KENSINGTON, P.E.I. — One thing that has stood out through the first three days of play at the 2019 Don Johnson Memorial Cup is parity.
All five teams remain in the playoff hunt heading into Friday’s final day of round-robin play in the Atlantic junior B hockey championship at Credit Union Centre in Kensington.
Thursday, the CBR Renegades from Newfoundland and Labrador scored a 9-6 come-from-behind win over the previously-undefeated Island Junior Hockey League-champion Western Red Wings in a late-afternoon contest. In the late game, the Sackville Blazers from Nova Scotia edged the host Kensington Vipers 3-2.
The Red Wings and Blazers are both 2-1 (won-lost) and will meet in a first-place showdown on Friday at 4 p.m. New Brunswick’s Moncton Vitos are 1-1 while the Vipers and Renegades sit at 1-2.
The Vitos play twice on Friday – against the Renegades at noon and the Vipers at 8 p.m.
The top four teams after round-robin play qualify for Saturday’s two semifinal games at 3 and 7 p.m. The final is Sunday at 2 p.m.
Renegades 9 Red Wings 6
The Renegades, who trailed 5-3 after 40 minutes, erupted for six third-period goals, including five in the first 10:07.
Nicolas David (2), Tyler Wall (1-3), Tyler Hennessey (1-1), Blake Fudge (1-1), Nick Gosse (1-1), Ryan Tobin, Jimmy Kennedy and Aaron Peach scored for the Renegades. Andrew Barron chipped in with three assists.
Silas Handrahan (1-1), Alex Morrissey (1-1), Colby MacArthur (1-1), Isaac Knox, Thomas Rennie and Austin Taylor countered for the Abram-Village-based Red Wings, who led 2-1 after the opening period.
Winning goaltender Jordan Blackwood made 38 saves.
The Renegades were assessed eight of the game’s 11 minor penalties. Each team picked up one 10-minute misconduct.
Blazers 3 Vipers 2
Justin Sumarah turned in a 52-save performance to backstop the Blazers to victory.
Luc Arsenault’s unassisted goal 5:56 into the third period gave the Blazers a 3-1 lead and stood up as the game-winner. Wyatt Michaluk and Spencer Langille-Clow also dented the twine for Sackville.
Dylan Wheatley and Tyler Gallant replied for the Vipers.
The Blazers led 2-1 after the first and second periods.
Vipers goaltender Cameron Visser stopped 34 of 37 shots.
Click below for related stories on 2019 Don Johnston Memorial Cup:
Thursday's game between Nova Scotia's Sackville Blazers and New Brunswick's Moncton Vitos:
Wednesday's game between the host Kensington Vipers and Newfoundland and Labrador's CBR Renegades:
Wednesday's game between P.E.I.'s Western Red Wings and New Brunswick's Moncton Vitos:
Tuesday night's game between P.E.I.'s Western Red Wings and host Kensington Vipers:
Western Red Wings and Kensington Vipers enter with high expectations:
One of the challenges facing coaches in a tournament like the Don Johnson Memorial Cup:
