NOJHL Playoffs - Royals stun Eskis in OT

Temiscaming Royals forward Andre Leclair charges the Eskis net. Photo courtesy Christian Lebel.

TEMISCAMING, QC – The Abitibi Eskimos were expected to cruise through the first round of the NOJHL playoffs smoothly en route to a much anticipated Eastern Conference battle with the North Bay Jr. A Trappers in round two.

But someone forgot to tell the Temiscaming Royals. After dropping a 6-0 decision Saturday night, the Royals played arguably their best game of the season with a short bench.

Pierrick Picard-Fiset stripped the puck from Felix Boutin at 1:14 of overtime and fed Kelvin Blackned who deked Eddie Davey to his backhand for the game winning goal for a 3-2 victory evening the best-of-seven Eastern
Conference semi-final series at 1-1.

It was the first NOJHL playoff victory for the second year NOJHL club that finished 51 points behind the Eskis in the regular season standings.

While Blackned was the goal scoring hero, goaltender Jim Murray was the savior. After facing 59 shots in the 6-0 shutout, Murray turned his game up another notch stopping 46 shots in the win.

“It was a big sigh of relief; lots of shots,” said the weary Royals goalie from the Philadelphia area.

“It was good to get the win and yesterday we got shut out so it was good to get the win. It’s a really happy feeling, I can’t even describe it right now.”

The game didn’t start all that well for the Royals as the Eskis Michael Robert put the second shot of the game past Murray after he stopped Eskis forward Olivier Morin on a breakaway 39 seconds in.

Andre Leclair quickly replied with a power play marker to even the score at 5:39. The Royals top scorer put the Royals ahead scoring on a rebound from a bad angle 6:26 into the second period.

Both exchanged brilliant stops until Michael Robert was able to solve Murray at 14:10 of the third for his second goal of the game as the two clubs finished 2-2 after regulation.

For Royals head coach Steve McCharles, the win was a relief.

“We will continue to compete, I think the boys are just throwing everything out onto the table and it showed tonight,” he said.

Meantime, Eskis coach Paul Gagne says his club won’t change its game plan despite the series being tied 1-1.
“The only thing we will add is offence and one of the reasons we had problems yesterday and today is the young Murray in net, he’s been outstanding, and I don’t mean, ‘Out standing round,’ he’s been doing his job and we just have to capitalize on our chances.”

The series will shift back for game 3 in Iroquois Falls next Saturday night and the two teams will connect again next Sunday afternoon in Temiscaming.

League MVP Eddie Davey finished with 33 saves in the loss after stopping all 21 shots he faced in the series opener on home ice.

The games three stars were Kelvin Blackned, Jim Murray and Eskis Michael Robert.