Eagles Romp Over Sags To Take 3-0 Series Lead
NOTES FROM THE GAME
– Jacob Newcombe’s second period hat trick helped pace the Cape Breton Eagles to a 6-2 victory over the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. With the win, the Eagles take a 3-0 lead over the Sags in their best of seven series.
– Olivier Houde, Charles-Antoine Lavallée, and Émile Ricard (who also added an assist) scored for the Eagles. Tomas Cibulka added three assists while Cole Burbidge added two assists.
– Newcombe is the first player in Eagles history to score three goals in a period in a playoff game.
– Nicolas Ruccia stopped 26 of 28 shots in the win, while Rémi Delafontaine allowed four goals on 14 shots in the loss. Raphaël Précourt stopped 15 of 17 shots in relief in the Chicoutimi goal.
– Thomas Desruisseaux’s goal at the 13:43 mark of the second period snapped Nicolas Ruccia’s club record streak of 167:27 without allowing a goal in playoff action.
The Eagles asserted control early, taking the lead before the five minute mark. Angelo Fullerton skated up the right wing, fanned on a shot, quickly picked up the puck again and fed it to Lavallée who blasted it by Delafontaine to give the Eagles a 1-0 edge. Before the ten minute mark, a Ricard shot from the blueline found its way by Delafontaine as the Eagles took a 2-0 edge into the middle stanza.
Newcombe took over the game in the second period, starting with a goal in the opening two minutes, jamming the puck by Delafontaine after the Chicoutimi keeper had thought he’d had it covered. A review upheld the goal. It was Houde’s marker that spelled the end of the night for Delafontaine, as he tipped a point shot from Ricard through the Chiocutimi keeper to make it a 4-0 advantage for Cape Breton.
Just over two minutes after coming into the game, Precourt was welcomed to the action by a Newcombe power play marker. Newcombe netted another goal on the man advantage in the final minute of the period, although after Desruisseaux’s goal which also came on the power play. The Desruisseaux goal was the first of the series for Chicoutimi.
Jacob Lafontaine also found the back of the net for Chicoutimi in the third period with seven minutes to play, but they were unable to get any closer as the Eagles took a 3-0 series lead with a decisive victory.
The Eagles will look to complete the sweep tomorrow night! Puck drop is 8:30 PM. The game can be watched on Eastlink TV & https://shorturl.at/yzLS0. You can also hear all the action on 1270 AM CJCB or online at www.cjcbradio.com
THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Jacob Newcombe (Cape Breton) 3 goals, 5 shots
2. Tomas Cibulka (Cape Breton) 3 assists
3. Cole Burbidge (Cape Breton) 2 assists
Scratches For Cape Breton: Jude Campbell (injury), Noah Larochelle (injury), Cam MacDonald (illness)
Scratches For Chicoutimi: Loïc Usereau (illness), Jérémy D’Astous, Marek Beaudoin
Shots On Goal: 31-28 in favour of Cape Breton
Cape Breton Power Play: 2/4
Chicoutimi Power Play: 1/6