The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Cinderella run ends for Eagles
Cape Breton’s season concludes with Game 5 overtime loss to Baie-comeau
The Cape Breton Eagles' magical season has come to an end in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League semifinal series.
Cape Breton was defeated 2-1 by the Baie-comeau Drakkar in overtime in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series in front of 3,042 fans at Centre Henry-leonard in Baiecomeau, Que., on Thursday.
The Drakkar won the series 4-1 and will advance to its first league final since 2014. The team has played in two championship series since 1997 and lost both to the Halifax Mooseheads in 2013 and the Val-d’or Foreurs in 2014.
Baie-comeau will play the winner of the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Victoriaville Tigres series. The Voltigeurs led the series 3-1 going into Game 5 on Friday night in Drummondville, Que.
Justin Poirier scored in regulation time while Anthony Lavoie was the hero with the overtime winner for the Drakkar, who are 12-1 in the playoffs this year. Lucas Romeo had the lone goal for the Eagles.
Baie-comeau’s Charles-édward Gravel made 35 saves. Cape Breton’s Nicolas Ruccia stopped 39 of 41 shots.
Cape Breton opened the scoring midway through the first period with Romeo tipping a Cam Squires shot past Gravel for his fourth of the playoffs on the power play at 10:22.
The game would remain tied until the 15:30 mark of the second period when Poirier’s shot through a maze beat Ruccia for his 17th goal of the playoffs, making the score 1-1 on the power play.
Shortly after the Drakkar tied the game, the Eagles would be given a 5-on-3 power play with emile Chouinard and Isaac Dufort in the box for cross-checking and holding respectively. Cape Breton would get nothing on the man advantage.
The Eagles' only chance to take the lead came late in the third with a Squires shot ringing off the post before the end of regulation time.
In overtime, with the Drakkar maintaining pressure throughout the extra frame, Lavoie’s point shot would beat Ruccia for his second goal of the playoffs.
The Drakkar outshot the Eagles 41-36 while going 1-for-5 on the power play. Baie-comeau also outshot Cape Breton 8-0 in overtime. The Eagles were 1-for-6 with the man-advantage.
The loss marks the end of the junior hockey careers for Cape Breton’s Zach Biggar, Cam Macdonald and Conor Shortall.
Despite the disappointing end to the season, the Eagles have come a long way since the middle of December. The club was one of the best in the league after the Christmas break and surprised many by making it to the league semifinal.
Along the journey in the second half, the club welcomed back Jacob Newcombe, who had missed the first half of the year while going through cancer treatment. He rejoined the team in midjanuary.
The Eagles finished the regular season on a nine-game winning streak. The streak would end at 12 games with a Game 4 loss to the Rimouski Oceanic in the first round of the playoffs.