PORT HAWKESBURY: The Junior Pirates connected for two wins out of their last three games and, as such, the maroon and white are only two points away from taking third place in the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League (NSJHL) Sid Rowe division.
The Pirates have had a rough first half of NSJHL play, managing three regulation time wins and four shootout wins in 18 games. A short bench might have had something to do with that, as the guys have been plagued by injuries and missing bodies.
“When you’re missing seven to nine players a night, you can bring up all the affiliate players you want, the team just isn’t going to be as strong as it’s supposed to be,” said Coach Dave Marston. “You look at our roster, and there are only two players who’ve played every game – not because they don’t want to be here. They’re just hurt.”
Pirate mainstays Morgan Timmons, Braden Murray, Mitchell Warner, and Floyd MacDonald have all been sidelined for various injuries. Indeed, assistant captain Warner is still out with an injury but expected to be back in the next couple of weeks.
Marston said his team’s recent streak might be a sign of a new leaf turning. Also shaking things up was a recent trade that saw long-time Pirate Kirkland Bernard and Jake MacLellan, along with a player on their protected list, moved to Pictou in return for Jason Bollivar, Peter Drohan, and Alec Cranston.
Marston said Bernard was a big part of the team, but dealing him was a way to shake up the dressing room while bringing in three strong players. Bernard was the only one of the three Pirates who was appearing regularly in the line-up. The coach added that Bernard was a great player, but dealing him was a way of bringing in bodies – something that will help the short bench situation.
“If we aren’t in second by Christmas, we hope to be by the end of January,” he said. “Hopefully we can hold onto it and go from there.”
On Thursday of last week, the Strait overcame three Brookfield Elk leads to skate to a 5-4 shootout win.
Randon MacKinnon (from Joey Ramsay and Timmons) had the lone Pirate goal, wedged between a pair of Elk goals.
The second saw Troy Hillier (unassisted) pull the trigger early, at 1:03, tying the game at 2-2. The Elks popped two goals after that, and Timmons (from MacKinnon and Drohan) made it a 4-3 game going into the third. In the third, MacKinnon (from Drohan and Nathan Hayes) tied the game at 4-4. Matthew Stymest faced 44 shots to garner the win for the Pirates.
On Friday, the Pirates celebrated a big home-ice win, overturning two Pictou Scotian leads en route to a 4-2 Pirate win.
Drohan (unassisted) scored at 6:34 of the second period, tying the game at 1-1 after Scotian Josh Hartley put the puck in the net. Pirate Bollivar used a power play and the set-up skills of Taylor Pierce and MacDonald to put the puck in the net at 10:57 of the second. That goal undid a 2-1 Pictou lead, as Scotian Brendon Duff connected 49 seconds before the Pirate goal. In the third, Bollivar (from Pierce and MacDonald) and Timmons (from Randon MacKinnon) made it a 4-2 Pirate win. Stymest had the win, facing 25 shots.
Last Sunday, the Valley Maple Leafs’ six-goal first period pretty much put the game out of reach, as the host Leafs skated to an 8-4 final.
Cody Hinkley (from Joseph MacDonnell) gave the Strait a short-lived one goal lead, as he connected at 4:13 of the first frame. MacKinnon also had a Strait goal in the first, finishing on a play setup by Axel Poirier and Hinkley. His goal came at 15:30, after the Valley ran up a 4-1 lead. Timmons (from Pierce and Murray) had a goal in the late going of the second, and Pierce (from Timmons) had a goal late in the otherwise scoreless third. Stymest and Mike O’Reilly shared goaltending duties.
This Friday, the Pirates host the Cumberland County Blues at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, the maroon and white will put on a rare Sunday afternoon game at 2 p.m. when the Valley Maple Leafs arrive for action.
