The St. Paul Junior B Canadiens added three points to league standings and retook eighth place after a win and an overtime loss to the Thorhild Titans in two games before Christmas.
The Canadiens won 7-5 on Dec. 21 in Thorhild, but blew a two point lead in the third at home on Friday night. A sparse but appreciative crowd watched the Canadiens fight the Titans into a second overtime, when Titans scored to take the game 5-4.
Coach Tony Meger and fans expressed disappointment with the result, saying goalie Paul Boulianne was interfered with to permit the puck to pass by.
The game should not have gone to overtime, but Canadiens got nervous and played tentatively, permitting the Titans to tie 4-4 in the final minutes, according to the coach.
“We've got a long way to go," Meger said after Friday's match. Boulianne played his first game since Nov. 4 and earned praise from the coach for a solid performance facing 45 shots.
Justin Funk scored a hat trick and four-year Canadiens' veteran Dustin Ouellette scored one. Mackenzie Trach, Rylan Couch, Jesse Parenteau, Derrick Boulianne and Skyler Giroux helped out with assists.
The team became overconfident with the two-point lead on Friday, said former Dewberry Mustangs' player Anthony Garnier. “We let back a lot, and we shouldn't have. We've got to keep on them."
The Mustangs are at the top of the SaskAlta Senior Hockey League, so coming to a team ranked among the bottom of the Junior B league this season put Garnier in a new role with higher expectations, he said.
“It's good to play your junior while you can," said the 18-year-old, adding he is getting more ice time and wants to stay on with the Canadiens for the next couple years. “We've just got to survive this year and get to next year."
Toward the end of the third, Ouellette took a puck to the face and left the ice for the remainder of the match.
Winning Wednesday's match was a confidence booster for the team, he said after Friday's match, adding that he is seeing improvement with the team. With fresh recruits coming out of the minors, “it should turn around in the next couple seasons," he said.
The Canadiens finally earned its third win of the season two nights prior to Friday's rematch.
“We had three really strong lines," said Meger, adding, having Ouellette in the line-up helped the team a lot. He's a more experienced player, but because he lives and goes to school in Edmonton, he hasn't been able to commit full-time to the Canadiens this season.
Ouellette scored three goals on Wednesday night and had one assist. Other goal scorers included the Canadiens' first goal on Dec. 21 from newly recruited Colby Cardinal and assisted by another new recruit, Joey Stanley. Stanley also assisted in the team's second goal, which was scored by Dylan Loughran.
The third goal came courtesy Ouellette, assisted by Brett Romanovich and Justin Funk. The fourth was scored by Skyler Giroux, assisted by Ouellette, who then scored the fifth goal, assisted by Jordan MacWilliams.
Ouellette kept his streak going by scoring the sixth goal, assisted by Jason Saloman and Funk. Dyson Karbashewski finished off the Canadiens' scoring for the night with a goal assisted by Rylan Couch. Matt Johnson played net for the Canadiens and faced 46 shots.
Canadiens are expecting several injured players to return to the ice by the new year, but former captain Tyler Couch is not expected back this year after receiving a concussion.
