The Embrun Panthers endured a difficult weekend, suffering back-to-back losses, including an overtime heartbreaker against the Casselman Vikings and a narrow shutout defeat to the Perth Blue Wings.
On Friday, February 7, the Panthers faced off against the Casselman Vikings in a tightly contested matchup that extended into overtime.
Embrun struck first in the opening period when Liam Murdoch (Frederic Solesme and Nicholas Evangelho) found the back of the net at 7:05.
Both teams battled through a scoreless second period, with strong goaltending on both ends.
The Vikings tied the game in the third period with a power-play goal. Neither team could break the deadlock, sending the game to overtime.
Casselman secured the victory at 3:08 in overtime, handing the Panthers a tough 2-1 loss.
Panthers’ goaltender Tristan Trudel delivered a strong performance, making 35 saves on 37 shots, but ultimately took the overtime loss.
In total, 14 penalties were issued, seven of which were against the Panthers.
Shut Out in a Defensive Battle Against Perth
On Sunday, February 9, the Panthers faced another defensive showdown, this time against the Perth Blue Wings.
Both teams remained scoreless through the first period, with Embrun’s Cédric Nadon and Perth’s goaltender turning away multiple scoring chances.
The lone goal of the game came in the second period, giving Perth a 1-0 lead.
Despite the Panthers’ best efforts to equalize in the third period, they were unable to solve Perth’s goaltender, resulting in a 1-0 shutout loss.
Goaltender Cédric Nadon was outstanding for Embrun, stopping 40 of 41 shots, but the Panthers’ offense couldn’t break through.
In total, four penalties were issued, two against the Panthers.
Looking Ahead
The Panthers will look to regroup as they head into their next set of games, hoping to bounce back and return to the win column after two tough losses. Their next matchups are against the Ottawa Junior Canadians on Tuesday, February 11, and the Ottawa West Golden Knights on Thursday.
