Gabe Smith Leads Moncton Wildcats Into Game 5 Tied 2-2

The moncton wildcats reached Friday night tied 2-2 with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada after four playoff games. Game 5 at the Avenir Centre carried more than 8,000 fans into a series that had already split cleanly down the middle.

Gabe Smith's playoff pace

Gabe Smith led the Q with 22 points in 12 playoff games and had 7 points against the Armada entering Game 5. He also set a Wildcats record with a late goal in Game 4, then became the first Wildcat to score in six straight playoff games.

That run pushed him past Adam Pineault's 2006 mark of five straight playoff games with a goal. Smith's scoring touch has given Moncton a steady edge in a series where neither club has been able to separate for long.

Desnoyers and the playoff record

Caleb Desnoyers entered the same night with 47 all-time Wildcats playoff points after passing Conor Garland earlier in the playoffs. He also had 5 points in the round, including 3 goals and 2 assists, which kept Moncton's top end in step with the pace at the Avenir Centre.

Tommy Bleyl added one goal and five assists in Round 3, giving the Wildcats another scoring layer behind Smith and Desnoyers. On the other side, Mael Lavigne had 4 of the Armada's 12 goals in the semifinal, while Justin Carbonneau had 18 playoff points, including 7 goals and 11 assists.

Goalies shape Game 5

Rudy Guimond went through the first four games against Blainville-Boisbriand with 2 wins, a 2.36 goals-against average and a.915 save percentage. William Lacelle answered with 2 wins for the Armada, along with a 2.93 goals-against average and a.898 save percentage against Moncton.

Friday's crowd and the split series left the pressure exact and immediate. The winner of Game 5 would move ahead with one more chance to control the series, and Moncton had the more productive playoff scorer on the ice in Smith while the standings board started even at 2-2.