The Trois-Rivières Lions (affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens) were unable to properly celebrate the legacy of the 1955 Lions, falling 3–1 to the Adirondack Thunder (New Jersey Devils) on Saturday afternoon at Colisée Vidéotron.
The game quickly ramped up in intensity, with 12 minutes in penalties handed out during the opening period. Several scrums broke out in front of both goaltenders, but despite the physical play, neither team managed to find the scoresheet in the first frame.
The Thunder opened the scoring early in the second period, as Alex Campbell capitalized at the end of a penalty to Cédric Desruisseaux to give the visitors the lead.
The Lions responded three minutes later. Joel Teasdale fired a quick shot past the goaltender to score his eighth goal of the season, reclaiming his spot as the organization’s leading goal scorer. Anthony Beauregard and Riley Kidney picked up assists on the play.
Late in the second period, Brannon McManus showcased why he is one of Adirondack’s most dangerous forwards, scoring his 15th goal and 32nd point of the season to send the Thunder into the second intermission with the lead.
In the third period, Grant Loven sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal, his seventh of the campaign, securing the Thunder’s 3–1 victory.
The game was also highlighted by the presence of Léon Rochefort, a former member of the 1955 Lions, who attended the matchup and took part in the ceremonial faceoff. A native of Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Rochefort played over 80 games at the Trois-Rivières Colisée and won the Stanley Cup twice with the Montreal Canadiens.
The two teams will meet again on Sunday at 3 p.m. as part of Family Sunday. Children’s tickets are available for $6, while youth tickets are priced at $11. Tickets can be purchased at lions3r.com or by contacting a sales representative at 819-519-1634, extension 200.
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