TROIS-RIVIÈRES – (Montreal Canadiens affiliate) Lions de Trois-Rivières play the final three games of their regular season when they go up against the (Pittsburgh Penguins affiliate) Wheeling Nailers at Colisée Vidéotron. The three-game series represents the Nailers' first-ever visit to Trois-Rivières.
Players to watch for the Lions de Trois-Rivières:
- #86 Jakov Novak: The forward has been going through a dry spell of late since returning to the Lions, scoring only once in seven games and totaling just four points. Despite the cold streak, however, he remains the Lions' third-best scorer with 53 points in 50 games.
- #7 Kyle Havlena: The new addition will be playing his first game at Colisée Vidéotron wearing a Lions’ jersey. Although he has yet to get his name on the scoresheet, he has earned the trust of Coach Choules, having seen time on both the power play and penalty kill units.
- #6 Jacob Paquette: Although not necessarily the most flamboyant of defencemen, he is Mr. Reliable in his own zone. He’s consistently been able to neutralize most of the oppositions’ scoring chances.
Players to watch for the Wheeling Nailers:
- #37 Kyle Jackson: With Matty De St. Phalle having been recalled, the forward becomes the Nailers top scorer among active players this season with 51 points in 64 games. He’s averaging one point per game against the Lions this season, with three points in three games.
- #22 Matthew Quercia: The rugged forward is the Nailers’ Swiss Army knife. He has 18-11-29 totals in 66 games this season, while also ranking third in the ECHL is penalty minutes with 183.
- #33 Taylor Gauthier: The goaltender is making his presence felt this season with the Nailers. He has 17 wins in 29 starts, posting a 2.06 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. He lost his only encounter against the Lions this year but conceded only one goal in that defeat.
Following Friday’s game, the Lions and Nailers will play the second and third games of their three-game series on Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon to close out the ECHL’s regular season.
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