Montreal Canadiens prospects Jan Mysak and Arber Xhekaj are playing in the Memorial Cup Final tonight. They are facing the host Saint John Sea Dogs in the championship game.
The Sea Dogs had a long layoff before the tournament, losing in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs and then taking 38 days to prepare for the Memorial Cup. As the host team they were guaranteed a spot in the tournament no matter how their season went.
Their season went okay, their playoffs didn’t go well at all but their Memorial Cup has gone great. That includes the final, so far. Saint John scored in the first three minutes of the game to take an early lead and stretched that lead to 2-0 before the game was six minutes old.
The Bulldogs pulled within one before the end of the first period when Mason McTavish tipped in a point shot on a power play. However, the Sea Dogs extended their lead to 4-1 in the second period on goals by William Dufour and Riley Bezeau.
It was looking like an insurmountable lead as the seconds ticked off the clock in the second period. However, a late power play gave the Bulldogs a chance to pull within two before the third period began. And they did just that.
It was Habs prospect Jan Mysak who gave them a little life as he scored with just nine seconds left in the second period to make it 4-2 Sea Dogs after two periods.
Admittedly, it wasn’t the prettiest goal of Mysak’s career, but it could prove to be one of the biggest. He did score the overtime winner in the semifinal on a nice tip in front of the net, but this one was uglier.
Mysak went to the front of the net but the puck was stopped, then bounced off a Sea Dogs defender, then bounced off Mysak and ended up in the Sea Dogs net. It was not how anyone would draw up a play, but it worked and the Hamilton Bulldogs have life as the third period is set to begin in a few minutes.
JAN MYSAK WITH JUST SECONDS LEFT. 🚨#MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/bDGusiEBAv
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 29, 2022
A two goal deficit seems infinitely more likely to overcome in the third period than a three goal deficit. Thanks to Mysak getting to the net, the Bulldogs only need two to tie things up in the third period of the Memorial Cup Final.
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