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QMJHL Cape Breton Eagles

Eagles Return to Quebec Spoiled in 5-4 Loss in Rimouski

November 4, 2021 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Cape Breton Eagles News Release


RIMOUSKI - It was an eventful but unsuccessful start to the Cape Breton Eagles return to Quebec as the Eagles were topped 5-4 by the Rimouski Océanic on Wednesday night.

Julien Béland opened the scoring just 21 seconds into the contest. After a shot bounced off Eagles defenseman Jacob Squires, Logan Camp couldn't get a firm grip on the puck and Beland pounced on the opportunity to snap the puck by Nicolas Ruccia. The Eagles had an opportunity not long after to tie it, but Émile Hegarty-Aubin was denied on a breakaway. And before the game was three minutes old, Xavier Cormier capitalized on a turnover on the boards, passed the puck out to Luka Verreault who made it 2-0.

The scoring would stop- for just barely three minutes- before the teams would trade goals. Cam Squires decided to keep on a 2 on 1 and put it through the legs of Jasmin Simon to get the Eagles on the board. But shortly after the goal, Sean Larochelle was sent off for cross-checking and Cormier capitalized. The play began as Cam Thomson slide the puck to the blueline, and Alex Drover sent it to the front of net where it was put over the goal line by Cormier to restore the two goal edge.

Rimouski thought they had made it 4-1 at the midway point of the period. The referee in the neutral zone had called a penalty, while the referee in the Eagles zone was unaware and let the play continue and the puck went over the line- but was promptly called off. The Eagles couldn't score on the ensuing power play and it was still 3-1 at the first intermission.

The Eagles did score before the five minute mark of the second period, though, as Ivan Ivan found the five hole of Simon. That spelled the end of the night for the Rimouski keeper as Patrik Hamrla came in in relief.

Despite the goaltending change, the Eagles were next to score- a power play marker on a Jérémy Langlois shot through a screen. It looked as though it would be tied heading into the intermission but the final minute of the period proved eventful.

First it was Jacob Mathieu converting with his own power play goal, cashing in from the side of the net to give the home team the lead again. Then, with six seconds to play, Gabriel Jackson charged at Eagles rookie Kiefer Lyons and the two players dropped the gloves. While Jackson was given the instigator, Lyons was given a roughing minor so there was no power play resulting from the sequence.

It remained a 4-3 score until almost the halfway mark of the third period, when Kian Bell flipped an innocent looking shot of the right boards that beat Hamrla. On the same sequence, Verreault was sent off for roughing up Ivan but the Eagles couldn't convert on the subsequent power play.

With a little more than five minutes left, the game's scoring would finish as it started- Béland with an opportunity on the right side of the goal, pushing it through Ruccia to give Rimouski a 5-4 edge.

The Eagles were able to get Ruccia out of the net for an extra attacker in the final two minutes but his stint on the bench was short lived as Dawson Stairs was given a penalty for high sticking. Rimouski was able to play keep away holding the puck on the power play and sealed a 5-4 victory in the process.

Hamrla picked up the win in relief, stopping nine of 11 shots. (Simon allowed two goals on eight shots prior to being removed from the game.). Ruccia took the loss, allowing five goals on 30 shots.

The Eagles were without forward Jack Campbell due to a one game suspension given for a fight at the conclusion of the game on Sunday against Gatineau. He'll be eligible to return on Friday night in Victoriaville.

The Eagles will continue the road trip Friday night in Victoriaville against the Tigres. Puck drop is 8 PM Atlantic time. The game is available for purchase online at https://watch.chl.ca. and 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. Xavier Cormier (Rimouski) 1 goal, 3 assists

2. Julien Béland (Rimouski) 2 goals, 1 assist

3. Jérémy Langlois (Cape Breton) 1 goal, 1 assist

Scratches For Cape Breton: Jack Campbell (Suspension), Nicholas Girouard (injury), Nicolas Hogue

Scratches For Rimouski: Jérémie Biakabutuka (injury), William Dumoulin (injury), Maxime Coursol (injury), Gabriel Robert

Final Shots On Goal: 30-19 in favour of Rimouski

Cape Breton Power Play: 1/4

Rimouski Power Play: 2/7

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from November 4, 2021


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