ST. PAUL - It was the theme of the playoff series between the St. Paul Canadiens and the Vermilion Tigers of the NEAJBHL, as Monday night's Game 6 once again required extra periods of play to determine a winner.
Tied 1-1 as the first three periods of play wrapped up, the Canadiens would ultimately win the game in the second overtime, and secure a spot in the league finals.
On Monday night, the Clancy Richard Arena was packed with fans cheering on the Canadiens. Scoring first was the Vermilion Tigers in the first period with a goal courtesy Ryan Nelson, assisted by Ryder Kenyon and Ethan Nelson.
The Canadiens tied the game in the second period with a goal from William Chemago, assisted by Isaak Watters and Louis-David Fournier.
Then the scoring would halt and it would take two overtime periods and a game-winning goal from Canadiens' defenseman Fournier to wrap things up.
Going back to when the series started on March 2, it would require an overtime win for the Canadiens to take the first win of the series, 3-2. The second and third games were the only games of the series that wrapped up in three periods, with the Tigers taking both those wins.
But, the tides turned in Game 4 - a game that required six periods of play before the Canadiens claimed the 5-4 victory on home ice, last Friday. Heading to Vermilion the next day, the Canadiens again battled through three periods and pushed the game to overtime, winning 5-4 once again, and putting themselves in a position to win the series at home just 48 hours later, which they did.
The Killam Memorial Arena played host to the other second-round playoff match-up on Monday night, with last year's league champions, the Wainwright Bisons, winning the game - and also wrapping up the series to claim their spot in the league finals against the Canadiens.
The Canadiens and Bisons met up in last year's league finals, with the Bisons winning the NEAJBHL banner.
Schedule for the NEAJBHL finals:
- March 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Wainwright
- March 19 at 5 p.m. in Wainwright
- March 21 at 8 p.m. in St. Paul
- March 24 at 7:30 p.m. in St. Paul
- March 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Wainwright
- March 28 at 8 p.m. in St. Paul
- March 30 at 8 p.m. in Wainwright
