Capitals earn big win Saturday night
MacMillan’s first-ever junior A goal proves to be winner in Woodstock
It was a big night for the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals and sophomore defenceman Brodie MacMillan.
MacMillan scored his firstever goal as a Western Capital, and it stood up as the gamewinner in a much-needed 4-1 road win over the Woodstock Slammers on Saturday night. The Capitals entered the game having lost four of five games in the MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League), but arrived home in second place in the tightly-contested Eastlink North Division.
The Caps are 6-6-1-0 (wonlost-overtime losses-shootout losses), good for 13 points. They are one point ahead of both the St. Stephen Aces (68-0-0) and Miramichi Timberwolves (5-4-1-1), and two in front of fifth-place Woodstock (4-6-3-0).
Only five points separate second from sixth as the Campbellton Tigers (3-8-2-0) have eight points.
Shea hot
Before 579 fans at the AYR Motor Centre, Capitals forward TJ Shea continued his red-hot scoring streak.
Shea registered one goal and two assists to improve his league-leading point total to 23 – 11 goals and 12 assists – in 13 games. Shea has recorded 17 points in a current seven-game point streak.
MacMillan’s goal at 6:04 of the second period gave the Caps a 2-0 advantage. The 18-year-old MacMillan, a steady stay-at-home defenceman from Stratford, recorded four assists in 49 regular-season games in his rookie campaign. Austin Taylor and Alex Hambly also lit the lamp for the Caps, who received single assists from Andrew Murphy, Brodie MacArthur, Zach Thususka, Cameron Roberts and Morgan MacDonald. Riley Bechard was the only Slammer to beat Caps goaltender Rett Rook, who turned aside 26 of 27 shots directed his way.
Andrew Rose was beaten four times on 30 shots in the Woodstock goal.
The game’s three stars were: 1. TJ Shea (Capitals), 2. Rett Rook (Capitals), 3. Andrew Rose (Slammers).
The Capitals will continue a stretch of road games in Edmundston, N.B., against the Eastlink North Division-leading Blizzard on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
The Caps’ scheduled home game at Eastlink Arena against the Yarmouth Mariners (10-2-00) on Thursday, Nov. 2, has been rescheduled to Sunday, Jan. 14. The Caps’ next home game is now scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 18, against the Pictou County Crushers (6-5-1-0).
Trades
General manager Pat McIver confirmed the Caps traded two 20-year-olds in separate deals within the MHL over the weekend.
The Caps dealt forward Jonathan Larter to the Miramichi Timberwolves for an eighth-round draft choice, and defenceman Scott Bagby was traded to the South Shore Lumberjacks for a third-round draft pick and future considerations.
Larter, who is from Stratford, registered one goal and an assist in 11 regular-season games. Bagby is from Downers Grove, Ill., and had two goals and an assist to his credit in 13 regular-season contests.