Eagles feel the Payne

The Canmore Eagles might be the new Alberta Junior Hockey League South Division champions but the Drumheller Dragons aren’t going to let them rest on their laurels.

Drumheller pulled off a second successive win over Canmore 2-1 in overtime on Tuesday (March 10) at the Canmore Recreation Centre.

Tristan Payne’s ice-scrapping point shot slipped past netminder Alex Scheiwiller (21-14/2.91/.921) and into the goal to bring to its conclusion an entertaining hockey game that featured a near sellout crowd of 732.

Canmore came into the two games – the other being a 5-2 win for the Dragons in Drumheller on Saturday (March 7) – having already sewn up top spot. The Eagles though still had three games remaining on their schedule and have lost two of them.

It took more than 56 minutes for the first goal in Tuesday’s game. Brayden Ryan-MacKay (6) gave the visitors the lead when he had an open side tap-in off a pass from Bradley Gallo.

Cohen Daoust (31) would tie the game with 38 seconds remaining in regulation time. The Eagles leading scorer slapped the puck into an open goal from out near the blue line after Dragons netminder Sean Cootes (17-12/2.81/.907) came out to play the puck – maybe seeking to score into an empty net at the other end of the ice – and swept it off a teammate to the stick of the goalscorer.

It took 1:28 of 3-on-3 hockey to decide the outcome as Payne swept the puck to the goal from just inside the Eagles’ blue line and past a screened Scheiwiller.

Drumheller outshot Canmore 44-32 with both goaltenders well deserved players of the game for their respective teams.

Just six minor penalties (and one 10-minute misconduct to the Dragons) were called in the game with four going to the Drumheller. Neither team was able to score on the power play.

Eagles captain John Szabo was held pointless bringing his points streak an end after 15 games (9G-18A).

With the victory, Drumheller (27-19-2-5) are guaranteed a second-place finish with still two games remaining the season. The Camrose Kodiaks (28-23-2-1) will finish third.

The Calgary Canucks (23-25-3-2) will finish fourth and face Canmore in the opening round of the AJHL playoffs, which begin Friday, March 20 with Game 2 on Saturday, March 21. The Eagles will play the first two games of the best-of-seven series at the Canmore Recreation Centre. Playoff tickets will go on sale to the public on March 17 at 9 a.m.

The Canucks fired their head coach Matt Robinson on Monday replacing him with interim head coach Geoff Rollins, who becomes the third head coach of the team this season. His debut was a 3-0 home-ice loss to the Whitecourt Wolverines on Tuesday.

The Eagles will finish out the regular season Friday, March 13 at home versus the Olds Grizzlys.

OVERTIME: Canmore used two affiliate forwards on Tuesday in Kayden Hayes (Okotoks Oilers U18AAA) and Nixon Chanski (Grande Peace Storm U18AAA), although Chanski seems set to spend the remainder of the season with the Eagles with his name bar adorning the No. 7 jersey. … The Eagles are always in need of volunteers to help with game day experiences, email info@canmoreeagles.com for more information on opportunities and perks that come with being part of the Game Day Crew. … Follow the Canmore Eagles at home and on the road throughout the playoffs with your local broadcast team – Russ Ullyot (play-by-play) and Zach Ahmin (colour analyst) – with a Flohockey account. Go to flohockey.tv.