Eagles Open Final Weekend, Play Back To Back In Saint John
One team battling for the final playoff spot- another battling for the final home ice playoff spot- will clash in a pivotal game tonight in Saint John as the final weekend of the QMJHL regular season begins.
For the Eagles, this back to back set in Saint John concludes a three game road swing which started with a loss in Halifax on Sunday. (Between games, the Eagles held their annual awards banquet this past Tuesday- a ceremony that saw Tomas Lavoie & Jacob Newcombe share the MVP award.) The Eagles know that next weekend they will take on the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the opening round of the playoffs, but which team has home ice is yet to be determined.
The Eagles will need some help if they want to start at home. Heading into this weekend, the Eagles are two points behind Baie-Comeau, and the Drakkar hold the tiebreaker by virtue of more regulation/overtime wins. So Cape Breton will need to earn three more points than Baie-Comeau this weekend to finish fourth. (This means the Eagles need at least a win and an extra time loss, and Baie-Comeau must lose both games.This weekend Baie-Comeau takes on a strong Chicoutimi club in a home and home series, however, the Sags may not be as desperate for a win with their place in the standings already determined.)
The stakes are much more urgent for Saint John- they trail the Gatineau Olympiques for the final playoff spot by three points. Saint John does possess the tiebreaker, so just like the Eagles, the Sea Dogs have to out point Gatineau by three points. Gatineau visits last place Victoriaville tonight, and will host Western Conference leading Drummondville on Saturday. Should Saint John qualify for the playoffs, they will meet either Drummondville or Shawinigan in the opening round.
Here’s what else you need to know ahead of tonight’s game!
Venue: TD Station, Saint John, NB
Puck drop: 7 PM AST
Web coverage: https://shorturl.at/csJ0Z
Radio Coverage: 1270 AM CJCB or online at www.cjcbradio.com
Twitter: @cbehockey
Live stats: https://chl.ca/lhjmq-eagles/gamecentre/31361/
| CAPE BRETON |
SAINT JOHN | |
| 5th Eastern Conference, 32-23-4-3 (Away: 14-11-3-2) | RECORD | 10th Eastern Conference, 21-41-0-0 (Home: 12-18-0-0) |
|
0-1-0-0
|
CURRENT STREAK | 0-2-0-0 |
| 203GF/191GA | GOALS FOR/GOALS AGAINST | 150GF/253GA |
| 4-0-1-1 | SEASON SERIES | 2-4-0-0 |
| Sunday, Cape Breton 3 @ Halifax 5 | LAST GAME RESULT | Sunday, Saint John 0 @ Charlottetown 4 |
| Cam Squires (71 points in 56 games) | LEADING SCORER | Nate Tivey (39 points in 61 games) |
| 8th, 22.4% Away: 8th, 22.3% | POWER PLAY | 17th, 14.1%, Home: 17th, 14.3% |
| 4th, 82% , Away: 4th, 81.6% | PENALTY KILL | 10th, 77.9% Home: 11th, 79.1% |
| Lewis Gendron, Nathan Plouffe, Logan Quinn, Lucas Romeo | INJURY REPORT (PRIOR GAME) | Egan Beveridge, Dylan Krayer, Darien Reynolds, Mitchell Wagner, William Yared |
