Eagles Edged by Volts in Overtime to Open Road Trip
Published on February 9, 2023 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Cape Breton Eagles News Release
NOTES FROM THE GAME - Drummondville's Justin Côté scored the first and last goals of the game as the Voltigeurs defeated the Eagles 3-2 in overtime.
- Both Eagles goals came from Olivier Houde in the third period.
- The two sides each received strong goaltending, as Riley Mercer stopped 31 of 33 shots in the Drummondville net while Oliver Satny stopped 31 of 34 in the loss.
The game took some time to find its footing- a fast paced opening three minutes & 31 seconds saw no shots, and the first whistle of the game didn't come until past the four minute mark. However, by period's end, both teams had plenty of chances- just no goals. The Eagles best opportunities came on a hit post by Houde and an unsuccessful breakaway attempt for Julien Hébert. Both teams had one power play in the opening frame, but despite the shots being tied at 11, the game remained scoreless.
It remained a scoreless game through much of the second period thanks to strong penalty killing from both teams. The Eagles penalty kill in particular was tested, dealing with two 60 second+ sequences of five on three in the early portion of the frame. It was began with a minor to Tomas Lavoie, and the first two man disadvantage was the result of a double minor for high sticking to Hébert. The Eagles killed off the first half of the double minor when Trevor Thurston was sent to the box for putting the puck over the glass. Oliver Satny stood tall as the Eagles killed off the second five on three.
The breakthrough came at even strength in the final three minutes of the period when a Jeremy Lapointe shot was redirected off an Eagle defenseman. The loose puck came to Côté at the side of the net and he gave the home side the lead heading into the third period.
After great work by both penalty killing units throughout the night, Houde would get the first power play marker of the night, capitalizing on a breakaway much to the delight of large contingent of family behind the Eagles bench. Just 83 seconds later, Houde was at it again, finishing a drop pass from Ivan Ivan to give the Eagles their first lead of the game.
The lead held for barely a minute- a heavy blast by Maveric Lamoureux knotted the score at 2, and for the final 11 minutes neither team could find a winning goal in regulation.
Overtime was played very conservatively by both teams in the early going, as it took past the halfway mark for there to be a shot in the extra period. However in the final minute the Volts buzzed as the Eagles tried to force the game to shootout. But with just five seconds remaining, Côté pushed it over the line to give the home side a 3-2 victory.
The road trip continues for the Eagles tomorrow night as they visit former Eagles Rémi Delafontaine, Gio DiMattia, and the defending President's Cup champion Shawinigan Cataractes . Puck drop is 8 PM Atlantic time. The game is available for purchase online at https://bit.ly/3Yl0sei You can also hear all the action beginning with the pre-game show with Patrick McNeil at 7:30 PM on 1270 AM CJCB or online at www.cjcbradio.com.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Justin Côté (Drummondville) 2 goals, overtime winner, +2
2. Olivier Houde (Cape Breton) 2 goals, 8 shots
3. Riley Mercer (Drummondville) 31 saves on 33 shots
Scratches For Cape Breton: Jude Campbell, Owen Arnold
Scratches For Drummondville: Michael Derbidge, Félix Riverin, Beren Simard-Sancy
Final Shots On Goal: 34-33 in favour of Drummondville
Cape Breton Power Play: 1/5
Drummondville Power Play: 0/5
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 9, 2023
- Eagles Continue Road Trip in Shawinigan vs Cataractes - Cape Breton Eagles
- Eagles Edged by Volts in Overtime to Open Road Trip - Cape Breton Eagles
- Hockey for All Day Schedule: February 19, 12:30 - 7:30 PM - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Wildcats Announce Hugo Bernier as General Manager, Business Operations - Moncton Wildcats
- Preview: February 9 vs. Acadie-Bathurst Titan - Charlottetown Islanders
- Eagles Open Road Trip in Drummondville vs Volts - Cape Breton Eagles
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