This week, round 2 of the QMJHL playoffs shifted back to Newfoundland for games 3, 4, and 5 against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
Game 3
The crowd was rocking as around 5000 Newfoundlander’s and Labradorian’s poured into the Mary Browns Centre. Despite the spectacular introduction, the Regiment started slow.
Armada’s leading point getter, Justin Carbonneau, put the team up 1 at the 13 minute mark on a power play tally as the Regiment went into the first intermission down a goal.
The second period saw Newfoundland on the penalty kill at crucial times once again but this time would escape unscathed. Dawson Sharkey tied up the game with his own power play marker.
With just eight seconds remaining on the clock, Matt Gosseli put Armada back on top heading into the second intermission.
Armada would add two more goals in the 3rd on way to claiming a 2-1 series lead with a 4-1 victory.
Game 4
In a must win game for the Regiment, the team produced one of the most back and forth games of the entire season. Armada picked up right where they left off the night before, scoring just a minute in. This would remain the only marker on the board for either side after one.
In the second, the Regiment pushed back. Dawson Sharkey would come through on the power play once again. Four minutes later, Dominic Pilote would break the tie with 2 minutes remaining in the second to send the fans back to the concession booth with a heightened sense of hope for a tie series going into Friday.
This hope faded as Armada would score two goals in 39 seconds to begin the third.
A stunned crowd hoped for a miracle, and that miracle came off the stick of Blake Pilgrim-Edwards as he would tie the game with 12 minutes to go.
With a newfound sense of life in the crowd, the Regiment began to tilt the ice. With under five minutes to go, Maddex Marmulak blew the roof off as he put the Regiment up 4-3.
Tyson Goguen would add some empty net insurance and the Regiment would survive a late Armada push to send the series back into a deadlock at 2 games a piece with a heart stopping 5-4 victory.
Game 5
Off the heals of the wildest game of the year, the Mary Brown Centre hosted a sell out decisive game 5. This was easily the loudest the crowd was all year. The Regiment fed off the crowd, paying back the fans with their best start of the season. Armada would weather the storm and have a push of their own. Despite this, both teams left the ice after one knotted at 0-0.
The second was a different story as Justin Carbonneau would continue his reign of terror on the Regiment this series with a lethal wrister from the top of the right circle.
From here, the period began to snowball. Olivier Lemieux would add both the second and third Armada goals to the scoreboard, the second of these being in the dying seconds of the period to send the Regiment back to the room down 3-0.
Unfortunately, no miracle was in store for the crowd tonight. The Regiment would show signs of life but could not get one past William Lacelle as he posted a 32 saves to earn his first shutout of the playoffs in a 3-0 win to put his team up 3-2 heading back home for games 6 and 7.
What’s ahead
The series now shifts back to Boisbriand for games 6 and 7. The Regiment now have their backs against the wall with only two options remaining; win both games or go home. Game six will take place on April 19th and game 7, if needed, will be on April 21st.
The winner of the series will move on to face to Moncton Wildcats in round 3. Moncton will have home ice advantage no matter who they face.
