Howatt provides OT heroics
Miramichi head coach calls for Nova Scotia officials to work MHL final
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – It didn’t take long for the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) final series to heat up – on and off the ice.
Rookie Ryder Howatt scored at 2:10 of the second overtime period to lift the Summerside D. Alex Macdonald Ford Western Capitals to a 6-5 victory over the Miramichi Timberwolves in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Metalfab Cup final series on April 20.
“There was a delayed penalty (against Miramichi) and (the coaches) said, ‘Howatt, go, go, and go to the net (when Caps goaltender Drew Sim got to the bench for an extra attacker),’” said Howatt, who called it the biggest goal of his career. “I was going to the net and Will Murphy made a nice pass to me and that was it.”
Howatt, positioned close to halfway between the bottom of the circle and the goal-line on the right wing, made no mistake controlling Murphy’s pass from the left point and beating Miramichi goaltender and former Charlottetown Islander Jack Flanagan.
“I had a chat with Ryder before the playoffs started and I said, ‘There is always one guy in the playoffs, Ryder, who comes up big for you,’ and I did tell him I thought it was going to be him,” said Caps head coach Billy Mcguigan. “He’s been good throughout the playoffs.
“Some nights his ice time is limited, but when he gets ice time he contributes and scored probably the biggest goal of our season (April 20).”
Caps forward Blake Eastman started the play on the winning goal as he drew the delayed penalty when a Miramichi player high-sticked him along the left-wing boards.
Eastman then got the puck back and, despite being surrounded by two Timberwolves, made a pass to the 16-year-old Murphy, who made no mistake setting up Howatt with a perfect tape-to-tape pass.
“(Flanagan) was sliding across and I was trying to get it off as fast as I can,” said the 18-year-old Howatt, who is from Cape Traverse, P.E.I.
Howatt’s goal sent the majority of the Caps’ biggest crowd of the playoffs – 2,594 – into a frenzy as the team rushed to celebrate with Howatt in the right-wing corner.
COACH UPSET
The mood was the exact opposite on the Miramichi side. If Timberwolves head coach Kory Baker’s post-game comment is any indication, there will no doubt be serious conversations between Miramichi team and league officials between Game 1 and Game 2 in Miramichi, N.B., on April 22.
When Saltwire sought out an interview with Baker after the game, he offered up a brief statement.
“This is a disgrace, this reffing,” said Baker outside the Timberwolves’ dressing room. “This cannot happen that P.E.I. refs ref here (Summerside).
“That is absolutely a disgrace to our league; that’s a disgrace out there; that cannot happen; there has to be Nova Scotia refs here, and there has to be Nova Scotia refs in Miramichi.
“That’s it, end of story, no other comment. Thank you very much.”
Overall, referees Travis Timmons and Jack Robinson called eight minors against the Timberwolves while the Caps were assessed four minors, one major penalty for kneeing and one game misconduct.
The Caps went 3-for-5 on the power play while Miramichi scored once on four power-play opportunities.
Each team failed to score on a full two-minute power in the first overtime period. The Timberwolves went on the man advantage 25 seconds into the 10-minute period, and the Caps had their chance at 5:39.
“I think we had three goal posts in the game and another opportunity where we thought they covered the puck in the crease (during a scramble),” said Mcguigan. “Those things happen in a playoff game.
“It’s a fast-paced game and it’s a bunch of human beings playing it, reffing it and with a lot of noise (in the stands). It’s a hard game for everyone, and you just never know what’s going to happen,” said Mcguigan.
The Capitals, who never led in Game 1 until overtime, trailed 2-0 6:18 into the game, 3-1 after one period, 4-3 in the second frame and 5-4 early in Period 3.
The teams went into the second intermission tied 4-4.
“They are a good team; a team to be reckoned with and have obviously been the hottest team in the playoffs here,” said Mcguigan referring to Miramichi’s eight-game playoff winning streak going into the final series. “They have won a lot of hockey games, one-goal games.
“They are a playoff team, and we just had to stick with it here and got one in overtime.”
CROWD SUPPORT
Howatt said, despite trailing for a good part of the game, the Caps fed off the big crowd.
“We have home-ice advantage, and the crowd was amazing (in Game 1),” said Howatt. “We had a lot of people out supporting us, and it was an essential game to win.
“After the first period, we were down, we had a talk, and we knew this game needs to be ours.”
Mcguigan agreed with the assessment Game 1 was a tale of two different games with Miramichi taking control early and Summerside responding in the second half of the game.
“You are in your own building, and you get three penalty kills (in the first 10-plus minutes) before you even get rolling in the game,” said Mcguigan. “We were on our heels a bit and they came with a lot of pace early and (we) kind of had to stay with it.
“I thought we were the better team the second half of the game … made some adjustments and it seemed to pay off.”
Overall, the Capitals outshot the Timberwolves 48-43, including an 8-6 advantage in overtime.
Eastman scored two goals to finish with three points. Eastman’s second goal tied the game 5-5 at 4:53 of the third period on the power play.
Eastman’s equalizer came shortly after Zachael Turgeon (1-1) scored at 3:30 to give the Timberwolves a 5-4 lead.
Robbie Rutledge (1-1), Trent Crane (1-1) and Jacob Squires also scored for the Capitals. Defenceman Will Irvine registered four assists while Lincoln Waugh, Connor Keough and Reid Vos also chipped in with single helpers.
Zachary Aprea-richard (1-1), David Doucet, Ludovic Dufort and Tim Porter netted the other Miramichi goals.
The game’s three stars were: 1. Ryder Howatt (Capitals), 2. William Irvine (Capitals), 3. Blake Eastman (Capitals).
“(Flanagan) was sliding across and I was trying to get it off as fast as I can.”
Ryder Howatt