The Montreal Canadiens ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivieres Lions, won two consecutive road games over the weekend.
The Trois-Rivieres Lions ended their five-game homestand on Friday against the Maine Mariners (Boston Bruins) and then headed on the road for matches against the Adirondack Thunder (New Jersey Devils) on Saturday and the Worcester Railers (New York Islanders) on Sunday.
Friday: Maine Mariners 8 - Trois-Rivieres Lions 1
The first period did not feature a lot of offence as each team took three shots on goal with the Mariners taking the lead in the final minute. Maine added two more goals in the second period and another on the opening shift of the third, when Alex-Olivier Voyer put Trois-Rivieres on the board with a power play goal. The Bruins ECHL affiliate dominated the rest of the period and lit the red light four more times for the easy win.
The Lions were booed off the ice by the fans that remained to watch the end of the contest at Colisee Videotron.
"I apologize to the Lions organization and the fans who paid for this. They deserve better than that. We feel bad when we hear [fans booing]. These are people who work hard to earn their money. It's nice to be positive every day, but it's enough," commented coach and general manager Ron Choules.
"At some point, enough is enough. In the first period we played well, but in the second period the guys decided to be on their own page. We allowed 18 shots. I hope they're embarrassed about tonight's game, because I am. It's time to wake up, because it's already playoff time for us," added Choules.
Zachary Bouthillier allowed five goals on 25 shots before being pulled. Joe Vrbetic came into relief for the first time since January 10th and allowed three goals on eight shots.
"We can't wait to get some saves. Defensive collapses happen, but goalies are supposed to stop one or two of them. Spectacular saves are nice, but you have to stop the ones you're supposed to," Choules evaluated his goaltending.
(Quotes Courtesy of Le Nouvelliste)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_iU69UZUik[/embed]
Saturday: Trois-Rivieres Lions 2 - Adirondack Thunder 1 (OT)
The Lions drove overnight from Trois-Rivieres to Adirondack to face the division leading Thunder. The Devils affiliate came into the contest on a 12-game winning streak.
Adirondack took an early lead and held on to it until midway through the second period when Anthony Beauregard brought the teams back to square one with his 11th of the season. The division rivals failed to break the tie in regulation and Jakov Novak won it for the visitors 3:56 into overtime. Joe Vrbetic made 40 saves and named the first star of the game that snapped the Thunder's extensive winning streak.
Sunday: Trois-Rivieres Lions 4 - Worcester Railers 2
The Lions were in Worcester for their third game in three days in three different cities. The game was 1-1 through 40 minutes with Nolan Yaremko scoring for the visitors. Nicolas Guay broke the lead early in the third period with the Railers answering right back. Jakov Novak scored the eventual game winning goal and Cedric Montminy sealed the victory with an empty net goal.
Roster News
On Tuesday, Ty Smilanic was granted a leave of absence by the team and will be away for an undetermined period for personal reasons. The 74th overall pick of 2020 NHL Entry Draft recorded seven points in 31 games.
Nolan Yaremko returned to the ECHL on Thursday after spending 10 days with the Laval Rocket. The forward left Sunday's game during the second period after blocking a shot.
Also on Thursday, Marc-Antoine Pepin was traded to the Fort Wayne Komets (Edmonton Oilers) for financial considerations. The defenseman recorded one assist in 12 games with the Lions.
Rylan Parenteau was released after starting two contests. The goalie was acquired by Trois-Rivieres on January 11th via trade and lost both starts with a 5.15 goals against average and .865 save percentage.
Anthony Beauregard returned to the lineup on Friday for the first time since December 22nd when he was sidelined with a lower body injury. He increased his offensive production with two points over the weekend.
Matthew Boucher's timetable to return from his upper body injury was updated from day-to-day to evaluated weekly. The forward has not dressed since January 13 against Atlanta.
Zachary Emond was in uniform on in Adirondack for the first time since November 30th after missing action with a lower body injury. On Saturday, he backed up Vrbetic and started the game in Worcester on Sunday. He made 36 saves in the victory and was named the first star of the afternoon.
Up Next
The Lions are outside of the playoff picture in the North Division. Starting on Friday, they host the Worcester Railers for a pair of games on consecutive days. The Railers currently hold the final playoff spot.
Be sure to bookmark THN.com/Montreal for year-round coverage of the Montreal Canadiens, Laval Rocket, and Habs prospects playing in leagues around the world.
