CAPE BRETON VS. ACADIEBATHURST.
Cape Breton beats Acadie-Bathurst Titan in final regular-season home game
See how the Screaming Eagles did last night against the rival visiting Titan.
Tyler Hylland’s speed proved to be the difference as the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles secured home-ice advantage in their final regular-season home game by beating the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 6-4.
The winger scored two thirdperiod goals, including the eventual game-winner, as the Eagles spread out the scoring against the Titan, with five different players finding the back of the net for the home team in front of 3,395 fans.
The teams traded goals in the first period, with Zachary Malatesta beating Eagles goalie Kevin Mandolese to give the Titan an early lead just 36 seconds in before Vasily Glotov evened things up 15 seconds later with an unassisted goal — his 15th of the campaign — against Titan netminder Anthony Dumont-Bouchard. Rodrigo Abols answered back for the Titan on the power play to give the visitors their only lead of the game as Ross MacDougall’s nifty backhander on the penalty kill and rookie Drake Batherson’s 21st on the power play sent the Eagles to the dressing room up 3-2.
Mathias Laferrière scored the only goal of the second frame to give the Eagles the two-goal lead, but it didn’t stand up as the insurance marker with the teams trading goals in the third.
Hylland struck first for the Eagles but the Titan climbed back to within two goals on Aaron Brisebois’ first goal of the year. With Phelix Martineau in the penalty box for high sticking, Hylland turned on the jets and sneaked a backhander by Dumont-Bouchard on a breakaway. With just 10 second left, Jordan Maher made it 6-4 with his 19th goal of the year.
Mandolese made 25 saves on 29 shots for the win while Dumont-Bouchard made 25 saves in the loss.
It was the third win a row for the Eagles, who hit the road to take on the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday before closing out the regular season on Saturday against the Moncton Wildcats.
While the victory secured home-ice advantage for Cape Breton, it’s still unclear which team they’ll face in the first round. The team, which wore special green Irish-themed uniforms as part of their fundraiser for the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation in memory of late team president Greg Lynch, is currently in the seventh spot in the standings, two points behind the Titan. Depending on how things shake out, they could host the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, Victoriaville Tigres, Gatineau Olympiques or Quebec Remparts when the playoffs begin.