AJHL final: Eagles go up 3-1 in series

An offensive explosion has put the Canmore Eagles on the brink of claiming the franchise’s first Alberta Junior Hockey League championship.

Two goals by Cohen Daoust bookended Canmore’s tally in a 5-3 victory over the Whitecourt Wolverines on Wednesday (April 22) at the Canmore Recreation Centre. The win gives the Eagles a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 is in Whitecourt on Saturday, April 26, 7 p.m. at JDA Place (available on flohockey.tv).

In the previous three games, three goals were enough to secure victory. In Game 4 of the Inter Pipeline Cup final, three goals was just the start for Canmore. Daoust the Eagles leading scorer during the regular season with 75 points, scored his 3rd and 4th goals of the playoffs and added an assist for one of three players with three-point games: linemates Aidan Tkachuk (5) and Hudson Landmark (8) each scored a goal and picked up two assists. Rookie Easton Milne (7) also scored, giving the hometown product goals in each of the four games.

Whitecourt goals came from Braden Nienaber (1), Ty Rayan (5) and Kyle Tucker (4).

Daoust opened the scoring on the power play at 7:55 of the first period, a long, ice-cutter that seemed to fool Whitecourt goaltender Elliott Pratt, sliding between his pads and into the goal.

Nienaber would equalize for Whitecourt at 14:52. The 1-1 scoreline after one period was the score after two periods in each of the three previous games.

Canmore would score the next four goals – two of those in the second period.

Although, before the goals there was a worrying few seconds for the Eagles when goaltender Alex Scheiwiller seemed to have injured himself in a collision with teammate Evan Markel. After a few anxious moments, the goaltender was pronounced fit to continue in the game.

Tkachuk pounced on a loose puck in front of the Whitecourt goal and rifled it home at 10:23.

Milne scored at 17:34, putting in a Herculean effort to win a puck battle along the end boards – getting knocked down and popping right back up with the puck – then shrugging off two defenders before spinning out from the right corner, passing off to Insinger, then finding open ice in front of the goal for the return feed and burying the puck into the net.

Landmark would score what would prove the game winner just 22 seconds into the third period, firing the puck into goal after Tkachuk’s shot was blocked but swept right onto his linemate’s stick.

Pratt would take a seat on the bench following the goal but would return to the net at the next stoppage of play – just 29 seconds later.

Daoust’s second goal came at 3:52 when he had a short breakaway – one of the very few for either team in this series – finishing it with a backhand over Pratt.

Whitecourt would battle back for two goals. Rayan’s goal at 6:19 came on the power play as both teams would go 1-for-4 with the man advantage and keep intact each team scoring one power-play goal in each game of this series. Tucker scored at 14:16 to make it a two-goal deficit.

The first real skirmish of this series occurred with three seconds remaining resulting in seven minor penalties and three misconducts.

Canmore outshot Whitecourt 39-33.

The Eagles now have three chances to win the AJHL championship, which would be a first for the franchise which nested in the Bow Valley in 1995, playing the first six seasons as the Bow Valley Eagles.

The winner of the AJHL title will go on to represent the league at the Centennial Cup– the national junior A championship tournament – in Summerside, P.E.I., which will be contested May 7-17. The AJHL representative will be looking to defend the national title won last spring by the Calgary Canucks.

Three teams have booked their spots at the 10-team event, host Summerside Western Capitals, the Central Canada Hockey League champion Rockland Nationals, ranked No. 1 in the nation, and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League champion Greater Sudbury Cubs, who are making their third successive trip to the tournament. Both teams swept their respective playoff series with culminating wins on Wednesday night.

Game 1 – Canmore 3 at Whitecourt 1

Game 2 – Canmore 3 at Whitecourt 2

Game 3 – Whitecourt 3 at Canmore 2

Game 4 – Whitecourt 3 at Canmore 5

(Canmore leads series 3-1)

Game 5 – Canmore at Whitecourt, Saturday, April 25 (JDA Place, 7 p.m.)

(if necessary)

Game 6 – Whitecourt at Canmore, Tuesday, April 28 (Canmore Recreation Centre, 7 p.m.)

Game 7 – Canmore at Whitecourt, Friday, May 1 (JDA Place, 7 p.m.)

OVERTIME:  Join the crowd at Patrino’s restaurant for game day watch parties as you follow the Canmore Eagles throughout the playoffs with your local broadcast team – Russ Ullyot (play-by-play) and Zach Amin (analyst) – available at flohockey.tv.