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Game 1 of NS Provincial Chmps Series tonight
For the first time since the spring of 2019, the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League will be able to crown a Provincial Champion. It almost happened last year when the East Hants Penguins and Membertou Jr. Miners had played a few games in the championship series before the Covid Virus became so rampant, no recourse was left but to shut-down the remainder of the series.
One year later, there are thousands and thousands more who have been vaccinated and received a booster shot that is making the sickness far more manageable if or when someone is struck by it. Game 1 between the East Hants Penguins and the AA Munro Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs will be played tonight at 7:30 at the Antigonish Arena with game 2 going back to Lantz for a 7:30 start Saturday night. Covid did prevent the league in 21-22 from having a 32 game regular season but a 3/4 of a season was still obtainable with a full playoff schedule to determine the League Finalists.
East Hants and the Jr. Bulldogs were still able to play their regular two-game regular season schedule prior to the 2 month shut-down at Christmas and the AA Munro Jr. Bulldogs were able to win both games 7-5 and 4-2 to outscore the Pens in the two games 11-6. The Jr. Bulldogs had a remarkable regular season going 21-0-1 and placing first in the Sid Rowe Division while being the only team to score 100 goals in regular season play scoring 117 and allowing 63 for a plus/minus differential of +54 while the Pens finished in fourth place in the Fred Fox Division with a 10-7-0 record for 20 points scoring 79 and allowing 59 goals for a plus/minus differential of +20.
The Jr. Bulldogs last won a NS Championship in 2005-2006 and they last won an Atlantic Championship in back to back years of 82-83 and 83-84. East Hants last won a NS Junior Championship in 2011-2012 and an Atlantic Championship in 2006-2007.
The Jr. Bulldogs on paper appear to have the stronger club but what appears on paper and then happens on the ice are often two different things. The Bulldogs have Regular season MVP Fearghus MacDonald who has recorded 59 points in both regular season and playoff competition scoring 27 goals and collecting 32 assists for 59 points. Not far behind were Jake MacDonald with 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points and Sam Mattie with 27 goals and 24 assists and 51 points as well. If the Pens hope to do anything, these three players for the Bulldogs will have to be slowed down. As for the Penguins, their top two guns will also need an extra special look by Bulldog defence as Evan McHenry scored 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points in both the Regular season and playoffs while Bruen Fisher scored 13 times and added 26 assists for 39 points.
In nets, the Jr. Bulldogs have the always dependable Cody MacEachern who finished the regular season with a 13-2-0 record with a 2.89 goals against average and a .901 save percentage while stopping 402 of 44 shots that he faced. Luke Sampson was a commendable back-up going 7-0 with a 2.77 goals against average while stopping 145 of 164 shots. Grant Sanford was the driving force in the Penguin nets with a record of 5-3-0 for a 2.07 Goals against average and a 0.928 save percentage while stopping 205 of 221 shots.
Special Teams is another crucial ingredient of any regular season or playoff game and the Bulldogs certainly have a formidable power-play scoring 22 time in 22 regular season games while adding 5 short-handed goals. For the Pens, they scored 10 Power-play markers and added 6 short-handed goals in 17 regular season games.
Junior Fans should be in for a good treat as these two teams for the right to advance to the Don Johnson Memorial Cup Championship in Cocagne, New Brunswick April 26-May 1.