Vikings stave off elimination, force a Game 6

The Casselman Vikings welcomed the Perth Blue Wings to the J. R. Brissson Complex on Thurs., March 22, for Game 3 of the best of seven CCHL2 semifinals. The Vikings went into the game down two games to one and this was a “must win” game. The Vikings Captain Sebastien Plante (12) battles for the puck against the Blue Wings’ Davis Goodwin (10). The Vikings’ captain scored two goals including the game winner late in the second period as the they took the game 4-2 getting back int the series. Plante also picked up an assist in the win.   Courtesy Lauwers photo

Jeff Moore
Record Staff
CASSELMAN —The Casselman Vikings played four playoff games this past week, as they travelled to Perth to take on the Blue Wings on Wednesday night for Game 2 of the best of seven CCHL2 semifinals, hosted the Blue Wings on Thursday night for Game 3, travelled to Perth on Saturday night for Game 4 and back to the Brisson Complex for Game 5.

Vikings 6 Blue Wings 2: The Vikings welcomed the Perth Blue Wings to the J. R. Brisson Complex on Sun., March 25, for Game 5 of the best of seven CCHL2 semifinals. The Blue Wings took a 3-1 series lead into the game after defeating the Vikings the previous night 3-2 in double overtime and looked to close out the series with a victory.

The Vikings needed a win just to stay alive. The Vikings faced the same ordeal last season as they were down three games to none to the Metcalfe Jets and came back to win the series in seven games. The Vikings opened the scoring when Olivier Brunet fired a onetimer from Jason Cossette and Jonah Peters just 2:43 into the first period to take a 1-0 lead.

The Vikings added to the lead when Danyk Drouin slid one home from the slot from Gabriel Rousselle at 17:41. The Vikings took the 2-0 lead into the first intermission. The dreaded 2-0 lead evaporated the previous night and it looked like history was going to repeat itself as the Blue Wings got to within one just 31 seconds into the second period as Colin Baggio scored from Jordan Currie and Joey Laird on a power play that was carried over from the first period.

The Vikings took another penalty around the three-minute mark and again, the Blue Wings took advantage as Laird scored from Matt Knight Bedour and Baggio at 3:53 to tie the game at two. The Vikings responded at 8:13 when Ryan Sabourin scored from the right side of the crease from Brendan Doherty and Sebastien Plante to make it 3-2.

The Vikings made it 4-2 as Sean David walked out in front of the net and roofed one over the Blue Wings’ goalie Jonathan Peacock from Plante and Doherty on the power play at 9:25. David scored his second of the game after a bad Blue Wing turnover at the Vikings’ blue line as David stripped the defenseman of the puck and went in on a breakaway and made an inside out move that fooled the goalie, giving the Vikings a three-goal lead.

That goal spelled the end of Peacock’s night as he was replaced by Cameron Scott. The Vikings took a 5-2 lead into the second intermission. The Vikings tightened the game up slightly in the third period and were able to make it a 6-2 game as Doherty pounded one home from Ethan Wensink and Peters on the power play at 11:12.

The Vikings held the Blue Wings at bay for the remainder of the game as they took the victory 6-2 forcing a Game 6 back in Perth. Picking up the win in the Vikings’ goal was Nick Campbell making 25 saves on 27 shots and suffering the loss in the Blue Wings’ goal was Peacock making 11 saves on 16 shots and Scott his backup made 19 saves on 20 shots.

Blue Wings 3 Vikings 2 (2OT): The Vikings travelled to the Perth Arena on Sat., March 24, to take on the Blue Wings for Game 4 of the best of seven CCHL2 semifinals. The Vikings were coming off a much-needed 4-2 victory of the Blue Wings in Game 3 to get back in the series but the Blue Wings still held the lead two games to one.

The Vikings looked to even the series with a win and the Blue Wings could close out the series back in Casselman in Game 5 with a win. The two teams battled to a scoreless first period but the Blue Wings outshot the Vikings 16-9.

The Vikings opened the scoring when Ethan Wensink buried a rebound from Ryan Sabourin and Brendan Doherty on the power play at 8:34 of the second period to take a 1-0 lead. The Vikings made it 2-0 when Danyk Drouin scored from the slot at 12:22 from Gabriel Rousselle and Joseph Heath. The Vikings took a 2-0 lead into the second intermission.

The Blue Wings got a lucky bounce off the official’s skate behind the net as it popped out front to Joey Laird who tapped the puck home at 5:30 of the third period from Mack Miller to make it 2-1. With time winding down in the third period, the Blue Wings pulled their goalie in favour of an extra attacker and with just 19 seconds remaining Laird scored his second of the game from a goalmouth scramble tying the game at two.

