The MHL Division Finals continue this evening with a pair of games.
In Summerside, the Western Capitals host the Edmundston Blizzard in Game 4 of their Eastlink North Division Final. The Blizzard are coming off a 3-2 overtime win in Game 3 of this series last night, a victory that gave Edmundston a 2-1 lead in the best of seven showdown. All of the scoring in regulation took place during the second period. After Brodie MacArthur scored to give the Caps a 1-0 lead 1:55 into the middle frame – and extend MacArthur’s amazing point streak to 44 games, regular season and playoffs combined – The Blizzard quickly answered on a goal by Dany Coloumbe just 28 seconds later. Just over eight minutes in, Chris Chaddock, who fired home the winning goal for Summerside in Game 1 of this series, struck again to put the home side ahead 2-1. Coloumbe would strike again however, drawing the Blizzard even at the 13:07 mark. A scoreless third period would send the game into overtime where, at the 1:21 mark of the fourth period, Kyle Ward’s third goal of the postseason would provide the Blizzard with the series lead. Francis Asselin made 28 saves in the victory while Dominik Tmej stopped 22 of 25 shots for the Western Capitals.
Game 4 gets underway at Credit Union Place at 7PM.
Also at 7PM tonight, the puck drops in Yarmouth for Game 3 of the Eastlink South Division Final series between the Mariners and the South Shore Lumberjacks. The Mariners enter the contest holding a 2-0 edge in the best of seven series thanks to a 7-3 victory over the Lumberjacks in Bridgewater Monday night. The Mariners stormed out to a 4-0 lead by the midway point of the second period in that contest, bolstered by goals from Andrew Martell, Aaron Maillet, Matt Smith and Chris Goreham. Logan O’Neil would get the Jacks on the board before 40 minutes expired. An offensively charged third period saw five more goals between the two sides as the Mariners added some insurance on tallies from Patrick Daley, Brent Broaders and Logan Timmons. Mitchell Arseneau and Owen Arfstrom would reply for South Shore in the third. Leif Hertz made 26 saves in the win while MacKenzie Janes and Connor McCollum combined to stop 37 shots for the Lumberjacks.
Tune into mhl.hockeytv.com for all of the action tonight and every night throughout the 2018 MHL playoffs.
Will MacLaren – themhl.ca