Leading by example
Screaming Eagles veterans power offense in win over Islanders
Mathias Laferrière’s thirdperiod goal proved to be the game-winner as the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles defeated the Charlottetown Islanders 5-3 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League preseason action at Centre 200 on Friday.
For the first time in the preseason, the Screaming Eagles iced a veteran lineup with only six rookies taking part in the game, which drew a crowd of 681 fans to the Sydney venue.
Cape Breton opened the scoring in the game with Ryan Francis sniping a shot past Islanders hopeful Chad Arsenault, but the Islanders would respond 18 seconds later with Sydney native Derek Gentile finding the back of the net.
Former first-round pick Brooklyn Kalmikov regained the lead for the Screaming Eagles with a breakaway goal midway through the opening stanza, before Xavier Fortin tied the contest for the Islanders less than a minute later. Ben Allison, son of former Cape Breton Oiler Scott Allison, later found the back of the net, giving Cape Breton a 3-2 lead going into the first intermission.
The contest remained 3-2 until the third period when Islanders veteran Liam Peyton scored his first goal of the preseason, tying the game.
Laferrière broke the tie at the 14:22 mark of the final frame, making the score 4-3 for the Screaming Eagles. Egor Sokolov added an insurance marker 22 seconds later.
Ottawa Senators prospect Kevin Mandolese made 23 saves for Cape Breton in his first game of the. Arsenault stopped 11 of 14 shots in the Islanders’s crease before being replaced by Nolan Boyd, who made 17 saves in his 28:46 of relief.
Cape Breton outshot Charlottetown 33-23, and went 0-for-2 on the power player. The Islanders also went 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
The Screaming Eagles (3-0) will continue their preseason on Sunday when they travel to Prince Edward Island to play the Islanders (1-1-1-0). Game time is 4 p.m. at the APM Centre in Cornwall.