Knotted at two after regulation, the game headed to the first overtime period. Neither team was able to score but the Vikings were pretty much in control of the play, outshooting the Blue Wings 4-1 as they headed to the dressing room for the intermission.

Off of the opening draw in the second overtime frame, the Blue Wings entered the Vikings’ end and had a great scoring chance but the Vikings’ goalie Nick Campbell turned it aside. The Blue Wing player followed the puck to the corner and sent a pass in front of the net and found former Viking Shane McCrank who one-timed it to the back of the net just 15 seconds into the second overtime.

Picking up the helpers were Laird and Colin Baggio as the Blue Wings took the game 3-2 and a 3-1 series lead heading back to Casselman. Picking up the win in the Blue Wings’ goal was Jonathan Peacock making 33 saves on 35 shots and suffering the loss in the Vikings’ goal was Campbell making 32 saves on 35 shots.

Vikings 4 Blue Wings 2: The Vikings welcomed the Blue Wings to the J. R. Brisson Complex on Thurs., March 22, for Game 3 of the best of seven CCHL2 semifinals. The regular season champions found themselves in quite a hole after dropping the first two games of the series 5-2 and 7-2 and looked to end that skid with a victory. The Blue Wings would have a chance to wrap the series up at home with a victory.

The Vikings opened the scoring at 13:51 of the first period as Ryan Sabourin fired one to the back of the net from Brady Cloutier to take a 1-0 lead. The Blue Wings outshot the Vikings by a narrow 7-6 count but trailed 1-0 heading into the first intermission.

The Vikings made it 2-0 when Sebastien Plante snapped one home from Jason Cossette on the power play at 6:28 of the second period. The Vikings increased their lead to three when Sean David scored a power-play goal at 10:31 from Plante and Sabourin.

The Vikings made it 4-0 as Plante netted his second of the period on the power play from Brendan Doherty and David at 12:09. The Vikings dominated play in the second period outshooting the Blue Wings 13-2 taking a 4-0 lead into the second intermission.

The Blue Wings finally got on the scoreboard when Joey Laird scored from Matt Knight Bedour and Matt Miller on the power play at 4:50 of the third period. The Vikings played a defensive third period but let down their guard with just 1:32 remaining as ex-Viking Shane McCrank scored from Tyler Somers and Davis Goodwin but that was as close as they could get as the Vikings took the game 4-2 cutting the Blue Wings’ series lead to 2-1.

Picking up the win in the Vikings’ goal was Nick Campbell making 19 saves on 21 shots. Suffering the loss in the Blue Wings’ goal was Jonathan Peacock making 21 saves on 16 shots and was replaced by Cameron Scott who stopped all 15 shots that he faced.

Blue Wings 7 Vikings 2: The Vikings travelled to the Perth Arena on Wed., March 21, to take on the Blue Wings for Game 2 of the best of seven CCHL2 semifinals. The Blue Wings took Game 1 by a score of 5-2 and looked to build on that momentum. The Vikings looked to regroup after the embarrassing loss at home.

The Blue Wings continued where they left off in Game 1 opening the scoring at 2:54 of the first period as Nathan MacKechnie scored from Marc Andre LeBlanc to take a 1-0 lead. The Blue Wings made it 2-0 at 7:37 as Mack Miller scored from Matt Knight Bedour and 3-0 at 10:55 when Miller scored his second.

The Blue Wings made it a 4-0 game when Colin Baggio scored from Joey Laird at 15:37 on the power play. Ex-Viking Tyler Somers put it to his old team scoring a power-play goal at 16:18 from Jordan Currie and Laird.

The Vikings finally got on the scoreboard when Brendan Doherty pounded one to the back of the net from Isaac Lavallee and Sebastien Plante with just 43 seconds remaining in the opening frame. The Blue Wings took a convincing 5-1 lead into the first intermission.

The Blue Wings scored the lone goal of the second period as Laird scored from Baggio and Somers on the power play at 18:04 and took a 6-1 lead into the second intermission. The Blue Wings continued to score at will as Laird scored his second of the game just 1:59 into the third period to make it 7-1.

The Vikings added a short-handed goal as Ethan Wensink snuck one home from Sean David and Kyle Millett at 11:22. Despite outshooting the Blue Wings 35-28, the Vikings took their second loss of the series as they headed home for Game 3.

Suffering the loss in the Vikings’ goal was Nick Campbell making five saves on eight shots and was replaced by Zachary Paputsakis who made 16 saves on 20 shots. Picking up the win in the Blue Wings’ goal was Jonathan Peacock making 33 saves on 35 shots.

Up next: Game 6: Wed., March 28, 8 p.m., Vikings vs. Blue Wings, Perth and District Arena; if necessary for Game 7: Thurs., March 29, at 8 p.m., Vikings vs. Blue Wings, J. R. Brisson Complex.