The Vikings’ tandem of Carter Malette (27) and Ethan Wensink (2) have been a lethal combination this season. Malette scored a hat trick and Wensink assisted on two of the goals as the Vikings took the game 4-2. The duo play a smash-mouth style of hockey and have combined 38 goals and 43 assists.   Courtesy Lauwers photo

Jeff Moore
Record Staff
CASSELMAN—The Casselman Vikings had just a single game this past weekend.

Vikings 4 Blue Wings 2: The Vikings welcomed the Perth Blue Wings to the J. R. Brisson Complex on Thurs., Dec. 21, in the CCHL2. The Vikings went into the game sitting in first place in the Martin Division and had a chance to go up four points on the Ottawa Canadians with a win. The Blue Wings sat in fifth place in the Richardson Division and were in a battle with the Renfrew Timberwolves for fourth place trailing by just a single point.

The Vikings opened the scoring when Carter Malette slammed one home from Ethan Cahill on the power play at 10:20 of the first period to take a 1-0 lead. Neither team could get one to go for the remainder of the period as the Vikings took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Malette scored his second of the game at 17:06 of the second period as he wrapped one around from behind the net from Brady Cloutier and Ethan Wensink to make it 2-0. The game got a little testy near the end of the period as the Vikings’ Andrew Black dropped the flippers with the Blue Wings’ Tyler Murphy.

The Vikings took the 2-0 lead into the second intermission. The Blue Wings got to within one at 9:51 and knotted the affair at 10:18. The Vikings retook the lead when Malette scored his hat-trick goal at 15:24 by banking it in off the goalie from a near impossible angle from Cloutier and Wensink.

The Blue Wings pulled their goalie in favour of an extra attacker but it was the Vikings’ Captain Sebastien Plante who took advantage of a bad change at the Blue Wings’ bench and he fired into the yawning cage with just 58 seconds remaining. The Vikings held on for the 4-2 victory, moving four points ahead of the Canadians heading into the Christmas Break.

Picking up the win in the Vikings’ goal was Nick Campbell making 26 saves on 28 shots. The Vikings’ Plante extended his point-scoring streak to 21 games. In that span he has accumulated 41 points and leads the league in scoring with 26 goals and 30 assists for 56 points.

Up next: Wed., Jan. 3, 8 p.m., Vikings vs. Tikis, Brockville Memorial Centre, Brockville; Sat., Jan. 6, 7:30 p.m., Vikings vs. Westport Rideaus, Casselman.