Eagles Top Sags 8-5, Move To Third Round For First Time Since 2007
NOTES FROM THE GAME
– Jacob Newcombe set a new Eagles record for points in a playoff game with six as the Cape Breton Eagles topped the Chicoutimi Saguenéens 8-5 to sweep their second round playoff series 4-0. With the win, the Eagles move on to the third round of the QMJHL playoffs for the first time since 2007.
– Cam Squires scored twice and added three assists, Cam MacDonald scored and added two assists, Tomas Cibulka added two assists while Xavier Daigle, Lucas Romeo, and Angelo Fullerton also scored in the win.
– Nicolas Ruccia picked up the win, stopping 27 of 32 shots. Raphaël Précourt took the loss coming in in relief, stopping 17 of 20 shots. Rémi Delafontaine was pulled after allowing four goals on 14 shots.
– With the Chicoutimi loss, it marked the end of the QMJHL careers of 20 year old players Jonathan Desrosiers, Craig Armstrong, and Alexis Morin.
– The Eagles will play either Baie-Comeau, Victoriaville, or Rouyn-Noranda in the third round of the playoffs. Should Drummondville eliminate Sherbrooke (Drummondville leads the series 3-1), the Eagles will play Baie-Comeau. Should Sherbrooke come back to win the series, the Eagles will play the winner of Victoriaville/Rouyn-Noranda (currently led 3-1 by Victoriaville).
The Eagles started fast, with Newcombe’s opening goal coming just 27 seconds in and Squires adding to the lead before the four minute mark. But the Sags were not going to be eliminated as easily, as some crashing the net paid off as Emmanuel Vermette pushed their first goal over the line.
Newcombe found his second of the night on the power play- converting on the only man advantage either team would have the entire game. Émile Guité countered for Chicoutimi, cutting the margin to 3-2 before the first siren.
Jacob Lafontaine scored for Chicoutimi at the 2:11 mark of the second stanza, making it a 3-3 game and marking the first time in the series were not in the lead after the first period. The tie game didn’t last long, however- the Eagles would blow the scoring open with four goals before period’s end.
It started with the Daigle marker, as he deked through the Sags, slid it under Delafontaine’s pad to give the Eagles the edge. The goal spelled the end of the night for Delafontaine.
Three minutes later, Précourt was welcomed to the game by a MacDonald blast from the right circle as the Eagles re-established a two goal cushion. The next goal saw Newcombe set the record, as a three way passing play finished with Squires scoring from the right wing.
The Eagles top line had been for all six of the Eagles’ first six goals. The streak came to an end when Romeo raced in on a breakaway to beat Précourt and push the lead to 7-3.
Chicoutimi would again show pushback in the third period. Nathan Lecompte lifted the puck over Ruccia at the 8:24 mark, and then after a mid-period flurry, Maxim Massé cashed in from the side of the net at 16:04 with Précourt on the bench for an extra attacker. Chicoutimi coach Yannick Jean would lift Précourt again in the final three minutes, but this time it was the Eagles that found the back of the net, with Fullerton’s goal sealing the game and the series.
The Eagles will begin the third round of the QMJHL playoffs on the road. Playoff tickets for the games scheduled for Centre 200 will go on sale Thursday morning at 11AM at the Centre 200 box office and also online at ticketmaster.ca Fans are asked to stay tuned to all Cape Breton Eagles social media channels and capebretoneagles.com for information regarding scheduling for the upcoming series.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Jacob Newcombe (Cape Breton) 2 goals, 4 assists, +4
2. Cam Squires (Cape Breton) 2 goals, 3 assists. +5
3. Alex Huang (Chiocutimi) 1 assist
Scratches For Cape Breton: Jude Campbell (injury), Noah Larochelle (injury), Etienne Desjardins
Scratches For Chicoutimi: Loïc Usereau (illness), Jérémy D’Astous, Marek Beaudoin
Shots On Goal: 35-32
Cape Breton Power Play: 1/1
Chicoutimi Power Play: 0/0