Wildcats are one win away

The Moncton Wildcats are one win away from their first QMJHL championship since 2010.

After scoring the double overtime winner in Game 2 on Sunday, Vincent Collard followed that up with a four-goal performance to lead the Wildcats to a 6-4 win over the Rimouski Oceanic on Wednesday. The Wildcats now own a commanding 3-0 series lead heading into Thursday's Game 4.

Rimouski controlled the play in the first period and yet it was the Wildcats who led 2-0 after one. The Oceanic tied it up in the second, but a couple late period goals by Moncton got momentum back in the visitor's favour – and it stayed that way.

Special teams have been a big story in this series. Moncton went 2/3 on the man advantage while Rimouski finally broke through, going 1/4.

It wasn't a perfect game from the Wildcats, but it got the job done. Now they're one win away from their third QMJHL championship.

This was the Oceanic's first home loss of the playoffs, falling to 9-1. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are 15-1 overall.

A few other Wednesday notes...

• Former Saint John Sea Dogs captain Eriks Mateiko had seven shots and was a -1 in the Oceanic's loss.
• In the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs, Joshua Roy had an assist and two shots in the Laval Rocket's 5-4 win over the Rochester Americans. The Rocket lead the best-of-five series 1-0.
• Nicolas Guay scored and Vincent Sevigny had an assist in the Trois-Rivieres Lions' 6-3 victory over the Norfolk Admirals on Tuesday, winning the second round playoff series in six games. Trois-Rivieres will now play the three-time defending ECHL champion Florida Everblades in the Eastern Conference final, which begins Saturday.

  NICOLAS GUAYYYY!!💯
  
  4-3🦁#district553r @ECHL pic.twitter.com/QrwLmok9wx

  — xy - Lions de Trois-Rivières (@Lions3r) May 14, 2025

• The ECHL's Western Conference final will feature the Kansas City Mavericks taking on the Toledo Walleye.
• The Edmundston Blizzard had their season come to an end on Tuesday night, falling 8-2 to the host Calgary Canucks at the Centennial Cup. The Blizzard finish preliminary round play with a 2-2 record, placing them fourth in Group B and unable to advance to the elimination round.