SPRINGHILL, N.S. – They didn’t win their first game of the 2019-2020 season but they did have fans on the edge of their seats.
The Cumberland County Blues lost a 7-6 nail-biter to the Valley Maple Leafs Friday night at the Richard Calder Arena in Springhill.
“I like that the boys never gave up,” Blues coach Wayne MacKenzie said. “We had some great scoring chances in the last minute but couldn’t get the puck past their goaltender.”
The Blues had several chances to tie the game in the last two minutes, including a scrum in front of the Leafs net with only a few seconds left on the clock.
MacKenzie said his team moved the puck well all night long.
“We scored a lot of goals and we had lots of shots on the net but we need to work on our defensive zone coverage.”
First Period
Both teams scored two goals each in the first period.
Adam Hunt opened the scoring for the Blues, with Brody Deegan and Taylor Smith assisting.
Jordan Harrison scored the Blues second goal on the power play, with Yanick LeBlanc and Smith assisting on the goal.
Second Period
Both teams scored two goals in the second period.
Nate Stone scored off a pass from Brandon Greeno, and Deegan scored with assists from Hunt and Jacob Estabrooks.
Third Period
The Leafs scored two early goals in the third period, going up 6-4, but the Blues battled back, tying the game 6-6.
LeBlanc scored off passes from Hunt and Deegan, and Hunt scored off a pass from Greeno.
The Leafs scored with 3:55 left in the game.
The game finished with the Blues on a power play and their goalie out of the net. They had several scoring chances but were unable to tie the game.
Goaltending
Shots on goal were tied 46-46. Zack Parris played in net for the Blues, stopping 39 of the 46 shots he faced.
“Zack made some key stops for us during the game,” MacKenzie said. “But, as a team, we need to be a little more disciplined, so there are some things we need to work on during Wednesday’s practice.”
Upcoming Games
The Blues host the Sydney Jr. Miners for two games next weekend.
On Friday they play at 7:30 p.m., and then on Saturday they start at 2 p.m.
