The second-seeded Durham Roadrunners are headed to the South Division Final after a commanding three-game sweep of the third-seeded Niagara Predators.

While the regular season series between these teams was evenly split, the playoffs told a different story. Durham controlled possession, outshot Niagara consistently, and received elite goaltending at key moments. The Roadrunners now move on to face the top-seeded Northumberland Stars in what promises to be a heavyweight South Division Final.

Game 1: Durham 4, Niagara 2

Durham opened the series on the road at Meridian Credit Union Arena and immediately established control.

Period 1

Ilya Vlasenko opened the scoring midway through the frame, and Daniil Tyurikov followed just over a minute later to give Durham a 2-0 lead. Shane Kaplan responded for Niagara to keep it close after one.

Period 2

Durham’s power play made the difference. Marquise Brown struck with the man advantage early in the period, and Vlasenko added his second of the night to extend the lead to 4-1.

The middle frame ended in chaos for Niagara, with Thomas McGrath assessed multiple penalties and a game misconduct — a momentum shift that Durham capitalized on fully.

Period 3

Charlie Blackned cut into the deficit, but Yaroslav Gurenkov shut the door from there, turning aside 38 of 40 shots.

Three Stars

1st Star: Yaroslav Gurenkov – 38 saves, .950 SV%
2nd Star: Nicolas Guy – 44 saves
3rd Star: Ilya Vlasenko – 2G

Durham left Niagara with a 1-0 series lead and full momentum.

Game 2: Durham 6, Niagara 2

Back home at Iroquois Park Sports Centre, Durham turned up the offensive pressure.

Period 1

Tyurikov struck early before Alex Ness answered to keep the game tied after one.

Period 2

The RoadRunners broke it wide open. Jesse Aitken scored on the power play, German Gerasimov followed, and Yenri Jibb buried another just 29 seconds later. Pavel Tuniy added to the surge, capping a four-goal second period that flipped the game decisively.

Period 3

Ivan Ponomarev sealed the win late as Durham outshot Niagara 51-28.

Leonid Putilov stopped 26 of 28 shots in a composed performance.

Three Stars

1st Star: Yenri Jibb – 1G, 2A
2nd Star: Leonid Putilov – 26 saves, .929 SV%
3rd Star: Ivan Ponomarev – 1G, 1A

Durham’s depth scoring was overwhelming.

Game 3: Durham 8, Niagara 1

With a chance to close out the series at the McKinney Centre, the Roadrunners delivered their most complete performance.

Period 1

Yenri Jibb opened the scoring before German Gerasimov and Ilya Vlasenko extended the lead to 3-0.

Period 2

Durham exploded. Waylon Morris, Timofei Ergardt, Jibb again, and Marquise Brown all found the back of the net in a four-goal frame.

Period 3

Robert Young added a power-play goal before Niagara finally broke through with a late marker from Nick Savoie.

Timofei Ergardt was everywhere, finishing with four points, while Jesse Aitken quietly recorded three assists.

Durham outshot Niagara 46-34 and never allowed the game to feel competitive.

Three Stars

1st Star: Timofei Ergardt – 1G, 3A
2nd Star: Yenri Jibb – 2G, 1A
3rd Star: Yaroslav Gurenkov – 22 saves

Goaltending Battle

Durham rotated effectively between Gurenkov and Putilov, both delivering strong performances. Gurenkov was particularly sharp in the opener and finished the series allowing just two goals across his appearances.

Niagara’s Nicolas Guy faced relentless shot volume throughout the series, stopping 44 in Game 1 and 45 in Game 2. Despite strong individual efforts, the defensive gaps in front of him proved too costly.

Key Performances

• Yenri Jibb – 3G, 3A across Games 2 and 3

• Timofei Ergardt – 4-point Game 3

• Ilya Vlasenko – 2G in Game 1

• Jesse Aitken – Multiple multi-point games

• Yaroslav Gurenkov – Game 1 difference-maker

Durham’s balanced attack featured contributions up and down the lineup. No single line carried the load — waves of pressure did.

Series MVP

Yenri Jibb – Durham

Jibb was the offensive catalyst in the final two games, producing six points and consistently driving play in transition. His ability to generate offense at key moments and contribute on special teams makes him the clear Series MVP.

Implications

Durham sends a message with this sweep. The Roadrunners controlled tempo, dictated physical play, and displayed depth scoring that will challenge any opponent.

They now advance to face Northumberland in a South Division Final that features two teams who have yet to lose this playoffs.

The South Division championship will be decided by two red-hot clubs — and neither has blinked yet.