Division final opens Saturday

Summerside hosts Game 2 on April 3

Next up for the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals are the Miramichi Timberwolves.

The teams will open the best-of-seven Eastlink North Division final series in the MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League) in Miramichi, N.B., on Saturday night. Game 2 is at Eastlink Arena in Summerside on Monday, April 3, at 7 p.m.

In the best-of-seven division semifinals, the Capitals prevailed over Dieppe Commandos in six games while the Timberwolves swept the St. Stephen Aces.

Capitals head coach Billy McGuigan noted getting healthy will be critical to Summerside’s success going forward.

“Miramichi’s a great hockey club, but they play seven-game series in hockey,” he said. “They’ve already predicted that they’re going to the finals, and we’re just hoping that we’re going to give them a little bit of a rough go.”

The Timberwolves completed the regular season atop the Eastlink North Division at 35-12-2-1 (won-lost-overtime losses-shootout losses). The Caps were third at 25-22-0-3. The Capitals know it won’t be an easy series, Capitals forward Morgan MacDonald said. “They have a great team, almost like an all-star team for our division, but we know we have more character and more battle, so we’re going to try and go to work right away on those guys,” he said.