2018 TELUS Cup

LEBLANC SCORES TWICE TO GIVE FLYERS FIRST TELUS WIN

CAROLINA KEEN

SUDBURY, Ont. – Patrick LeBlanc had two goals and an assist, leading the Moncton Flyers to their first win at the 2018 TELUS Cup, 5-1 over the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves on Thursday.

The Flyers had the lone goal in a busy first period; off a scramble in front of Alex Vendette, LeBlanc beat the Sudbury goaltender over the pad, putting the Atlantic champions up 1-0.

Both teams were put to the test on the penalty kill in the opening frame; Sudbury kept the Flyers goalless on three chances, while Moncton killed off a 39-second two-man advantage late in the period.

Sudbury had a 17-11 advantage in shots on goal in the second period, but it was the Flyers who scored early and often, counting four times in the middle stanza.

Moncton capitalized in a five-on-three of its own just 62 seconds into the period, with LeBlanc setting up Lukas Cormier to rip a slap shot past Vendette, and LeBlanc buried a Cormier rebound only 1:27 after that for another power-play marker and a 3-0 lead.

Cole Stewart added a fourth Moncton goal at 8:58, hammering in a one-timer off a Cole Cormier set-up.

Brett McGlade got Sudbury on the board just past the 11-minute mark when be knocked the rebound of a Carson McMillan shot upstairs on Moncton netminder Daniel Thompson, but Evan Jackson converted on a two-on-one with Yannic Bastarache to restore the four-goal lead after two periods.

Deric Rivet replaced Vendette early in a scoreless third period, making 11 saves in the final 15 minutes.

Sudbury takes the ice again Thursday night (7 p.m. ET) to take on the Cantonniers de Magog, after Moncton faces off against the Toronto Young Nationals (3:30 p.m. ET) in the middle game of the day.