EAGLES DROP BACKEND OF HOME AND HOME SET
Moncton- No one can question the rivalry between the Screaming Eagles and the Moncton Wildcats.
After combining for 100 minutes in penalties Wednesday in Sydney, the two squads upped the ante by tallying 112 on Friday night in the Hub City. Once again it was the home team emerging victorious as the Eagles fell 5-2 to the Wildcats.
Both clubs traded goals in the first period, with Conor Garland scoring on the power play for the Wildcats and Loïk Léveillé scoring even strength to extend his goal scoring streak to three games. It was knotted at one after twenty minutes.
Moncton opened up a three goal margin during an eventual second period. Adam Holwell and Conor Garland scored 45 seconds apart to put the home club ahead 3-1. The Wildcats missed an opportunity to really open the floodgates as the Eagles killed off a five minute major to Evgeny Svechnikov. Svechnikov was also assessed a game misconduct for a hit from behind and a fighting major after dropping the gloves with Will Smith.
Eagles captain Clark Bishop put his team back within one goal after putting the puck over Zach Fortin at 12:17 of the middle period. But Cameron Askew countered 42 seconds later to restore the two goal cushion. With 30 seconds left in the second stanza Garland would complete his hat trick and finish the scoring for the evening. Eagles goaltender Kyle Jessiman was in for all five goals and was replaced by Alexandre Bélanger in the third period.
Period two also saw a scrap between Askew and Dillon Boucher. The animosity between the two teams carried over into the final frame that featured five fights. Boucher’s second tussle of the night came with Zack MacEwen and in the same sequence Léveillé and Manuel Wiederer were given game misconducts for fighting after an original altercation.
The other fights in the third period came when Yannik Bertrand tussled with Lane Cormier, Phélix Martineau dropped the mitts with Conor Garland, and Olivier LeBlanc battled Will Bower. LeBlanc was also assessed a game misconduct for checking from behind.
Zach Fortin picked up the victory in nets for Moncton, making 19 saves. Jessiman allowed five goals on 26 shots, while Belanger stopped all eight shots coming in in relief in the third period.
It’s back to home ice for the Screaming Eagles on Sunday afternoon when they host the Gatineau Olympiques. It’s the first time this season Cape Breton will face a Quebec based club. Tickets can be purchased at Centre 200 box office, by calling 902-564-2200 or online at https://tickets.capebreton.ca/Online/default.asp
Three stars:
1. Conor Garland (Moncton), 3G, 1A, +3, 4 shots
2. Cameron Askew (Moncton), 1G, 3A, +3
3. Clark Bishop (Cape Breton) 1G, 1A, 4 shots
Scratches For Cape Breton: Cole Reginato, Maxime Baillargeon, Peyton Hoyt (concussion protocol)
Scratches For Moncton: Liam Murphy, Noah Corson, Sacha Guay
Final Shots On Goal: 34-21 in favour of Moncton
Cape Breton Power Play: 1/3
Moncton Power Play: 1/7
