Capitals in control
Summerside can win series with Campbellton Friday on home ice
Charlottetown Islanders forward Cam Askew has the Hulkster pulling for him in an online contest.
Wresting icon Hulk Hogan sent his support on Twitter on Wednesday as Askew is in the CIBC CHL Showdown for his highlight-reel goal Saturday in the final game of the regular season against the Moncton Wildcats.
“Vote for my Hulkamanic Cam brother, because Camamania is runnin wild on the ice brother !!!! ” he tweeted.
Askew’s girlfriend is Alana Leslie, who is the daughter of Brutus (The Barber) Beefcake and Hogan is her godfather. Askew and Leslie are both from Boston and have been dating for four years.
“He’s definitely a guy of huge stature,” Askew admitted of the connection with the Hulkster. “I haven’t met him yet, I am hoping to do so this summer, but it’s definitely pretty cool.”
This isn’t the first time Hogan has lent his support to Askew.
A year ago, he made a similar post when the forward was in the #QSocial campaign.
“After he tweeted I had over a million hashtags, so I guess it kind of helped and I ended up winning. He was a pretty big part of it, I guess,” Askew admitted.
This year’s online contest pits one play from each of the three Canadian hockey leagues with fans choosing the best one.
Askew’s goal came with five minutes remaining in the third period of Saturday’s contest with the Isles clinging to a 3-2 lead.
Askew said it was a bit of a broken play where he hopped on the ice and took a pass from Sullivan Sparkes, who had received the puck from Derek Gentile.
“Right away I was going to shoot it and then I saw a guy go down and try to block the shot,” Askew explained. “I just kind of kept waiting. I knew the goalie was going to come out a bit and then he did. I just kind of tucked it around him.”
The Islanders went on to win the game and finish the regular season with a pair of home victories heading into the playoffs.
“It’s definitely a special goal for me — my 100th goal (in the league),” Askew said. “It was a big goal in the game, too.”
Askew was acquired Jan. 2 from the Shawinigan Cataractes. The Islanders traded for the overage forward to provide scoring, size and playoff experience. He has been in the league for five years, accumulating 100 goals, 118 assists and 200 penalty minutes in 327 regular season games. He also has played 49 playoff games, including scoring six times and having nine points in 16 games for Moncton in 2016.
Askew had six goals in 31 games with the Isles, but two of them came last weekend, including the overtime winner to cap off a four-goal comeback against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Friday night.
He said the finish has him and his team confident with their game heading to the postseason.
Head coach Billy McGuigan called it a complete team win.
McGuigan praised the contributions from throughout the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals lineup in a 4-1 road victory over the Campbellton Tigers on Wednesday night. It was a big win for the Capitals, who now lead the best-of-seven Maritime Junior Hockey League quarter-final 3-1. The Caps have put themselves in a position to wrap the series up on home ice in Game 5 at Eastlink Arena in Summerside on Friday at 7 p.m.
“Obviously, we would like to finish the series at home, and not have to come back to Campbellton,” McGuigan said. “We have to continue to do the things we have been doing to have success. Right now, we are a committed hockey team. We are committed to defence, we are committed to chipping pucks, all the little things that it takes to win. Those little things become big things in a series like (this). I feel we are committed right now.”
“Our penalty killing was outstanding, our power play was good and special teams was the difference in the game. Western Capitals head coach Billy McGuigan
Before 667 fans at the Campbellton Memorial Civic Centre, rookie defenceman Jordan Spence of Cornwall registered one goal and two assists to pace the Capitals offensively. T.J. Shea (1-1), Morgan MacDonald and Brodie MacMillan also lit the lamp for the visitors.
Alex Bishop continued his strong play between the pipes for the Capitals, stopping 39 of 40 shots. Jacob Roberts’s powerplay goal with five seconds remaining prevented Bishop from earning back-to-back shutouts after a 37-save effort in a 3-0 win Monday in Game 3.
“We’ve been pretty stingy defensively,” added McGuigan. “That is playoff hockey.”
Another key for the Capitals, noted McGuigan, was special teams as the Caps scored two of their goals while on the man advantage.
“Our penalty killing was outstanding, our power play was good and special teams was the difference in the game,” assessed McGuigan. “They had a 5-on-3 to start the second period, and (rookie defenceman) Sam Lau got in the lanes and made three tremendous blocks on that power play. That was the turning point in the game.”
McGuigan agreed with the assessment that over the course of a long, tough series, teams need contributions from everyone throughout the lineup.
“You don’t win playoff series without your soldiers,” said McGuigan. “Sam comes out and blocks three or four massive one-timers from (Pierre-Luc) Lurette, and just eats them up.
“Brodie MacMillan scored again (Wednesday), Jordan Spence continued his play and this win was by committee and the guys in the room deserve all the credit.”
Brodie MacArthur, Kallum Muirhead, Chris Chaddock and Cameron Roberts added helpers for the Caps, who directed 37 shots at Campbellton netminder Greg Maggio.
The Caps led 1-0 after the opening period and extended the margin to 3-0 at the end of 40 minutes.