MIRAMICHI, N.B. – The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Western Capitals are red hot.
Austin Taylor scored the winning goal in the fifth round of the shootout to lift the Caps to a 3-2 road win over the Miramichi Timberwolves on Friday night. It was the Caps’ fourth win in a row and fifth in their last six games as they closed to within one point of the third-place Timberwolves in the Eastlink North Division of the MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League).
The Caps, who have a game-in-hand on Miramichi, improved to 11-9-1-0 (won-lost-overtime losses-shootout losses). The Timberwolves are 10-8-2-2.
The Caps will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday, when they conclude a stretch of three games in three days against the league-leading South Shore Lumberjacks (18-5-0-1). Puck drop at Eastlink Arena is set for 7 p.m.
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Before 490 fans at the Miramichi Civic Centre, the Capitals outshot the Timberwolves 42-37, including a 4-1 margin in the five-minute overtime period.
Brodie MacArthur and Josh MacDonald also scored for the Caps in the shootout.
Shea extends streak
TJ Shea scored to extend his point streak to 15 games, and has now recorded 38 points during this stretch. MacArthur also scored and added an assist for the Caps in regulation time while Matthew Kreis scored both goals for Miramichi, including the tying goal with 5:27 remaining in the third period.
Kreis’s first goal, which opened the scoring at 3:36 of the second period, snapped Caps goaltender Dominik Tmej’s shutout string at just under 157 minutes. Tmej, who has won all four of his starts since joining the Caps and went into Friday’s game having recorded back-to-back shutouts, sports a 1.06 goals-against average and .965 save percentage.
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Jordan Spence, Josh MacDonald and Brodie MacMillan chipped in with single helpers for the Caps.
David Comeau, Mitchell Kreis and Jason Imbeault set up the Miramichi goals.
The teams played a scoreless first period, and were tied 1-1 following 40 minutes.
Raphael Blais was between the pipes for the Timberwolves.
The game’s three stars were:
1. Brodie MacArthur (Capitals), 2. Dominik Tmej (Capitals), 3. Raphael Blais (Timberwolves).