Caps in deep hole
Miramichi up 3-0
The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals have no more room for error. The Miramichi Timberwolves doubled the Caps 6-3 on Wednesday night to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the MHL’s (Maritime Junior Hockey League) Eastlink North Division final. The Timberwolves have a chance to sweep the best-ofseven series at Eastlink Arena in Summerside on Friday at 7 p.m., while the Caps will be looking to force a Game 5 in Miramichi on Saturday evening.
At the Miramichi Civic Centre, Colby Tower (1-1), Campbell Pickard, Makail Parker, Curtis Hastings, Michael Constantine and Brayden Uhrich lit the lamp for the Timberwolves, who are 7-0 (won-lost) in postseason play. Lee Dower, Josh Uhrich and Jacob Cardiff all contributed a pair of assists. Marc-Andre LeCouffe and Tanner McCabe replied for the Capitals.
Overall, the Caps outshot the Timberwolves 41-37, including 17-13 and 16-11 advantages in the first two periods. Michael Botiz earned the goaltending win over Christofer Langlais, who made his first start since leaving Game 4 of the openinground series versus the Dieppe Commandos with an upperbody injury.
Opens scoring
Uhrich scored the only goal of the opening frame, and Hastings made it 2-0 at 3:08 of the middle frame. LeCouffe, who was set up by TJ Shea, brought the Caps to within one goal at 5:51, but Tower’s power-play marker at 12:22 restored Miramichi’s two-goal lead at 3-1. McCabe brought the Caps to within 3-2 at 17:46, but Constantine’s tally at 19:22 sent the Timberwolves into the second intermission ahead 4-2.
Parker made it 5-2 at 8:56 of the third period, and McCabe found the back of the net on the power play at 15:15 to make it 5-3. Cormier drew the lone assist on the goal.
Pickard added an empty net goal at 16:32.
The game’s three stars were: 1. Campbell Pickard (Timberwolves), 2. Michael Botiz (Timberwolves), 3. Tanner McCabe (Capitals).