March 31st, 2008
Eagles Eliminate Maineiacs
SYDNEY - Mabou's Murdock MacLellan of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles played an early April Fool's joke on the Lewiston Maineiacs when he picked up a pass from Jeremy Gouchie and tapped the puck past outstanding Lewiston goalie Jonathan Bernier to give the Screaming Eagles the 2-1 overtime win to finish their best-of-seven opening-round playoff series 4-2 at Centre 200, Monday night.
“It was one of the best feelings I ever had,” said MacLellan of his 9:46 overtime tally, for his first Quebec Major Junior Hockey League series win in front of 4,058 fans. “Gouch made the perfect pass. It’s hard to miss a goal with a pass like that. All my family was cheering. A lot of people from my hometown were here. The support is great.”
The Screaming Eagles now go up against the Halifax Mooseheads in a best-of-seven quarterfinal series expected to start Friday at the Halifax Metro Centre.
“It’s going to be one of the best series I think,” said MacLellan of taking on the Mooseheads, who shut out the Victoriaville Tigres 7-0 to win their opening-round series 4-2. “Halifax is a really good team with a lot of offence. It’s going to be a hard-fought series.”
Screaming Eagles head coach and general manager Pascal Vincent agreed.
“Halifax is almost a dream come true, to meet those guys,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun series.”
But Vincent said he was focusing on the Screaming Eagles victory over the Maineiacs.
Monday’s match went scoreless until 9:08 in the second period when Lewiston’s Jakub Bundil, assisted by Marc-Andre Daneau and Michael Ward, scored on Screaming Eagles netminder Olivier Roy.
The hometown squad didn’t respond until 8:53 in the third period when Chris Culligan, assisted by Cape Breton captain Dean Ouellet and Beau Prokopetz, evened the score 1-1 with a goal on Bernier, to force overtime.
“We had to beat a tremendous goalie,” said Vincent of Bernier. “He was doing almost miracles out there. But the guys never stopped working. I’m just proud of my kids.”
Roy faced 18 shots in the win, while the Screaming Eagles peppered Bernier with a total of 39 shots.
“That’s an NHL goalie over there,” said MacLellan of Bernier. “And Lewiston played good defence all game. They got a goal early on us and we went in the room and our leaders calmed everyone down, with all the rookies we have. It’s huge to get this first series down. Not that we were scared to go to Game 7, but it’s nice to finish in Game 6.”
NOTES: Roy was named to the QMJHL all-rookie all-star team Monday…Eagles goaltender Marek Benda, who previously had an injured shoulder, was dressed for Monday’s game …Screaming Eagles season ticket holders can purchase their seats today and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., opening to the general public, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
