Oceanic send series to a Game 6

Embed from Getty Images

 

MONCTON – We have a series.

The Rimouski Oceanic forced a Game 6 in the Gilles-Courteau Trophy final with a 3-1 victory over the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday at Avenir Centre. The Oceanic now trail the Wildcats 3-2 after Moncton won the first three games of the series.

Game 6 will take place Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. Atlantic in Rimouski. If a Game 7 is needed, it would be the next night back in Moncton.

A sold out Avenir Centre was hoping for a party but it was anything but. Moncton never led in this game and simply couldn't get enough going offensively. The Wildcats outshot the Oceanic 34-23 but struggled to generate quality chances or lengthy stretches of offensive zone pressure.

Rimouski was excellent defensively. It seemed like they were always in perfect position to block shots or intercept passes. When goaltender Mathis Langevin allowed a rebound, the Wildcats were never able to grab the puck first.

The Oceanic look like a team that have adjusted their game plan as the series has gone on – and it's given them new life. The Wildcats, on the other hand, need to try something to solve Rimouski's defensive play.

Langevin was named the game's first star with 33 stops. Jacob Mathieu scored a pair of goals for Rimouski while Maël Lavigne added a single.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs captain Eriks Mateiko had two shots in the win.

Preston Lounsbury scored Moncton's lone goal while Mathis Rousseau made 20 stops in the loss.

The Wildcats have scored just two goals over the past two games.

This was Moncton's first home loss of the post-season, falling to 8-1. They've suffered back-to-back losses in regulation time for the first time all season.

With the Oceanic hosting the Memorial Cup, both teams have already secured spots in the tournament, which begins next Friday with Rimouski taking on the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers. The next day sees the Wildcats facing the OHL champion London Knights.

A few other Saturday night news and notes...

• In the ECHL's Kelly Cup Playoffs, Nicolas Guay had an assist as the Trois-Rivieres Lions defeated the Florida Everblades 1-0 in the opening game of the Eastern Conference final. Vincent Sevigny, meanwhile, had two shots. Game 2 is Sunday evening.
  
• Spencer Smallman had two shots in the Hershey Bears' 2-1 overtime loss to the Charlotte Checkers. The Checkers lead the best-of-five series 2-0 with the next three games (if all are needed) taking place in Hershey.
• There will be a winner-take-all Game 5 in the USHL's Clark Cup final after Brady Peddle and the Waterloo Black Hawks defeated Tynan Lawrence and the Muskegon Lumberjacks 3-2 in overtime. Muskegon forced overtime with a controversial goal that counted at the buzzer. Game 5 will take place Tuesday in Waterloo.

  A BUZZER BEATER IN GAME 4!
  THE XAVIER VEILLEUX AND THE MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS FORCE OVERTIME! 🚨@USHL | @MuskegonJacks#USHL #ClarkCup #ChopChop #GetJACKD pic.twitter.com/0WPTm3xM4x

  — FloHockey (@FloHockey) May 18, 2025