A quadruple-overtime thriller started the semifinal round off with a bang.
Hopefully, you have some coffee ready on this Friday morning.
It was a late night in Moncton for game one between the Wildcats and Armada, one that went all the way to a fourth overtime frame.
Most will remember last season's 5OT thriller between Cape Breton and Baie-Comeau, with Angelo Fullerton's heroics ending what ended up as the second-longest game in league history.
This one didn't get quite that far, but it ends up at the fifth spot on that list, with the winning goal coming at the 7:48 mark of the fourth overtime frame, after midnight local time in New Brunswick.
Here's how we got there after a long night.
Blainville-Boisbriand (3) - Moncton (2) (4OT)
Soon-to-be overtime hero Mael Lavigne puts pressure on Wildcats defender Max Vilen. (Photo: Daniel St-Louis)The game started off pretty tame, as expected between two top teams feeling each other out in the first game of the third round.
Gabe Smith opened the scoring for the hosts at the 8:47 mark of the first period, scoring his league-leading 10th goal of the postseason.
That would be the only goal in the game until the third, though Blainville was starting to put some pressure on in the second, outshooting Moncton 13-4 in the middle frame.
However, it would be the Wildcats who would double their lead in the third through Alex Mercier, who scored in transition after an offensive zone turnover from the Armada.
With 17 minutes to go in regulation, the hosts led by two, and the Armada couldn't figure out how to solve Rudy Guimond.
That was until Olivier Lemieux got one through, and that was where things started to go Blainville-Boisbriand's way. Xavier Villeneuve would score on a power play a few minutes later, and that would knot the game at two with just under 10 minutes to go in the third.
The game would stay 2-2 for a long time.
Regulation ended, sending the game to overtime. The first extra frame ended with neither team really getting any big chances, as defensive minds prevailed to protect both teams' star goaltenders.
Then the second overtime came and went, and all of a sudden the historical stats for longest games start to come out. By the time the third overtime was done, it had already reached the fifth-longest game in league history.
And, thankfully for those with work the next morning, it wouldn't climb any higher than that.
A too many men call on Moncton proved costly, and after a huge shorthanded two-on-one chance where a Caleb Desnoyers pass missed Smith, the Armada went back the other way, with Mael Lavigne continuing his strong playoffs with the most memorable goal of his life.
It was Blainville's 68th shot of the contest, and they finally solved Guimond for the first time since the third period. William Lacelle wasn't as busy on the other end, but still made 38 saves of his own.
All told, it's a huge game one road victory for the Armada, who have been a bit more battle-tested these playoffs than the Wildcats, which may have helped them in this tight contest.
Now, both teams are in the thick of things, and it will be all about rest and recovery before Saturday's game two.
Tonight's Games
Rouyn-Noranda (0) at Chicoutimi (0) - 7 PM EDT
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