GrayJay Sports
League News
Hectic Friday in NSJHL - 5 GAMES
Penguins 3 game winning streak snapped
The East Hants Penguins are now 3-0-2 to start the 2022-23 Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League season. In their five games, they have been involved in two overtime losses and 1 shoot-out win. Their winning streak was snapped Friday evening at C.F.B. Shearwater as Ryan Welsh scored for the Capstone Colts with 3:34 remaining in the five-minute sudden death overtime period. Before the game was six minutes old, Ethan Wheeler and Devin Meagher had put the Pens up 2-0 before the Colts started their comeback. Benjamin Veinot scored all three goals for the Colts in regulation including the game-tying marker with 25 seconds left in regulation. Veinot scored a goal in each of the three periods. The Pens pulled ahead 3-2 with 3:02 left in regulation on goal from Marshall Plandowski who has been a force for the Pens in their five games to date. The Colts outshot East Hants 33-30. Elsewhere Friday night:
Eskasoni Jr. Eagles 4 Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs 0
The Jr. Bulldogs finally got on the ice after a lengthy delay caused by Hurricane Fiona and played a strong game outshooting the Jr. Eagles 51-32 but they simply could not beat Hunter Chenhall in the Eskasoni nets and lost 4-0. Marcellus Francis playing a huge role in the J.r Eagles 3-0-1 start scored three times with two of his goals coming 34 seconds apart late in the third period. He scored the game winner 7:49 into the opening period while the other Jr. Eagles goal came from the stick of Jacob Denny on the power-play in the middle period.
Brookfield Elks 3 Valley Maple Leafs 2
The Elks won their third of the season in Windsor 3-2 over the Valley Maple Leafs. Both teams checked each other tenaciously throughout the opening period with the Leafs holding a 15-9 shots advantage. Some of the scoring highlights included the Elks Nathan MacHardie having two superb saves made on him by the Leafs Aidan Durnford as MacHardie was wide open in front of the net. The Leafs Carter Graves was then robbed blind by Elks Goalie Ben Radford as Graves stood 3 feet to his left. Radford also made a great pad save on a long shot by the Leafs Ethan Salsman. The Leafs were not overly aggressive but did control play in the Elks territory. Brookfield drew the first minor of the game but the best chance for the Valley was Dawson Lavers hitting the cross-bar with a backhand shot. Radford also made a nice skate save on the Leafs Ryan Tolson. Despite the 15 shots, the Leafs have not found a way to score in a consistent fashion this season.
In the second period, the Leafs had two great chances five minutes into the second but Radford stopped them cold both times. Brady MacLean also missed a great scoring opportunity for the Leafs. The Leafs Konnor Daniels had the best body check of the evening as he caught the Elks Luke Jansen-Faught at centre ice and Faught was sent reeling into the boards. The first goal of the game was finally scored by the Elks who really started to pick up their game five minutes into the second. The goal was scored by Ben Stewart who took a great pass from behind the net from Dylan Keefe to go up 1-0. The Elks were strong on their second goal as Luke MacDonald took a fantastic pass from Brady Whitman to go ahead 2-0 with 6:11 to play in the middle period. The Leafs despite being outshot 13-10 by the Elks in the second period fought back and with 3:32 left, Ethan Salsman was alone in front of the Elks net and deked Radford for a superlative goal. The Leafs Hayden Richardson with only 1:48 to play in the second drilled a bullet shot from the point and tied the game 2-2 entering the third.
In the third period, it only took the Elks 45 seconds to go in front 3-2 as Ben Fraser took an alert pass to the right of Durnford and let a hard wrist shot go for the game winner. Brookfield then ran into some penalty difficulties but the Leafs could not take advantage as the Elks almost scored short-handed as the Leafs gave it up deep in their own end and Cale MacLellan had it alone in front of Durnford but could not connect. The last chance for the Leafs was by Connor Deluney who was left all alone in front of the Elks net late in the game but his shit sailed over the net. Dylan Keefe of the Elks was denied a chance at an insurance goal as he took a wrist shot from 20 feet out but Durnford made a great glove save and the Elks were 3-2 winners. Brookfield outshot the Leafs 18-12 in the third for a 40-37 game advantage.
Port Hawkesbury 4 Membertou 3
This game unfortunately had to be called with 13 minutes left in the third period after a hole developed in the ice at the Richmond Arena where the Strait Pirates were playing Friday night against the Membertou Jr. Miners. The Strait Pirates took a 3-0 lead with a goal from Brady MacNeil less than three minutes into the game and then in the opening 1:29 of the second went up 3-0 on goals from Matthew Ellis and Justin Greene. Alex MacKinnon and Liam Burke brought the Jr. Miners back to within a goal before Owen Stockdale scored the game winner for the Pirates with 11:48 to play in the second. Landon Clark brought the Jr. Miners back to within a goal but that is as far as they could get.
The game will not have to re-played nor will the final 7 minutes following league rules established by the Executive last season following a controversial cancellation in a League Playoff Game. The issue lingered after appeals were launched to Hockey Nova Scotia and Hockey Canada who both advised it was a league issue that had to be decided by the executive. As a result of that, any game called in the third period with one team ahead will be awarded to that team. Any game called in the first or second periods, both teams will be awarded one point.
Pictou County 8 Cumberland County 4
The Blues before a home audience in Springhill lost for the fifth time in six games, tis time to the Pictou County Scotians by a score of 8-4. The Blues jumped in front 2-0 when Colby Titus netted a power-pay marker and Zackery Gould scored before the game was seven minutes old. Ryan Green connection for the Scotians before the first period concluded. Burke Beed then gave the Blues a two-goal lead again in the second period before the Scotians scored six unanswered goals starting with Zachary Houston’s marker mid-way through the second. The Bluess entered the third with a 3-2 lead but Houston’s goal was followed by markers from Nate Supryka, Jack Tompkins, Hayden Burgess with his first of two, Matt Carson with a power-play marker and a short-handed goal and Luke Young with 1:10 to play. The only goal for the Blues was scored on a penalty shot awarded to Daniel MacKenzie with 1:30 remaining in regulation.