Eagles Top Sags 5-2, Even Series
SYDNEY- Neither Julio Billia nor a parade to the penalty box could stop the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Saturday as they knotted their best of 7 series with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens at 1.
Just like Friday night, the Eagles garnered most of the quality chances in the opening period and scored the first goal. This time, they were able to carry it over for the next 40 minutes as they earned a 5-2 victory to even the first round affair.
It was Duncan MacIntyre who would open the scoring at 4:53. Evgeny Svechnikov worked off the right boards to the top of the circle, slid the puck to the top of the other circle where MacIntyre put it through Julio Billia to open the scoring. It was the first playoff goal in MacIntyre’s four year QMJHL career. That was the only goal in a period where the Eagles outshot the Sags in spite of conceeding two power plays to Chicoutimi and earning none for themselves.
Cape Breton would be on the penalty kill again as Loïk Léveillé was in the box to start the middle frame. The Eagles would kill it off though and would capitalize on their first power play as Svechnikov found the back of the net with Nicolas Roy in the sin bin. As was the case in game one, Roy was serenaded with boos at every touch of the puck by the Centre 200 faithful.
There would be more scoring in the second stanza as Landon Schiller would get his team on the board at the nine minute mark, putting the puck over Alexandre Bélanger’s shoulder. The goal was equalized by Michael Joly who would notch his second of the series, putting on an impressive series of dekes to dance through the Sags zone and slip the puck by Billia.
Chicoutimi would keep the pressure on, scoring at the 19:41 mark on the power play. The Saguenéens moved the puck around and Dmitry Zhukenov tapped the puck in at the right side of Bélanger to make it a 3-2 game.
Just as was the case in the second period, the Eagles started the third short handed after Olivier LeBlanc took a penalty at the 20:00 mark. With one second left in the minor, Tobie Bisson put the puck over the glass sending Chicoutimi back to the power play. The home team was able to kill both penalties. While the delay of game penalty is an automatic call, it was the discretionary calls of the officials that raised the ire of Eagles fans at the rink all night long as the Cape Breton only had three power plays to Chicoutimi’s eight.
By the halfway mark of the third period it was still a 3-2 contest but that would change on a two one with Giovanni Fiore and Massimo Carozza. Being carefully watched by Chicoutimi defenseman Jérémy Groleau, Fiore made a last second pass to Carozza in front of the net to restore the two goal lead.
With a two goal lead, the Cape Breton would get an insurance marker from an unlikely source. Rookie forward Yannik Bertrand, sidelined with a foot injury since late January, made his return to the lineup and fired a puck from the corner and it deflected past Billia to conclude the night’s scoring.
Star forward Pierre-Luc Dubois also returned to the Eagles lineup after serving a two game suspension. Dubois was held pointless but did win 17 of 25 faceoffs.
Bélanger stopped 14 of 16 shots for the win. Billia took the loss after allowing five goals on 45 shots.
The series now shifts to Chicoutimi for games 3, 4, and 5. Puck drops on game 3 at 8:30 PM on Tuesday night. You can hear all the action on 1270 AM CJCB or online at https://www.cjcbradio.com
Three stars:
1. Michael Joly (Cape Breton) 1G, 1A, +3 5 shots
2. Duncan MacIntyre (Cape Breton) 1G, +1, 3 hits
3. Massimo Carozza (Cape Breton) 1G, +2
Scratches For Cape Breton: Scottie Greene, Lee Dower, Clark Bishop (lower body injury), Maxim Lazarev (upper body injury)
Scratches For Chicoutimi: Alexander Krief, Keenan MacIssac, Nicolas Guay, Marc-Antoine Massé, Zachary Lavgine (sickness)
Final Shots On Goal: 45-16 in favour of Cape Breton
Cape Breton Power Play: 1/3
Chicoutimi Power Play: 1/8
