It’s the second EHL championship the 87’s won in four seasons, and they are the second team to sweep the Frozen Finals at the EHL and EHLP levels.

Troy Mulholland scored the game-tying goal in the third period and Florentin Fally-Puskàs made 34 saves in the championship-clinching win. Alexander Legkov, while held off the scoresheet in Game Three, was named Most Valuable Player for tying an EHL record with 22 points in a single postseason.

Immediately following the game, McFarlane tried to collect his thoughts and describe the feeling of scoring an overtime goal to win the Frozen Finals.

“It was pretty surreal, actually, I blacked out. Once I got the puck in the slot, I just looked and saw a little space there and just fired it and it went in,” McFarlane said. “I didn’t even know what to do, I just threw everything and it was insane to be honest.”

87’s Head Coach Adam Houli spoke about the championship win and reflected on the matchup against the Avalanche and their coach, Chris Cerrella.

“There’s really not much more you can say, it was one of the best series I’ve ever been a part of, just three really impressive games,” Houli said. “Chris is one of the best coaches this league has had and will ever have. I know how hard he works, we both battled each other and it was rewarding.”

Danny Storella put the Avalanche up 1-0 with 11 seconds left in the first period. Ben Carfora had the puck in the corner with several defenders draped all over him, but he managed to sling a pass right to Storella who was alone in front of the net, as he slipped a shot by Fally-Puskàs for his eighth goal of the postseason.

New Jersey had multiple Grade-A chances throughout the first and second periods, but were unsuccessful as New Hampshire goaltender Alex Gerard stood on his head with a 38-save effort in Game Three. In the first period, Dominic Bertolino took a whack at a loose puck in the crease, and Gerard reached out to make an incredible stick save at the goal line.

He made another save in the second period during a four-on-three power play for the 87’s. The New Jersey skaters moved the puck around the offensive zone and worked it to Legkov for a wide-open shot just above the hash marks, but Gerard flashed the leather for a brilliant glove stop.

The 87’s finally broke through and tied the game on a pretty passing play that resulted in Mulholland’s first playoff goal. Bertolino entered the zone and made a drop pass to Daniel Cardozo, and he slid a pass to the middle for Mulholland as he lifted a shot over the glove of Gerard.

The score held for the remainder of regulation, sending the game to overtime. Both teams had a handful of scoring chances in OT, including one for Avs forward Cory Alissi. As he drove to the net, he redirected a pass and tried to sneak the puck five hole, but Fally-Puskàs closed the pads to make the save.

Just as the game reached the midway point of overtime, Nikita Sobolev chipped the puck out of the 87’s zone to start a three-on-two rush. Dominic Bertolino slid a pass to Tyler Chafe on the left side, and he dropped it to McFarlane as he ripped a shot under the blocker of Gerard for his second goal of the postseason.

McFarlane talked about his linemates and their ability to set up the overtime-winning goal.

“Bertolino is just a quick and smart player. You can fire the puck and he makes great plays. Sobolev is a really good two-way center and I knew if I could go to the right areas of the ice, they’ll find me,” he said.

He, along with Cardozo, J.D. Shoniker and Dale Campbell started the season together on a different team and joined the 87’s at different points of the year. 

“It’s been nuts, switching teams, switching leagues, it’s been an insane ride with those guys. I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else, those are some of my best friends,” McFarlane added.

Houli credited the depth of his team managed to generate offense while their top two scorers, Legkov and Landon Adams, were held without a point.

“Our top line got us here, there’s no doubt about that. For them to be held off the scoresheet and we have role players go in and get that, it was just something else,” Houli said. “The depth of the team truly carried us the entire season. We have some big hitters, sure, but at the end of the day, shift after shift and wave after wave, you have to defend us, and it’s a difficult thing to do.”

This was the third consecutive playoff matchup in which the 87’s lost the first game in a best-of-three series and came back to win two straight. 

Aidan Lasky, captain of the 87’s, spoke about the team’s resilience and their ability to bounce back after losses throughout the postseason.

“I’ve been saying the whole series, one thing I’ve learned from this team is that we were never out of the fight. Being on the bench and knowing when the tide changed, I just knew we were going to take it. Everyone in the group just kept on going and gave it their all, and I’m nothing but proud of them,” Lasky said.

The 87’s Premier team won their championship on Friday, and forward Tyler Gearman spoke about the effect that had on the EHL team prior to their Game Two and Game Three matchups.

“They’ve been a great group of guys, we see them every day walking into the rink, and we were cheering each other on. I wasn’t out there when I saw their OT goal, but I can definitely hear and feel the celebration, and it just made me want to out there and push even harder.”

This is the second time the 87’s have won an EHL championship, with their first one coming in 2022. Combined with the 87’s three EHLP titles, the organization now has five championships over the last five seasons.