Maestro Mastroianni has Eagles hitting the high notes

Owen Mastroianni scored the biggest goal in Canmore Eagles’ history on Wednesday (April 8).

The young man conducted a near flawless performance that finished with an upward whip of his stick bringing to a rousing conclusion the finest game in this junior A team’s 30-year history. Canmore is headed to the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s championship series with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Drumheller Dragons, sweeping the best-of-seven series.

Mastroianni scored two goals and had one assist as he wrote himself into Eagles’ lore. His linemates weren’t too bad either as captain John Szabio was doing leader-type things, scoring one goal and setting up the other three – yes, he was involved in all four goals. Ryder Dembo had two assists.

The ebbs and flows of this franchise’s history could be seen throughout this game as the Eagles’ narrative was changed on several occasions by the Dragons, with their season on the line.

The intro into Game 4 was a feeling out process as both teams emphasized thoughtful movements over bombastic emotion.

That changed in the second period when Jase Johnstone (6th goal) opened the scoring on the only power-play the Dragons would have this game, firing in a one-timer from just below the right-wing face-off dot off a pass from Tristan Payne at 6:24.

Szabo (2) would tie the contest at 14:55 when he pounced on the puck in front of goal and moving right to left rounded the goaltender and batted the puck into the gaping net. Mastroianni picked up an assist with his charge to the net seeing him checked but leaving the puck in Szabo’s path.

Lauchlan Kozicky (3) would put Drumheller back in front at 16:53 when Jacob Goudreau, on the right-side boards, fed him a pass that split the defence and in one deft move rifled the puck far side just under the crossbar.

This contest would then become high tempo in the third period as both teams pushed for its conclusion.

First, it would be Canmore using its only power-play in this game to get back on even terms. Hudson Landmark (6) would finish off the scoring play by shovelling the puck over the goal line after Szabo’s right-side, one-timer was blocked by Drumheller goaltender Sean Cootes, only to have the puck trickle in behind him.

Mastroianni then gave Canmore the lead at 9:55. His first goal of these playoffs was a close-in second attempt flick over the outstretched right pad of Cootes as he finished off a play that involved strong forechecking by Szabo and feathery pass from Dembo.

That goal led to Drumheller taking drastic measures in the final two minutes, pulling the goaltender for an extra attacker. It paid off when Bradley Gallo (4) fired a long-range wrist shot that found its way through a maze of players and high past a screened Canmore goaltender Alex Scheiwiller with 9.4 seconds remaining in regulation time.

The pressure was on Drumheller in overtime knowing that its season could end this night on home ice. The Dragons would push four players forward on every attack, coming close several times in the opening minutes including twice putting pucks off Scheiwiller’s well-positioned mask.

This night though belonged to the one line that Canmore head coach Andrew Milne was hoping would find its breakout game as the playoffs moved along and victories become hard earned … and they did just that in the most impactful way.

The game winner, much like Canmore’s go-ahead goal in the third period involved Szabo crashing to the end boards, working the puck free to Dembo, who tapped it towards the front of goal and onto Mastroianni (2), who with a quick move to his right flipped his stick up sending the puck over the desperate lunge of Cootes for the finishing crescendo of a victory 30 years in the making.

Canmore is now headed to its first AJHL championship series. The opponent will be either the Whitecourt Wolverines or the Grande Prairie Storm, with their North Division final series tied at two wins apiece.

That to-be-determined series will start in the North next week, with the Canmore Recreation Centre set to host Games 3, 4 and possibly 6 of the best-of-seven set. On the line will be a trip to the Centennial Cup, where the AJHL champion will take on the rest of Canada’s provincial junior A champions, May 7-17 in Summerside, P.E.I.

Jalen Bianchet scored twice to give the AJHL regular-season scoring leader five goals in these playoffs and Ty Rayan (4) added a shorthanded goal as visiting Whitecourt took a 3-0 lead in the first period and held on for a series tying victory against Grande Prairie on Wednesday.

Treyson Miller, who played one game for Canmore as an affiliate player last season, scored once and set up the other goal for the Storm.

The series switches to Whitecourt for Game 5 on Friday and will be back in Grande Prairie for Game 6 on Sunday afternoon.

Game 1 – Drumheller 4 at Canmore 5 OT

Game 2 – Drumheller 0 at Canmore 4

Game 3 – Canmore 4 at Drumheller 2

Game 4 – Canmore 4 at Drumheller 3 OT

(Canmore wins series 4-0)

OVERTIME: Playoff tickets are on sale on the Canmore Eagles website. canmoreeagles.ca/tickets. … You can also 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 Amin (analyst) – at flohockey.tv. … The Eagles are in need of more 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.