Eagles Win Game For The Ages To Stay Alive In Five Overtimes
NOTES FROM THE GAME
– Angelo Fullerton’s goal at 1:42 of the fifth overtime ended the second longest game in QMJHL history as the Cape Breton Eagles topped the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 3-2. The game was the longest in the history of either franchise.
– There were three disallowed goals in overtime, with Baie-Comeau goals getting called back in the second & fourth overtime, and a Cape Breton goal in the third overtime.
– Xavier Daigle scored and added an assist for the Eagles, while Lucas Romeo scored the tying goal in the third period for the Eagles.
– Jakub Milota stopped 84 of 86 shots, the second most saves in QMJHL history in picking up the win. Lucas Beckman stopped 54 of 57 shots in the loss.
– Joey Henneberry was given a game misconduct for checking to the head in the first period, following a video review.
Daigle opened the scoring with a power play marker in the left circle with a shot that beat Beckman in the top corner. The Eagles had a chance to extend the lead when Evan Bellamy was given a double minor for high sticking late in the period, but the power play was wiped out after the Henneberry major. In the four on four sequence, Baie-Comeau tied the game when Matyas Melovsky skated up the right wing and ripped a shot by Milota.
Period two saw Baie-Comeau equalize, as Raoul Boilard scored on a sharp angle. The Drakkar took a 2-1 lead into the third period before the Romeo equalizer, scored from a similar location as the Daigle goal. And it was the last goal scored for a long time in the game.
The Drakkar outshot the Eagles in each of the first four overtimes, and thought Jules Boilard had won the game in the second overtime when it was ruled he’d interferred with Milota. A similar call went against the Eagles in the third overtime, when a Lewis Gendron goal was overturned. In both cases, the would be winning team poured on the ice in celebration, and in the case of the second overtime disallowed goal, Eagles players were dejected on the ice, consoling each other after a would be defeat.
The review on the would be winner from Justin Gendron in the fourth overtime did not take long- it was ruled that the play should have been stopped earlier in the sequence after the puck had gone out of play.
After four full overtime periods without a goal, it actually wouldn’t take long to get a winner in the eighth(!) period. Tomas Lavoie found Fullerton streaking through the middle of the ice, and he raced in on a breakaway deking by Beckman to end the marathon, to an enthusiastic response to the many remaining fans from a big crowd at Centre 200.
The Eagles will look to tie the series in game six when it shifts to Baie-Comeau on Monday night! Puck drop is at 8 PM . The game is available for purchase on https://shorturl.at/YvFCi and you can also hear all the action on 1270 AM CJCB or online at www.cjcbradio.com
THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Jakub Milota (Cape Breton) 84 saves on 86 shots
2. Xavier Daigle (Cape Breton) 1 goal, 1 assist
3. Lucas Beckman (Baie-Comeau) 54 saves on 56 shots
Scratches For Cape Breton: Nathan Plouffe (injury), Logan Quinn, Carson Griffin, Loic Mburanumwe
Scratches For Baie-Comeau: Alexis Bernier (injury), Justin Poirier (injury), Alexis Michaud (injury), Drew Allison (injury), Mattias Gilbert (injury)
Final Shots On Goal: 86-57 in favour of Baie-Comeau
Cape Breton Power Play: 1/4
Baie-Comeau Power Play: 0/3
