Eagles bested
Wildcats get the best of Eagles in 7-2 win.
SYDNEY — The Moncton Wildcats turned a fortuitous bounce into a 7-2 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday at Centre 200.
The scoreline flattered the visitors who, with their fifth consecutive win, jumped into first place overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The Screaming Eagles came out flying in the first period and were rewarded for their early dominance when Maxim Lazarev finished off a sweet give and go with Marcus Hinds to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
But, with Cape Breton still applying pressure, Moncton capitalized on a lucky bounce when Conor Garland, the league’s leading scorer, flipped a puck high into the air that landed at the feet of Ivan Barbashev, who flicked it past Eagles goalie Alexandre Bélanger.
Moncton went up 2-1 when Stephen Johnson beat Bélanger with just seven seconds to go in the first period.
Barbashev scored again when he extended the Wildcats’ lead with a powerplay marker in the second period, before Stephen Anderson brought Cape Breton back within one with a tip-in off a point shot from Olivier LeBlanc.
Dominic Talbot-Tassi restored Moncton’s two-goal lead early in the third, while Wildcats’ goalie Alex Dubeau denied the Eagles time and time again.
Moncton scored three late game goals, Talbot-Tassi’s second and two by former Eagle Bronson Beaton, to cement the victory and move into top spot in the “Q” with 81 points, two better than the Blainville-Boisbriand Aramada.
The loss is the second in a row for Cape Breton (24-26-2-3), which has 53 points and sits 15th overall.
Garland was named first star for his three-assist performance which gives the diminutive Ameri- can 107 points on the season.
Barbashev was named second star, while Lazarev was the third star.
Duebau made 23 saves for the Wildcats, while Bélanger turned aside 24 shots in the Cape Breton net.
The Screaming Eagles are back in action tonight when they take on the Victoriaville Tigres (25-27-24) at 7 p.m. at Centre 200.
NOTES: Declan Smith, of the midget AAA Cape Breton West Islanders, played for Cape Breton and wore #26. Scratches for the Eagles: Clark Bishop, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Dillon Boucher and Matt Nosella.