2026 GMHL Playoff Series Recap: North #4 Pirates Vs. #5 Railers

The fourth-seeded Ville-Marie Pirates are moving on.

In a fast-paced, offense-heavy series, the Pirates defeated the fifth-seeded Tottenham Railers in two straight games, taking Game 1 by a 5-4 score in Tottenham before finishing the job with a 7-4 win on home ice in Ville-Marie. With the sweep, the Pirates now advance to the North Division Demi-Final.

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Game 1: Ville-Marie 5, Tottenham 4

Ville-Marie jumped out early and held off a late Railers push to steal Game 1 on the road at the Tottenham Community & Fitness Centre.

Period 1

Jacob Robert took over immediately, scoring twice in the opening eight minutes before completing a natural hat trick short-handed at 11:21. In just over five minutes of game time, the Pirates had built a 3-0 lead and stunned the home crowd.

Period 2

Tottenham responded behind Rookie of the Year Tristan Lavoie, who scored twice to cut the deficit to one. The Railers controlled stretches of the middle frame and carried momentum into the third.

Period 3

Ville-Marie answered quickly. Mathis Bernard restored a two-goal cushion just 18 seconds into the period, and Cooper Brazeau extended the lead minutes later. Tottenham pushed back late with goals from Artsiom Bialiayev and Daniil Tokarev, but the Pirates held on for the 5-4 victory.

Three Stars of the Game

1st Star: Jacob Robert (Ville-Marie) – 3G
2nd Star: Benjamin Nadeau (Ville-Marie) – 35 SV, .897 SV%
3rd Star: Mathis Laverdure (Ville-Marie) – 3A

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Game 2: Ville-Marie 7, Tottenham 4

Back home at Ville-Marie Arena, the Pirates delivered another offensive surge to complete the sweep.

Period 1

Mathias Carbonneau Larouche opened the scoring, and a late power-play goal from William Roussel gave the Pirates a 2-0 edge heading into the second.

Period 2

William Arsenault took over. He scored on the power play early and added another later in the frame. Tottenham kept things tight with goals from Nicolas Eastwood, Felix-Antoine Huard (short-handed), and Matvei Novik, but Ville-Marie maintained the lead entering the third.

Period 3

Mathis Laverdure and Arsenault struck again to stretch the advantage, and Maxence Albert sealed it with an unassisted marker. The closing minutes featured multiple misconducts and roughing penalties as tensions boiled over, but the Pirates skated away with a 7-4 win and the series.

Three Stars of the Game

1st Star: William Arsenault (Ville-Marie) – 3G, 1A
2nd Star: Maxence Albert (Ville-Marie) – 1G, 3A
3rd Star: Benjamin Nadeau (Ville-Marie) – 35 SV, .897 SV%

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Goaltending Battle

Benjamin Nadeau was steady across both contests, stopping 70 of 78 shots in the series. While the Railers generated offense in waves, Nadeau delivered timely saves in key moments to preserve Ville-Marie’s early leads.

Anton Nikulin faced heavy workloads in both games, turning aside 92 shots across the series. Despite strong stretches — including a 45-save effort in Game 1 — the volume of chances ultimately proved overwhelming.

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Key Performances

Jacob Robert (Ville-Marie): Hat trick in Game 1
William Arsenault (Ville-Marie): 3G, 1A in Game 2
Maxence Albert (Ville-Marie): 4-point performance in Game 2
Mathis Laverdure (Ville-Marie): 4 assists across the series
Tristan Lavoie (Tottenham): 2G in Game 1
Benjamin Nadeau (Ville-Marie): 70 saves in the series

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Implications

Ville-Marie’s depth and offensive pressure were the difference. Outshooting Tottenham 104-78 across two games, the Pirates consistently tilted the ice and capitalized on special teams opportunities.

For Tottenham, the season comes to a close after a competitive campaign. Despite flashes of offensive firepower and strong individual efforts, they were unable to slow down Ville-Marie’s attack.

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What’s Next?

The Pirates now advance to the North Division Demi-Final, where they will face the top-seeded Wasaga River Dragons in a best-of-five series.

Wasaga finished first in the North Division and enters the matchup as the favorite, but Ville-Marie’s high-powered offense and momentum from this sweep will make them a dangerous opponent.

A full series preview will follow, breaking down the key matchups as the Pirates attempt to upset the division’s top seed.