Matt Forchuk scored twice on his return from a one-game suspension but it was Braden Saretsky getting the biggest goal, and one that won’t go towards his points total, as the Canmore Eagles opened up a three-game, weekend road trip with a victory.
Saretsky scored the game winner as the Eagles defeated the Storm 4-3 in a shootout in Alberta Junior Hockey League action in Grande Prairie on Friday night.
Saretsky was the lone goal scorer in the six-man shootout — three from each side — on a night that also saw the debut of the Eagles other goaltender, Thomas Davis.
Davis had a rocky start to his AJHL career giving up three goals in the opening 8:12 of the game but then shutdown their hosts the rest of the way, ending the game with 22 saves and three more in the shootout.
Coy Prevost (his sixth of the season) had given Canmore a 1-0 lead just 2:25 into the game.
Grande Prairie then got goals from Jake Ustorf (1), Zac McNeil (5) and Jake Elmer (8) in taking the lead.
Forchuk would score his first of the game at 13:15 of the opening period and the Eagles went to the break trailing 3-2.
Forchuk added his second of the game at 5:01 of the third period to tie the game.The goal came on the power play and only the second minor penalty of this game. The game finished with just two minor penalties called with both going to the Storm.
Canmore outshot Grande Prairie 40-25 including an 18-7 edge in the third period and all five shots in the overtime.
With his two-goal effort, Forchuk remains at the top of the AJHL scoring ladder with 28 points (11G-17A). He missed the Eagles’ previous game — a 5-1 win over the Okotoks Oilers on Tuesday — as he served a one-game suspension after being given a game misconduct for comments directed at the game officials in the Eagles' last loss: 2-1 to the Camrose Kodiaks on Oct. 18.
Linemate Logan Ferguson picked up two assists in the game and is tied for fourth in league scoring with 22 points (11G-11A).
Canmore improved its record to 8-5-2 on the season but remain in fifth place in the South Division.
Grande Prairie is now 5-8-3 and sixth place in the North.
Next up for Canmore on this road trip is the Whitecourt Wolverines (11-4-3) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Scott Safety Centre). The Eagles finish the weekend with a game against the Drayton Valley Thunder (2-8-4) on Sunday (2:30 p.m., Omniplex).
RUllyot@postmedia.com
For more from Russ at the Crag and Canyon: http://www.thecragandcanyon.ca/2016/10/29/eagles-outlast-storm