COLE HARBOUR, NS — Monday night in the Wings’ home barn had that playoff-ish intensity from puck drop to final horn. The Chebucto Atlantics came ready, and the Wings answered every bit of the challenge — but in a game decided in the closing minute, Chebucto walked out with a 3–2 victory.

The Wings struck first and set the tone early. #13 Lucas Kelly ripped the opener minutes into the first after a clean transition, finishing off a slick sequence created by #7 Blake Matthews and #8 Lucas Van Dusen. The barn erupted and the Wings held that 1–0 edge for most of the contest, grinding down chances and playing hard-checking hockey.

Just when it looked like the Wings might carry that lead into the third, Chebucto found an answer late in the second period, knotting the game and forcing a tense final frame. The top-half of the third saw Chebucto cash in on the power play to take a 2–1 lead — a punch the Wings felt but didn’t let define them.

They rallied. With the clock winding down and the crowd on its feet, Blake Matthews delivered a gorgeous goal in the final moments to tie it 2–2 — the kind of finish that makes the home barn lose its voice. But hockey’s a game of inches and timing: with just 43 seconds left, Chebucto snatched the go-ahead marker. The Wings scrambled desperately after the puck, but the clock sealed the result.

Final: Chebucto 3 — Wings 2.

Even in defeat, there were standouts. The Player of the Game, sponsored by Trim Landscaping Ltd., was #13 Lucas Kelly — relentless on the forecheck, disciplined on the backcheck, and the spark that lit the Wings’ best moments. His compete-level set the tone all night.

Tough result, but the effort was unmistakable. This squad is playing with heart and will be right in the hunt come crunch time.