The Montreal Canadiens ECHL affiliate was eliminated in the opening round series of the ECHL playoffs.
The Trois-Rivieres Lions season came to an end on Sunday with 4-3 loss in the North Division semifinals against the Norfolk Admirals (Winnipeg Jets).
Earlier in the day, the ECHL announced that Lions forward Jonathan Yantsis was suspended indefinitely pending a review and fined an undisclosed amount. The supplementary discipline resulted from Yantsis delivering a hit from behind against defenseman Darick Louis-Jean on Saturday. The Admirals advised that Louis-Jean was cleared by the doctors and released from the hospital in the morning.
Once the game got underway, the Lions opened the scoring midway through the first period. The sequence began when Miguel Tourigny created a turnover in the defensive zone that led to an attack the other direction with Jakov Novak lighting the red lamp. Novak's goal extended his point streak to five games.
Norfolk answered back later in the frame when Carson Golder skated around Kirby Proctor and beat Zachary Emond with a backhander on the glove side.
Golder gave the Admirals lead 1:45 later while Anthony Beauregard was in the penalty box. The forward took a shot from the slot and lodged it in the top corner for the power play goal.
The home team added to their lead midway through the second period when Golder stole the puck from Chris Ortiz behind the net and found Stepan Timofeyen in the slot for the goal.
The Canadiens ECHL affiliate made it a one-goal game in the third period when Novak was in the crease area to bank in a rebound.
The Admirals grabbed a two-goal lead a few minutes later during four-on-four action as Golder collected his fourth point of the evening while setting up Carson Musser for a one-timer goal.
With less than two minutes remaining in regulation, the Lions pulled Emond while on a power play and it paid off as Nicolas Guay tipped Montminy's shot for the goal.
Trois-Rivieres continued applying pressure until the final horn rang in Norfolk Scope arena to end their season.
Ron Choules' squad was carried in this series by the line of Jakov Novak, Nolan Yaremko and the captain Cedric Montminy. The trio combined for 12 of the team's 18 goals totaling 22 points.
Both post-season appearances by the Lions franchise resulted in a first round exit.
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