Reading, Pennsylvania, April 21, 2025 – (Montreal Canadiens affiliate) Lions de Trois-Rivières took a 3-0 lead in the North Division semifinals on Monday night, defeating the (Philadelphia Flyers affiliate) Reading Royals 3-2 in dramatic fashion: The winning goal came in the second overtime period after the game-tying goal came at the 19:58 mark of the third period.
Just as was the case in the first two games of the series, the Lions were the first to get on the scoreboard when Nicolas Guay scooped up a loose puck in front of the Royals’ net and beat goaltender Vinnie Purpura at 6:15 of the first period. The Royals then responded in kind when Reading’s Shane Sellar tied the game at 1-1 at 15:17 on a similar looking play.
Reading had several good scoring opportunities in the second period, while the Lions were limited to just five shots on goal. However, neither team was able to find the back of the net and after 40 minutes of play the score remained 1-1.
The 1-1 deadlock lasted deep into the third period, but the stalemate was broken when the Royals’ Mason Primeau scored at 19:00 to give Reading a 2-1 lead. However, the Lions’ Anthony Beauregard pulled a rabbit out of the hat and tied the game at 2-2 at the 19:58 mark, forcing overtime.
The Lions thought they had secured their third win of the series when Tommy Cormier beat the Royals’ Purpura while on the power play, but upon further review it was deemed that Trois-Rivières’ Morgan Adams-Moisan engaged in goaltender interference and the goal was disallowed. The first overtime period therefore solved nothing in terms of deciding a winner, so it was off to a second overtime period.
The second overtime saw the Lions’ Andrew Coxhead – who had returned to the Trois-Rivières lineup – play the role of hero when he scored the winning goal at 4:44.
The two teams meet again on Wednesday for Game 4 of the series and then Thursday for Game 5 (if necessary), with both games held at Santander Arena in Reading.
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