Drakkar, Wildcats heading to Game 7

Blizzard Facebook

The Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Moncton Wildcats have had an excellent first round playoff series - and it's not over yet.

The Drakkar forced a Game 7 with a 4-3 overtime win over the Wildcats on Monday at Avenir Centre. Matyas Melovsky scored just 23 seconds into the extra frame to secure the Drakkar the victory.

It wasn't looking like the game would even need overtime. The Drakkar held a 3-2 lead into the final minute when Vincent Labelle scored from a bad angle to tie things up. The goal came at five-on-five but with Moncton on a penalty kill and their goaltender pulled.

Labelle sends it to OT with a late shortie! https://t.co/UYssA7EM2x pic.twitter.com/paVZfBSbTM

— Moncton Wildcats (@monctonwildcats) April 11, 2023

Earlier in the third period, former Sea Dogs forward Marshall Lessard was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding. Baie-Comeau killed off that penalty though.

This was the fourth game of this series that required overtime.

Game 7 will take place Tuesday night at Avenir Centre. It's the only first round series still going in the QMJHL.

A few other notes...

• Brandon Casey and the Edmundston Blizzard will face Benjamin Roode and the Yarmouth Mariners in the Maritime Hockey League final (a very long distance one at that). The Blizzard completed a sweep of the Summerside Western Capitals on Monday.
• No teams from the 2022 Memorial Cup are still alive in the CHL playoffs. The Hamilton Bulldogs blew a 3-0 lead and fell 5-4 to the Barrie Colts on Monday, dropping the series in six games. The Edmonton Oil Kings missed the WHL post-season while the Sea Dogs and Shawinigan Cataractes were eliminated in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs.
• This was the final Bulldogs game in Hamilton for at least the next three seasons. The Bulldogs will be relocating to Brantford while the FirstOntario Centre undergoes massive renovations.
• The Prince George Cougars have advanced to the second round of the WHL playoffs for the first time since 2007. The Cougars eliminated the Tri-City Americans in six games in the opening round. Former Sea Dogs head coach Josh Dixon is an associate coach with the Cougars.
• Worth nothing as well that the Spokane Chiefs did not make the WHL playoffs. Former Sea Dogs assistant coach Stefan Legein is an associate coach with the Chiefs.