:11 | GFR | Loic Francoeur (18) ASST: Oliver Plante (13) | |
| 8:32 | GFR | Dereck Asselin (5) ASST: Brody Pare (10), Nathan Dubreuil (7) | |
| 15:36 | EDM | François-Xavier Mercier (5) ASST: Alex Thibault (7), Neka Jean (9) | |
| 15:54 | EDM | Darien Thomson (38) ASST: Samuel Cloutier (10), Michael Derbidge (18) | |
| 2nd | |||
| 4:46 | EDM | Eliott Guenette (12) ASST: Justin Bouchard-Trottier (13) (SH) | |
| 13:49 | GFR | Coen Miller (26) ASST: Jonah Leard (40), Nathan Plamondon-Michaud (23) (PP) | |
| 16:12 | GFR | Tristan Richard (5) ASST: Conor Ryan (14), Brody Pare (11) | |
| 16:30 | GFR | Loic Francoeur (19) ASST: Tristan Richard (8), Bailey Shortall (11) | |
| 3rd | |||
| 5:24 | EDM | William Labranche (31) ASST: Charles-Éric Tremblay (24) | |
| 7:09 | EDM | Émile Fournier (20) ASST: Michael Arsenault (25), William Labranche (28) (PP) | |
| 1st OT | |||
| 1:47 | GFR | Bailey Shortall (11) ASST: Coen Miller (32) |