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Pirates go up 1-0 in playoff opener

Game 2 back in Port Hawkesbury Friday

Port Hawkesbury Strait Pirates took a 1-0 lead in their Best-of-Five Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League playoff opener over the Eskasoni Jr. Eagles with a 6-4 win in the Strait Tuesday night.  Danny Gillis and Jack Neilsen both scored a pair while Gregor Yoell had one goal and 2 assists and Jayden Muise tallied for the winners. Owen Stockdale assisted on 3 for the Strait.  Thomas Simon scored a pair for the Jr. Eagles with singles being recorded by Nicholas Pastuck and Dante Basque.  Game 2 is Friday in the Strait at 7:30 p.m.  Port Hawkesbury outshot Eskasoni 42-33.

3 other playoff openers are scheduled for tonight with the Valley Maple Leafs travelling to Liverpool, the Brookfield Elks going to East Hants and the Cumberland County Blues visiting Membertou.

Mar 2, 2022
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Blues Governor honored at Caps Face-off

At the age of 71 and with decades of hockey success behind him, Bill Riley’s number-one passion in life remains unchanged.

“I love hockey to death and there’s no game like it in the world," said Riley.

Together they made hockey history.

“We were the first two to ever play in the National Hockey League, to play on the same team and at times on the same line,” said Riley, who was also the first Black Nova Scotian to reach the NHL.

Counting his final season with the Winnipeg Jets, Riley played 139 career NHL games along with 391 games in the American Hockey League.

“I played power play and I was out there in the last minute in a period and in the last-minute of games,” said Riley.

The Capitals flew Riley back to Washington this past weekend to celebrate Black History Month, his first visit back to his former hockey home in more than three decades.

Riley’s granddaughter Kryshanda Green made the trip with him. She is an elite hockey player in her own right and the first-ever Black captain of the Ryerson Rams women’s hockey team.

Mar 1, 2022
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Cox stars for Jr. Miners -Blazers await next opponent

Cox 7 point night for Jr. Miners — TJ Norris 3 goals for Blazers

 
The Eskasoni Jr. Eagles obviously love the game of hockey as they will enter their Best-of-Five Mini Playoff Series with the Port Hawkesbury Strait Pirates Tuesday evening in the Strait at 7:30, after being hammered by the Membertou Jr. Miners 11-1 Monday night in their final regular season game of 21-22.  The Jr. Eagles finished 21-22 with a 6-15-0 record while the Jr. Miners went 11-5-3.  Blake Cox had an awesome night for the Jr. Miners finishing with 4 goals and 3 assists for seven points.  The Jr. Miners led 9-0 before the Eagles scored their first and only of the game off the stock of Dante Basque.  Other Membertou goal scorers were Coby McCarron with a pair including the game winner while also collecting 4 assists, Camden Langlois with a pair and singles to Andrew McCarron, Brady MacLean and Josh MacKay.  The Jr. Miners held a 52-19 advantage in shots.
 
Sackville  7    Brookfield  1
 
The Blazers finished their 21-22 season with a 7-1 verdict over the Brookfield Elks as TJ Norris connected for a hat-trick to pace the winners.  Other Blazer goal scorers were Daniel Surrette, Brian Grandy, Tyler Pottier and Samuel Gallant who also chipped in with a pair of assists.  Sam Rogers scored the lone goal for the 2-15-1 Elks who open a Best-of-Five Playoff series with East Hants Wednesday night in Lantz.  Sackville outshot the Elks 51-40.  Despite going 14-7-1, the Blazers had to settle for 2nd place in the Fred Fox Division due to the Capstone Colts 12-5-0 finish to the season including a 9 game winning streak.  The Standings are based on a winning percentage due to the 2 month break because of Omnicron.  The Blazers and Colts are now awaiting the winners of the Best-of-Five series to see who they will play in the best-of-Seven Divisional Semi-Finals.
Mar 1, 2022
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Antigonish finishes 21-0-1

Bulldogs finish regular season without losing in regulation

 
Anyone who has ever played the game can remember dramatic moments in this great game of hockey, too many to mention but examples such as Team Canada’s 5-0 lead over the Russians which they blew in the third period of the 2010 World Jr. Men’s Hockey Championship in Buffalo, New York is one, the classic East Hants-Liverpool series which saw numerous overtimes in the opening round of the 2019-2020 opening round of our League Playoffs before Covid hit is another.
 
