Building momentum
Capitals looking to extend win streak tonight on home ice
The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals will look to get back to the .500 mark tonight.
The Capitals, winners of back-to-back games after three straight losses to open the Maritime Hockey League regular season, will host the Campbellton Tigers at 7 p.m. at Eastlink Arena.
“We haven’t seen them yet, but it’s another game in our division we want to try and come up with two points,” said Capitals head coach Billy McGuigan. “We don’t know a lot about them, but we will do some video and get ready for Thursday.”
The Tigers come to Summerside as the second-place team in the Eastlink North Division at 2-2-1, one point ahead of the Caps (2-3-0) and St. Stephen Aces (2-5-0).
Big weekend
The Capitals are coming off back-to-back 3-2 wins last weekend. The Caps scored two unanswered third-period goals on the road versus the Aces on Friday, and pulled out an overtime decision against the Woodstock Slammers in their home opener before more than 1,800 fans on Saturday night.
“Getting the first win and coming back and getting the second win is crucial to get us going,” said Capitals forward and assistant captain T.J. Shea, who scored the overtime winner on the power play. “Hopefully, we can follow that up and keep on rolling.”
Shea is off to a strong start as the Anglo/Tignish native leads the Caps in scoring with six points, including four goals, in five games.
“T.J. is on a mission right now,” said McGuigan. “He’s a horse out there.
“He’s hard to knock off the puck, he’s great defensively, he’s on the power play and he’s on the penalty kill. He’s doing a great job.”
Another player to draw praise was Andrew Murphy, who moved back to defence on Saturday after Matt O’Leary was traded to the Valley Wildcats.
“(Murphy) has been a pretty good player for us, and he’s versatile,” said Caps general manager Pat McIver. “He played D on Saturday night, and played quite well.
“I know it’s his wish to play forward, but at the end of the day I think he’ll do what’s best for the team.”
The Caps’ offence will receive a big boost with the return of sophomore forward Brodie MacArthur, who started the season with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Summerside native recorded 50 points in 50 regular-season games in his rookie campaign with the Caps.
Homecoming
Tonight’s game will mark a homecoming for Tigers forward Coleton Perry of North Bedeque. Perry, a product of the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild major midget program, has one goal in four games in his rookie season with the Tigers.