After losing Game 4 of their first-round series against the Newfoundland Growlers, the Trois-Rivières Lions will face elimination on Saturday. The inaugural season of the Montreal Canadiens’ farm club in the ECHL is at stake, but the contribution of the fans could change the situation.
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The playoff format is a bit different in this league, so the Lions will be playing a third straight game at Colisée Videotron. If they win, Éric Bélanger’s men should return to the Maritimes for the sixth and seventh (if necessary) games.
The visitors took a 3-1 series lead with a 5-2 win on Thursday night. Trois-Rivières gave no sign of life until the start of the third period. Don’t underestimate this team, which will play with the energy of desperation, said Growlers head coach Kyle Wellwood.
“They pushed hard in the first five minutes of the engagement. We knew it would come. You play against a good hockey team, they have this ability to come from behind. My message was to press the accelerator, ”said the former National Hockey League player at a press conference after the meeting.
“We have to expect a reaction from them, with their season on the line. They will have the fans behind them, it will be loud on Saturday night. We have to focus on our game, stay aggressive and gain the upper hand as quickly as possible,” forward Ryan Chyzowski said on Friday.
Who will stand up?
The formation of the Mauricie will need another magic trick to hope for a victory. On Tuesday, a hat trick from Anthony Nellis gave the Lions a 3-2 win. It was the only moment of celebration, as the Growlers emerged victorious in the other three games.
Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers is having a tough playoff run, allowing 18 goals in just four games. The Lions have only found the back of the net 11 times.
Trois-Rivières and Terre-Neuve are teams that know each other very well. In the regular season, they crossed swords 14 times, and it was the Growlers who prevailed with 10 wins. The Lions will have to dig deep to snatch an extra game.