Another dramatic moment came Sunday evening in Antigonish where the Jr. Bulldogs were trying to become the first team in an eternity not to lose a regular season game in regulation.  They entered the contest against the Cumberland County Blues with a record of 20-0-1, fell behind 4-1 with slightly more than 6 minutes to play in the opening period, tied it at 4-4 by the end of the second period before Burke Beed put the Blues in front once again 5-4 with just over 6 minutes having been played in the third period. Fans in attendance at the Antigonish Arena were hanging on tight as with 59.23 having been played, the Blues were still up 5-4 but with 36 seconds remaining in regulation Sam Mattie scored his 21st goal of the season to tie the game at 5-5.  The game went to overtime and with 1:21 remaining in the five minute sudden-death period, Jake MacDonald scored for the Jr. Bulldogs to give them a 6-5 win and enabled his club to finish the regular season at 21-0-1.  Their only loss all season came in overtime to arch-rival the Pictou County Scotians 3-2.  The Scotians and Jr. Bulldogs have first round byes and advance to the Best-of-Seven Divisional Semi-Finals.
 
Other Bulldog Goal Scorers Sunday were Will Fitzsimmons with a pair, Connor Doherty and Craig Landry.  For the Blues who finished 5-13-2 on the season, Been also scored the Blues first goal of the game with single markers going to Ezekiel Cormier, Jayden Matheson and a short-handed marker by Aidan Fisher.  The Jr. Bulldogs outshot the Blues 41-24.  The Blues now advance to a Best-of-Five Mini Series against the Membertou Jr. Miners.  Elsewhere Sunday:
 
Pictou  3   Membertou  2    (Shoot-Out)
 
The Pictou County Scotians recorded their 11th win in 16 games to close the season with a 3-2 shoot-out win over the Membertou Jr. Miners in Trenton.  It was quite a shoot-out as 8 shots were required and on the 8th shot, Matt Carson connected to make the final 3-2 Pictou.  The game almost didn’t go to overtime as the Jr. Miners were up 2-1 with 34 seconds to play when Matt Chediac scored to tie the game 2-2.  The game was tied 1-1 until the Jr. Miners Andrew McCarron put Membertou up 2-1 with only 2:31 left in regulation.  Blake Cox gave the Jr. Miners a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal less than two minutes i to the opening period before Cal Marner tied it for the Scotians with 11 minutes to play in the second.  Membertou outshot the Scotians 42-37. The Jr. Miners will now play the Blues in a Best-of-Five Mini Series.
 
Port Hawkesbury  4   Eskasoni   3
 
These same two clubs will open their Best-of-Five Mini Series in the Strait Tuesday night beginning at 7:30 but they concluded their regular season with the Pirates defeating the Jr. Eagles 4-3 at the Dan K. Stevens Memorial Arena in Eskasoni Sunday night.  Gregor Yoell and Jayden Muise scored for the Pirates in the opening period while Curtis Novak scored the first of his two in the game to give the Pirates a 2-1 advantage after one.  Jack Neilsen made 3-1 the Strait in the final minute of the second period.  The Jr. Eagles Nicholas Pastuck brought his club back to within a goal mid-way through the third.  Luke Hadley notched the game winner for the Strait with less than three minutes remaining in regulation before Novak made it a one-goal final with just 23 seconds left in regulation.  The Strait Pirates outshot the Jr. Eagles 42-27.  It was the third game of the regular season between the two clubs with the Strait winning previously 8-5 and 4-3 and the Jr. Eagles winning 4-1 meaning the Strait outscored Eskasoni 13-12 in their three regular-season games.
Feb 28, 2022
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Still lots to be determined as to who will be playing who in Best-of-Five Mini Series

There are now only two days remaining in the 2021-22 Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Season.  At this point, we know based on winning percentage that 3 of 4 teams have clinched a bye into the divisional semi-finals with a fourth to be determined over the next two days.  The three teams who have clinched are the 12-5-0 Capstone Colts from C.F.B. Shearwater, the 13-7-1 Sackville Blazers and the 20-0-1 Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs who were all in action Saturday night.  First off in Sackville, the Capstone Colts won their 9th consecutive game 4-1 over the Blazers and it was enough to allow them to clinch first place in the Fred Fox Division based on winning percentage.  The Colts concluded the regular season with a 12-5-0 record while the Blazers take their 13-7-1 record into Monday night’s game at home against Brookfield.  Unfortunately the loss to the Colts prevents the Blazers from climbing out of second place based on winning percentage.  The Colts will finish the regular season having played 17 games while the Blazers game against Brookfield will be their 22nd game of the season and if they win, they will finish with a 14-7-1 record.

