The Embrun Panthers continued their impressive form over the weekend, notching back-to-back victories against the Carleton Place Canadians to extend their winning streak to five games.
The first game of the weekend took place on Friday, November 29. A scoreless first period set the stage for a thrilling contest.
The Panthers broke the deadlock late in the second period when Camden Cunningham-Fetch scored at 19:24, assisted by Liam Murdoch and Justin Raymond.
The third period delivered plenty of action, with Embrun quickly doubling their lead at 3:09. Yanick Blanchard found the net, assisted by Marc-Antoine Petrut and Liam Murdoch. Less than two minutes later, Jackson Hamelin extended the lead with a goal at 4:37, with assists from Yanik Major and Nicholas Evangelho.
Carleton Place responded with their first goal of the game, but the Panthers answered back with two more goals. Wyatt Leblanc scored at 6:30, assisted by Blanchard and Alexis Methot. Blanchard added his second of the game at 14:45, with help from Xavier Boulanger and Maxime Carrière.
The Canadians mounted a late comeback, narrowing the gap with a flurry of goals, but Embrun held on for a 6-5 victory. Goaltender Cédric Nadon played all three periods, anchoring the Panthers’ defense.
The game saw a total of 18 penalties, with seven called against the Panthers.
Overtime Heroics Seal Victory on Saturday
The Panthers returned to action the following day, facing off against the Canadians once more. This time, the game was decided in overtime.
The Panthers dominated the first period, scoring twice. Liam Murdoch opened the scoring at 12:41, assisted by Frédéric Solesme and Nicholas Evangelho. Shortly after, Methot extended the lead at 13:15, with Evangelho providing another assist.
The Canadians fought back in the second period, scoring two goals to tie the game. However, Yanik Major restored Embrun’s lead at 19:35, assisted by Methot and Evangelho.
The third period was a back-and-forth affair. The Canadians scored twice to take the lead, but Blanchard evened the score at 12:59, assisted by Boulanger. The Canadians regained the lead briefly before Blanchard struck again, tying the game at 19:16 with help from Boulanger and Cunningham-Fetch.
In overtime, Blanchard delivered the decisive goal just 37 seconds in, assisted by Leblanc, giving the Panthers a dramatic 6-5 victory.
Goaltender Tristan Trudel was in the net for all three periods and overtime, helping secure the win. The game saw nine penalties, with four assessed to the Panthers.
The Panthers will look to keep their momentum going when they face the Glengarry Brigade at the Embrun Arena on Friday, December 6. The puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m.
