Eagles Take Series Lead

The Canmore Eagles overturned a 2-0 deficit with three second-period goals and held on for a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Canucks in Game 5 of their Alberta Junior Hockey League playoff series on Friday (March 27).

The home-ice victory gives Canmore a 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven South Division semifinal series. Game 6 is in Calgary on Sunday, March 29, 5 p.m. in the Ken Bracko Arena at the Max Bell Centre.

In other playoff games Friday, the Drumheller Dragons forced a sixth game in their South Division semifinal series with the Camrose Kodiaks with a 4-0 home-ice win. The Kodiaks lead the series 3-2. In a North Division semifinal series, the Whitecourt Wolverines defeated the Fort McMurray Oil Barons 5-1 for a 4-1 series win.

In Canmore, No. 4 Calgary jumped out to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Riley Bracko (4) and Adam M’Hamad (3) as Alex Schewiller returned to the crease for No.1 Canmore after being pulled early in Game 4’s loss. The Eagles’ goaltender was named the AJHL goaltender of the year during the off day between Game 4 and Game 5.

Bracko’s power-play goal to open the scoring was the eighth man-advantage goal of this series for the Canucks and made it the third successive game Calgary has taken a first-period lead. Canmore had yet another sluggish start taking just eight shots and two penalties.

Oddly enough, the game would turn on a third Canmore penalty. John Szabo scored his first goal of the playoffs on a shorthanded breakaway 8:37 into the second period, firing the puck over Calgary goaltender Dimitri Fortin’s blocker. The goal was the first shorthanded marker of the entire season for the Eagles, igniting next-level enthusiasm for the 900-plus fans that were waiting to explode inside the Canmore Recreation Centre.

Canmore would go on to outshoot Calgary 21-4 in the period helped by a five-minute power play to Ben Binder-Nord, who crashed into Cohen Daoust and took a kneeing major. Aidan Tkachuk (2) would score during the power play with Daoust, who spent some time being attended to on the ice before being helped to the bench, assisting on the goal, which came at 14:29.

Then at 18:47 of the period with the teams playing 4-on-4, Easton Milne (2), at the right side of the crease, tipped Bryson Insinger’s pass past Fortin for what would prove the game winner.

There was no lack of good scoring chances for either side in the third period, but both goaltenders proved worthy of selection for this game as they made several key saves to keep this game wildly entertaining right to the final whistle. For the entire contest, Canmore outshot Calgary 42-22.

Both teams finished with one power-play goal, with Calgary having four man-advantage opportunities and Canmore three including the major penalty.

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This night, it was Sean Cootes turn to stop all 23 shots taken on him while Jase Johnstone scored two goals to keep No. 3 Drumheller’s season going. Johnstone’s second-period shorthanded goal would be the game winner, with the Dragons scoring three more times in the third period. No. 4 Camrose holds a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 in Camrose on Sunday.

Tyler Pretty came through with a hat trick and Xander Schulte scored twice as No. 1 Whitecourt ended No. 4 Fort McMurray’s season. The Oil Barons won the opening game of this series but lost the next four contests. Whitecourt will meet No. 2 Grande Prairie in the North Division final series.

Game 1 – Calgary 5 at Canmore 2

Game 2 – Calgary 2 at Canmore 3

Game 3 – Canmore 5 at Calgary 2

Game 4 – Canmore 5 at Calgary 7

Game 5 – Calgary 2 at Canmore 3

(Canmore leads the series 3-2)

Game 6 – Canmore at Calgary, Sunday, March 29 (Ken Bracko Arena, 5 p.m.)

(If necessary)

Game 7 – Calgary at Canmore, Tuesday, March 31 (Canmore Recreation Centre, 7 p.m.)

All games are available for viewing through a Flohockey subscription available online at flohockey.tv or through your Prime Video account.