Metalfab MHL Cup Playoff Capsule: Edmundston vs Fredericton

(Photo: Percy Picard)

2024 Eastlink North Division Semi-Finals

(1) Edmundston Blizzard vs (4) Fredericton Red Wings

    • Game 1 – Thursday, March 14th, 7:30 p.m. – Centre Jean Daigle
    • Game 2 – Saturday, March 16th, 7 p.m. – Grant Harvey Centre
    • Game 3 – Tuesday, March 19th, 7:30 p.m. – Centre Jean Daigle
    • Game 4 – Thursday, March 21st, 7 p.m. – Grant Harvey Centre
    • Game 5 – Saturday, March 23rd, 7:30 p.m. – Centre Jean Daigle*
    • Game 6 – Thursday, March 28th, 7 p.m. – Grant Harvey Centre*
    • Game 7 – Saturday, March 30th, 7:30 p.m. – Centre Jean Daigle*

*if necessary

Edmundston Fredericton
39-12-1-0 (2nd) Record (MHL Rank) 22-25-2-3 (9th)
8-2-0-0 (3-0-0-0) Last 10 Games (current streak) 5-5-0-0 (1-0-0-0)
229 (2nd) Goals For (MHL Rank) 209 (6th)
136 (1st) Goals Against (MHL Rank) 218 (10th)
26.5% (3rd) Powerplay % (MHL Rank) 19.1% (10th)
79.9% (4th) Penalty Kill % (MHL Rank) 73.9% (10th)
Félix Bédard – 37 G, 55 A (2nd) Top Scorer (MHL Rank) Carter McCluskey – 47 G, 59 A (1st)
Alexis Jacques – 8 G, 21 A Top Scoring Defenseman Salem Johnson – 4 G, 23 A
Nicholas Sheehan – 30-9-1-0, 2.29 GAA, .926 SV%, 5 SO
Samuel LeBlanc – 9-3-0-0, 3.41 GAA, .882 SV%, 1 SO
Goaltenders Yacine Chemrouk – 12-16-1-3, 3.73 GAA, .898 SV%, 1 SO
Zachary Bridgeo – 15-7-0-1, 4.08 GAA, .890 SV%
8-0-0-0 (16 points) Head-to-Head Record 0-8-0-0 (0 points)
Félix Bédard – 4 G, 14 A Leading Scorer in Season Series Slava Melikov – 2 G, 8 A

Previous Meetings

    • October 6th – Fredericton 5 Edmundston 8
    • October 22nd – Edmundston 4 Fredericton 3
    • November 25th – Fredericton 1 Edmundston 4
    • December 22 – Fredericton 3 Edmundston 5
    • January 14th – Edmundston 7 Fredericton 2
    • February 24th – Edmundston 4 Fredericton 3
    • March 7th – Edmundston 4 Fredericton 1
    • March 8th – Fredericton 0 Edmundston 7

Notes

    • This is the first-ever meeting between these two franchises. Edmundston are the defending Eastlink North champions, having beaten Miramichi and Summerside on their way to the Metalfab MHL Cup Final last season before falling to Yarmouth in four games. Fredericton was last in the post-season in 2021-22 where they defeated Campbellton and then lost to Summerside in the Division Final.
    • The Blizzard had an MHL-best 23-3-0-0 record on home ice this season, scoring more than twice as many goals than they allowed at 123 to 61. Fredericton was outscored 24-9 in their four games at Centre Jean Daigle.
    • The Red Wings had two of the top four scorers in the MHL this season. Carter McCluskey had 106 points to lead the league, becoming the first player to top the 100-point plateau since Summerside’s Brodie MacArthur and Kallum Muirhead in 2019-20. He scored 18 goals and 27 assists in 21 games after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Truro Bearcats. Slava Melikov finished fourth in league scoring with 30 goals and 49 assists in 48 games. Cam Thomson was 15th with 26 goals and 40 assists in 50 games.
    • Edmundston had two players in the top seven in scoring with Félix Bédard second (51 GP, 37 G, 55 A) and Philippe Collette seventh (52 GP, 29 G, 47 A).
    • The Blizzard allowed a league-best 136 goals this season led by Nicholas Sheehan, who finished the season atop virtually every statistical category and was named Top Goaltender for five of the season’s seven months.
    • Edmundston averaged the second-most shots per game at 39.19 and allowed the fewest at 30.63.
    • Grabbing an early lead will be critical for Fredericton, who are 15-7-0-1 when leading after the 1st Period. Edmundston are 5-8-0-0 when trailing after 20 minutes of play.
    • The Blizzard were 16 for 37 (43.2%) on the powerplay against Fredericton this season, while Fredericton went 3 for 30 (10.0%).