Eagles Topple Titan
Sydney- Evgeny Svechnikov snapped his own drought and the team’s with a big afternoon Sunday as the Eagles topped the Bathurst Titan.
Svechnikov entered the game with no points in his last four games, four games which the Eagles had lost. He rebounded in a big way on Sunday by scoring twice, adding an assist and going +3 in the Cape Breton victory. The star Russian started the scoring for the home team at 3:15 when he tipped a shot from Duncan MacIntyre past Titan goaltender Daryl MacCallum. It was a short day of work for the Titan goaltender- he was given the hook after Jonathan Deschamps caught him out of position to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead just past the halfway mark of the period.
MacCallum was relieved by Reilly Pickard and the opening period finished with the Screaming Eagles leading 2-0. Svechnikov would also start the second period’s scoring, left all alone in front of the net and beating Pickard to expand the lead. The Eagles looked to be in the clear after Colin MacSween scored in a scrum to make it a 4-0 game.
Bathurst did show some push back though. The Titan were given a two man advantage when Svechnikov was given a delay of game penalty for putting the puck out of play, and Christophe Boivin put the visitors on the board. Less than four minutes later Boivin capitalized on a unique puck bounce off the boards and cut the lead to 4-2.
It looked like it may be a two goal game going into the final period, but Yannik Bertrand would convert a pass from Olivier LeBlanc from behind the net to beat Pickard to give Cape Breton a three goal cushion.
Sunday’s game was the first regular season appearance at Centre 200 for Peyton Hoyt whom the Eagles picked in round one this past June. Hoyt missed much of the first month of the season due to concussion protocol. He recorded a shot and two hits in his home ice debut.
Alexandre Bélanger picked up the win in goal for the Eagles, stopping 25 shots. Pickard took the loss after allowing three goals on 21 shots after coming in in relief.
The Eagles will remain at home and host the Halifax Mooseheads on Tuesday night. It’s the first of two games between the provincial foes this week as the QMJHL kicks off Rivalry Week. Puck drops at 7 PM on Tuesday. 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. Evgeny Svechnikov 2G, 1A, +3, 6 shots
2. Yannik Bertrand 1G, 1A
3. Pierre-Luc Dubois 2A, +3
Scratches For Cape Breton: Cole Reginato, Loïk Léveillé, Declan Smith
Scratches For Bathurst: Nicolas Dumulong, Andrew Cordssen-David, Campbell Pickard, Arthur Miller
Final Shots On Goal: 27-25 in favour of Bathurst
Cape Breton Power Play: 0/0
Bathurst Power Play: 1/4
Written by Patrick McNeil
