Coming home
For Games 3 and 4 of division final in MHL post-season
The Summerside Western Capitals got what they wanted. The Caps split the first two games on the road against the Edmundston Blizzard in the best-of-seven Eastlink North Division final series of the MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League) over the weekend.
The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals got what they wanted.
The Capitals split the first two games on the road against the Edmundston Blizzard in the best-of-seven Eastlink North Division final series of the MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League) over the weekend. The teams return to Summerside for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m., after the Caps won Game 1 on Saturday 5-4, and the Blizzard took Game 2 on Sunday 3-2.
“We were up against it up there obviously,” said Caps head coach Billy McGuigan is recapping the first two games. “We were down in Game 1, 3-1, and came back and found a way to win that hockey game. It was a very important hockey game for us.
“We went up there not expected to win two games, but if we could ever get a split we’d be pretty happy with that.”
With the first two games attracting sell-out crowds of 2,803 fans to the new Centre Jean Daigle, the Caps, who drew over 1,800 fans for a series-clinching win against Campbellton in Round 1, are hoping to see P.E.I. fans come out in large numbers for Games 3 and 4.
“We’d like to see a large crowd in our building,” said McGuigan. “Hopefully the fans come out. It’s been a great series so far, and it’s nice to get back home.” McGuigan said he does not expect to make a lot of adjustments for Game 3.
“They are a real good hockey team, and we are a real good hockey team,” said McGuigan. “It’s been a good series so far, but we will tweak a little bit, but it’s nothing too serious.
“We felt they were the better team in the first two periods of both games (in Edmundston), and we thought our third period was our best period in both games. We controlled the play in the third period in the last two games.”
After the Blizzard registered 90 shots in the first two games, including 20 in each opening frame, is McGuigan concerned about that statistic?
“They came out hard in the first period of both games, especially the first game,” answered McGuigan. “They are running off adrenaline from their home fans, and rightfully so.
“They had great crowds, great atmosphere and I don’t know if they would have had 20 shots each period, that may have been embellished a bit.
“We had to weather a storm early on in both games, and that’s where a lot of the shots came from.”
Goaltending change
McGuigan confirmed he will stay with Game-2 starter Dominik Tmej in goal. Tmej took over from Alex Bishop just past the halfway mark of Game 1, with the Blizzard leading 3-1.
“It wasn’t Bish’s fault in Game
1,” offered McGuigan. He faced 28 shots, and we were behind the 8-ball most of that first game. “When they scored the third one it was time to change the momentum. I went down the tunnel and had a quick talk with Bish, because he obviously wasn’t happy with the change.
I tried to explain to him it’s not about his play, and was more about the fact we somehow needed to change the momentum.
“We were going on the power play at that time, and I thought it gave us an extra minute to rest for that power play and Dom to get in the net. It’s a situation we have two great goaltenders. Dom went in Game 2 and played outstanding. He was the reason the score was 3-2.”
Get lead
The Capitals have only held one lead in the first two games – for the final 52 seconds of Game 1 – following Chris Chaddock’s game-winning goal at 19:08 of the third period.
“We are showing a lot of perseverance as far as battling back in games, but we would like to get a lead in the next couple of games,” acknowledged McGuigan. “It’s changing now, we are coming to our rink.
“It’s a little different environment for us, and a little tougher to play in our rink, too. Home-ice advantage may be a big advantage in this series.”