The record breaking, top seeded Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team have been eliminated from the Queen’s Cup Playoffs by the Concordia University Stingers.
Game one of the second round series saw the Ravens lose 4-3 on home ice in triple overtime as they etched themselves into the history books with the game becoming the longest in OUA playoff history.
Heading into game two of the best of three series, everything was on the line for the Ravens as they travelled to Montreal. Their efforts weren’t enough and they lost 3-1 to the Stingers, crushing the dreams of Canada’s third ranked team having a shot at nationals.
During the regular season Carleton blanked the Stingers in both games thanks to their strong defensive performances, but playoffs, in the eyes of Ravens head coach Shaun Van Allen, can be a different story.
“Playoffs are a whole different animal. The regular season, you throw that out the window when it comes to playoffs, it doesn’t mean anything,” he said.
To make the game even harder, Carleton was heading into the game without three key defencemen, Evan De Haan, Andrew Jarvis and Darian Skeoch, changing the dynamic of the team.
In the first period, both teams went hard to the night to try and find the first goal.
From an offensive standpoint, the Ravens had better opportunities with two power-play advantages and forcing Concordia’s goaltender Kyle Jessiman to make eight saves.
At the other end of the rink, Carleton’s Justin Nichols made six saves to keep the scoreline 0-0 heading into the second.
After the break, both teams came out with more energy and aggression, still looking for that first goal.
In the end, it was the host team who broke the deadlock first when they capitalized on a power play opportunity and Gabriel Bilodeau scored eight minutes into the second period.
The game continued to be a physical affair with referees sending multiple players to the box.
Shots rang out throughout the second period, with Nichols making 21 saves compared to Jessiman’s 13. Near the end of the period, Concordia found another chance to put away a second goal as Jean-Philippe Beaulieu with five minutes left on the clock.
At this point, Carleton still had time to fight back to cut the deficit in half but a second goal from Beaulieu seconds before the period ended made it 3-0, all but solidifying their elimination.
The defensive performance from Concordia impressed Van Allen.
“We had a couple of real good shorter chances in the second period like, like really good [they] just didn’t go in,” he said.
“The goalie played well. Their D [defence] is really strong … and they’re waiting for you to make a mistake and waiting to capitalize on those mistakes.”
Coming into the third, Carleton had to give it their all and Van Allen played all his best attacking players to pound Jessiman.
Eventually, a lucky bounce let Sam Meisenheimer score the lone goal with around six and a half minutes remaining in the third.
As Concordia started slowing down and time ticked away, the Ravens stepped up their game to try and score two goals and force a return to overtime.
With time running out and their national hopes on the line, Van Allen pulled Nichols from net to have six skaters going forward.
The advantage, however, was cut short as Matthew Forchuk was sent to the penalty box with 3:12 left on the clock, letting Concordia pass the puck around without any concern.
More shoving carried out and frustrations rose as the Ravens watched the clock wind down and their elimination become a reality. At the sound of the final buzzer, a packed rink of home fans cheered on as Concordia won the battle.
With the season cut short, the team is already looking ahead to the next one, and using the early elimination as a “learning experience” according to Van Allen.
“We’re proud of how hard our guys [are] working and you know, that’s all you can ask. At the end of the day, they gave [everything] they had.”
“We lost but you know, you’re proud of them and the effort they showed. They never quit working and quit trying to get back in that game [and] that shows the character that they had.”
With files from Craig Petter. Feature image by Tim Austen.
