Canadiens to play Tigers after contentious first round battle

Heated, tight, and five one-goal games — that’s just some of the drama that ensued in the St. Paul Canadiens series victory over the Lloyd Bandits in the first round of NEAJBHL playoffs.

The ‘Yens finished it off on Saturday night in a 5-4 victory, the game winner scored by Louis-David Fournier from behind his own net, both an elating and gutwrenching series of bounces that stood up as the difference in pivotal Game 5.

Bandits captain Drew Harty played his first game of the series and got his crew within one in the 3rd period, but it was not enough.

Every game was determined by one goal, including two double overtime contests. Not to mention controversial comments from Canadiens’ general manager Dean Smyl in an overtime intermission of Game 2, which he seemed to call the Bandits a “beer league team,” gave the series an intensity on and off the ice.

“It was a tough series,” said head coach Corey deMoissiac after the game. 

“We knew that it was gonna be a tough series. Lloyd’s a pretty scrappy team and they are well coached by that group of guys, so we knew they had some some talented players and we had to work hard to beat them.”

The Canadiens will face the first-seed Vermilion Tigers in round 2, beginning on the road on Thursday.

“[It’s gonna take] hard work, dedication. I mean, we’re going to come to the rink every single day, put in every effort we got to see if we can beat them,” said Will Chemago, who scored six goals in the series, the most so far in the NEAJBHL playoffs. 

However, the Canadiens will be without their captain Kurtis Labant for the first four games.

During Game 5, skilled Bandits forward Joel Webb was driven into the boards and laid on the ice for minutes afterward. As a result of the hit, Labant has received a four game ban. Webb went to social media to question Hockey Alberta’s decision and call out Labant.

Ice swept by Wheat Kings

The Cold Lake Ice’s season has come to an end as well, after falling 4-3 in Game 4 on Friday night.

“It’s a tough moment for the boys, but we have a good group here,” said coach Scott Hood after the game. “A good group of board members, and parents, and volunteers, an organization that is top notch from top to bottom.

“At the end of the day it is a tough way to end the year.”

The Killam Wheat Kings will advance and take on the Wainwright Bisons, the beneficiaries of a mini-bye after playing just one game in the first round after the Onion Lake Border Chiefs folded.

That series also begins on Thursday in Wainwright.