After Kitchener ran the table with four straight wins over the Barrie Colts in the OHL, the next dominoes fell. First came the WHL, where Everett picked up three straight wins on the road after taking Tuesday and Wednesday’s games in very close fashion. It seemed that trend would carry into Game 5, as Prince Albert refused to roll over.
Shea Busch, who had scored a couple of times earlier in this year’s playoffs, exploded for a hat trick, scoring once in the first period, once in the second on the power play, and then adding his third to put the game out of reach. Prince Albert was held scoreless in the opening period while giving up two goals to the Tips, a frame in which Everett held a 14-5 shot advantage. Though Prince Albert closed the gap in shots later on, they were still outscored 2-1 in the second and then surrendered a pair of goals just 50 seconds apart at 6:17 and 7:07. Though Prince Albert got one back just past the midway point of the third, Landon Dupont dashed any comeback hopes, and it became pointless to pull the goaltender as the Raiders lost 7-2 and dropped the series 4-1. A little rest now comes Everett’s way.
Further east in the QMJHL, the battle turned into a dogfight as the teams split the first four games between Moncton and Chicoutimi, with a seventh game looming in Moncton should the teams remain tied.
Game 5 was wild, to say the least. With Chicoutimi trailing 4-1 after Moncton scored four straight goals between the first and middle part of the second period, Chicoutimi clawed one back with five minutes left in the frame. The third stanza was even crazier. In less than six minutes, Chicoutimi scored three more goals to tie the game. Then, two minutes later, they scored twice more in a two-minute span to suddenly take a 6-4 lead. Moncton battled back within a goal with less than three minutes remaining. The Wildcats pulled their netminder, only to give up an empty-net goal. Somehow, with 40 seconds left, Moncton scored again and pulled the goaltender once more. However, it was not to be, as Chicoutimi held on for the 7-6 win in Moncton, with Game 6 set for Chicoutimi.
Chicoutimi scored once in the first and once in the second before Moncton finally got on the board. Late in the period, Chicoutimi added another goal to take a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes. The teams battled hard and remained scoreless until late in the third, when Chicoutimi scored two empty-net goals. One came with practically everyone packed into the Wildcats’ zone, while the second came off a rebound after a pass up center ice led to a walk-in from center. That capped off a 5-1 win. For the Sagueneens, it marks their first trip to the Memorial Cup since 1994.
With the Memorial Cup field now set, it’ll be interesting to see how things play out.
Oddsmakers have Everett winning the whole thing, followed by Kitchener, Chicoutimi, and Kelowna. It’ll be interesting to see if the Rockets can snag a win, considering they are the most rested team. They are also the least loaded with NHL prospects and older players.
The schedule starts Friday with Kelowna facing Kitchener. Everett will take on Chicoutimi the following day. The marquee matchup between Everett and Kitchener is set for May 25, with the semifinal on May 29 and the championship game on May 31.
NHL Network, as well as the Victory+ app, will air the games in the United States, while TSN will carry the games in Canada. Victory+ uses the TSN feed, which some U.S. viewers have complained is biased against American teams. Fans wanting more of a U.S. perspective while watching the games are advised to listen to Everett’s radio broadcast on KRKO 1380 AM and 95.3 FM through their online stream.
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