Big tests await Caps
Two nationally-ranked teams visit Summerside over three days
SUMMERSIDE – It’s an opportunity for the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals to make an early-season statement in the Maritime Junior Hockey League.
The Capitals will host two nationally-ranked teams over three days on Eastlink Arena ice. The Bridgewater, N.S.-based South Shore Lumberjacks, ranked 10th, provide the opposition on Thursday and the ninth-ranked Edmundston Blizzard visit Summerside on Saturday. The Caps close out the three-game stretch over five days on the road against the Campbellton Tigers on Thanksgiving Monday. All three games are 7 p.m. starts.
“It is a big weekend for our hockey team,” said Caps head coach Billy McGuigan before Tuesday afternoon’s practice. “These are three big games coming up and two nationally-ranked teams coming in. Both South Shore and Campbellton are obviously very good hockey teams.
“We lost to Edmundston 5-2 up in Edmundston early in the season. It is important for us to see where we match up. Those are important points for us early in the season and you want to get as many points in the bank as you can.
“It is also a really good measuring stick for us. South shore is hot in the other division and Edmundston is hot in our division. We are excited to see where we are.”
The Lumberjacks and Blizzard are tied for first-place overall in the 12-team league with identical 7-1-0 (won-lost-overtime losses). The Lumberjacks enter their only regular-season game in Summerside this season on a five-game winning streak.
“South Shore is off to a really good start and it is definitely a bounce-back year from last year,” said Caps third-year forward Josh MacDonald of Cornwall. (Logan) O’Neill seems to be taking off big time, but whenever you see a team for the first time you never know how it is going to go.”
O’Neill, who leads the league scoring race, is averaging two points a game with 16 points in eight games.
MacDonald admitted the Caps are looking for “better results” against Edmundston, which has become the Caps’ biggest rival dating back to the franchise’s days in Dieppe, N.B. Edmundston is on a six-game winning streak.
“It’s always fun playing against those teams and you look forward to those games more than others,” said MacDonald. “We are always ready to play against them and they are always ready to play against us and it’s always a good game when we play Edmundston.”
The 18-year-old MacDonald is “trying to take on a bigger role” in his third season with the Caps.
“This year, I feel I have been able to do that,” continued MacDonald. “I have finally cracked a spot in the top six (forwards) so far and have been killing a lot of penalties.
“I am glad to take a lot of the opportunities and just trying to make the most of them right now. I’m definitely glad to have
a bigger voice and carry a little more of the load.”
Monday will mark the first meeting between the Caps and Tigers since Campbellton eliminated Summerside in Game 6 of the best-of-seven Eastlink North Division final series in April. The Tigers sport a 3-1-1 record and McGuigan is looking forward to all three games over five days.
“We have that mandate in Summerside that we want to win hockey games and it is important to win hockey games,” said McGuigan. “Coming into tests like these, they are going to be good ones.”