Lions now left with no margin for error

Trois-Rivières, April 12, 2024 – (Montreal Canadiens affiliate) Lions de Trois-Rivières have now made things all-the-more difficult for themselves if they aspire to postseason play: Friday night’s 3-2 loss to the (New York Islanders affiliate) Worcester Railers means the Lions no longer have any margin for error, needing to win their final two games of the regular season against the Railers, or get help from the Adirondack Thunder, who must defeat the Maine Mariners over the weekend.

Both teams realized what was at stake going into the game, and this was shown by the teams’ high intensity level. Trois-Rivières was first to light up the scoreboard, with new addition Jonathan Yantsis scoring his first professional goal. The Railers, however, responded with a goal of their own seven minutes later to tie the game at 1-1 heading into the first intermission.

The teams started the second period right where they left off after the first 20 minutes of play, and the Lions once again took the lead off a superb shot from Miguël Tourigny. But yet again Worcester responded, this time four minutes later, with a power play goal.

The Railers took their first lead of the game at the 9:41 mark of the third period, and never looked back, registering a 3-2 victory.

The teams will square off Saturday afternoon for the second game of their three-game series at Colisée Vidéotron. Puck drop is at 3:00 p.m.

3 stars:

1st star: Henrik Tikkanen, Worcester Railers

2nd star: Justin Ducharme, Lions de Trois-Rivières

3rd star: Jonathan Yantsis, Lions de Trois-Rivières