 
In action Saturday in Sackville, the Colts jumped in front 2-1 after the first period while adding two more goals in the final period to win it 4-1. Tyler Puma scored his 14th and 15th goals of the season for the Colts with Puma’s second goal coming short-handed with 14:19 remaining in the third .  Stephen Warwick and Brayden Hooper-Richard with his 9th if the season were the other goal scorers for the Colts.  Noah Healy tallied the lone Blazers goal.  The Coltstook the regular season series 3-1 over the Blazers while outscoring Sackville 13-9 in the four games.Elsewhere Saturday:
 
Antigonish Jr.  Bulldogs  4   Cumberland County  1
 
The Jr. Bulldogs will complete their regular season at home against this same Blues team Sunday evening in Antigonish beginning at 7:30 but they are now 20-0-1 following their 4-1 victory in Springhill Saturday evening. Jake MacDonald scored his 7th of the season to go along with 26 assists for 33 points while Will Fitzsimmons, Logan Tramble,and Connnor Doherty added the other Bulldog goals who held period leads of 1-0 and 3-0 while outshooting the 5-13-1 Blues  35-24.Antigonish is guaranteed a first place finish in the Sid Rowe Divsion.
 
Pictou  4    Eskasoni Jr. Eagles 3
 
This game was close all the way before the Scotians finally won their 9th game of the season.  They held period leads of 2-1 and 3-2 with Hayden Burgess scoring his 5th goal of the season and Matt Chediac netting his 6th of the season.  Other Scotian goal scorers were Thomas Kennaley and Luke Young.  Jacob Denny and Dante Basque and Kinnon Williams on the power-play scoring for the Jr. Eagles,. who fell to 6-13-0 while being outshot by the Scotians 45-34.
 
Liverpool  7    Brookfield  1
 
The Privateers finished the season at 10-5-3 following their 7-1 win over the 2-14-1 Elks.  Liverpool took 3-1 and 7-1 period leads.  Daniel Kline netted his 14th and 15th goals of the season while Dylan Patterson also scored a pair.  Other Privateer goal scorers were Mattt Ormon, Joe Osborne and Josh Nicholson added singles.  The lone Elks goal was scored by Ben Fraser.  The Privateers outshot the Elks 48-29.
Feb 27, 2022
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Antigonish has yet to lose in regulation

The Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs after hammering the Eskasoni Jr. Eagles 7-2 Friday night in Antigonish are now 19-0-1 on the season for 39 points and within two games of going the entire 21-22 NSJHL season without having suffered a loss in regulation.  Nothing of course will be known for certain until they complete their home and home weekend series with the Cumberland County Blues.  The Bulldogs are guaranteed a first-round bye in the opening round of the playoffs and will advance directly to the Sid Rowe Divisional Semi-Finals.  The Jr. Eagles meanwhile fell to 6-12-0 and their next three games will be critical as to where they finish in the standings and who they will play in an opening round Best-of-Five Mini Series beginning later next week.  The Jr. Eagles are playing Pictou tonight, Port Hawkesbury Sunday at home and Membertou on Monday to round out their season.

 
Friday night, the Jr. Bulldogs took command early leading 2-1 after one on goals from Sam Mattie who also added an assist and Logan Tramble who finished with a pair of goals and an assist for a three point night.  Antigonish extended their lead to 5-1 after forty minutes on goals from Tramble, his second of the evening, Connor Doherty, and Chris Keyes who also added an assist.  The Jr. bulldogs went up 6-1 in the third with Fearghus MacDonald adding his 17th of the season only 16 seconds into the third period.  Curtis Novak scored the other Jr. Eagles goal and Jordan Etheridge finished the scoring for the Bulldogs to make the final 7-2.  Ethan Price also recorded a pair of assists for the Jr. Bulldogs.  Antigonish has now scored 107 goals in the 20 games they have played which works out to an average of 5.3 goals a game while they have allowed 57 meaning they have allowed 2.8 goals a game.
 
Three exciting nights of hockey left before we know the final standings and who will be playing who in the Best-of-Five Mini Series.
Feb 26, 2022
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