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QMJHL Cape Breton Eagles

Confidence High as Eagles Enter Playoffs on Record Hot Streak: Eagles Recap: March 26, 2024

March 26, 2024 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Cape Breton Eagles News Release


First Round Set

As the old saying goes, 'there is no better time than now'.

The Cape Breton Eagles took this mentality to the limit to close out the 2023-2024 QMJHL regular season, as the club completed its 68-game schedule with a franchise record-tying nine straight wins.

The record ties the franchise-leading nine-game winning streak set in October 2005 and was enough to firmly lock the Eagles into fourth seed in the QMJHL's eastern conference. They will now take on the Rimouski Oceanic in the first round which kicks off Friday at Centre 200.

This will be just the second time the two clubs will meet in the post-season, with the first resulting in an Oceanic victory in five games in 2019.

In their season series this year, the Oceanic hold a 2-0 record over the Eagles, with wins coming on November 5th in Sydney and February 11th in Rimouski.

To close out their season, the Oceanic held a 5-2-0-3 record in their final ten games, including a 7-3 victory over the Quebec Remparts in the final day of the regular season to leapfrog the Chicoutimi Saguenéens into fifth seed in the eastern conference standings.

Cape Breton Eagles General Manager Sylvain Couturier said his team is heading into the post season with confidence, "both mentally and physically."

"I always said to be a good team, you need to peak at the right times. And with the way we have been playing, I think we certainly are playing our best hockey right now," he said. "Rimouski is really skillful so we will need to be discipline and stay out of the box. We are big and physical so we have to use our size to our advantage and shut them down every chance we get.

While the series is sure to be hard-hitting and fast, which way the balance tilts may fall on each team's goaltending throughout the best-of-seven. After a record breaking regular season, Eagles goaltenders Nicolas Ruccia and Jakub Milota have both proven themselves to be worthy choices for coach Louis Robitaille when it comes to choosing who will get the nod for game one this Friday. Over the month of March, 19-year-old Ruccia backstopped his club to a 5-1 record, averaging a 2.33 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. While the rookie Milota is a perfect 4-0 with a 2.69 goals against average and a .908 save percentage this month.

"Both goalies have been really good for us, either one that plays in the first round will be an advantage for us," Couturier said. "Both goalies were above .900 all season so we expect them to play the same way in the playoffs".

On the opposing side, the deadline acquisition of goaltender Quentin Miller proved to be an exclamation mark on the Oceanic's regular season, winning ten of his first 15 starts for the club. Despite this, a late-season injury which has sidelined him since March 8th leaves the 19-year-old resembling more of a question mark for the Oceanic heading into the first round.

A 2023 fourth round NHL draft choice by the Montreal Canadiens, Miller is not expected to start the series in net for the Oceanic.

Couturier said whoever starts in net for the Oceanic won't change his club's approach to game one.

"We have to go hard to the net and play simple. That is how we will win. That's how we have had success so far this season so we will keep doing that. We aren't changing our style of play."

Squires and Houde surpass the 30-goal mark

For the second season in a row, Eagles forward Cam Squires has surpassed the 30-goal mark. The 18-year-old now joins an elite group of Eagles alumni who have reached the milestone in back to back seasons. Just days after being awarded the club's top scorer at the annual awards banquet, Squires closed out the regular season with his 15th career game winning goal in a 3-2 victory over Charlottetown on Saturday. The New Jersey draft pick now sits fifth all-time on the Eagles career leaderboard for game-winning goals.

Second year forward Olivier Houde reached the 30-goal mark for the first time in his short career on Friday night, surpassing the 18-goal total in his rookie campaign last season. The 20-year-old notched two hattricks and four two-goal games this season, as well as 11 points in his last eight games to close out the season. Houde's play alongside Cole Burbidge and Callum Aucoin throughout the month of March has been his best so far this season. And with the post-season on deck, expect more excellence from number 22 and his line mates moving into April.

Team Homan dress in gold (and black)

Ahead of their gold medal winning performance at last week's World Women's Curling Championships at Centre 200, Rachel Homan and the rest of Team Homan were gifted custom Cape Breton Eagles jerseys as a welcoming gift from the organization.

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from March 26, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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