Royals 3 points up on East Hants in race for playoff spot

By Dan Boyd

Team goes 2-1 in great week of hockey

The Sackville Blazers and St. Margaret’s Bay Ducks are both well ahead of the Windsor Royals in the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Standings but the Royals showed both clubs they are are up for a challenge and to not expect an easy game despite what the standings say.

The Royals opened the week with a 6-5 shoot-out win over the 15-11-1-1 Sackville Blazers at the Sackville arena.

The Blazers took a 2-0 lead with a pair of goals 1:24 apart in the first period but the Royals tied it on a goal by Blake Hayes from Cody White and Sam Webb just 39 seconds into the second period.

Tyler MacGowan who continues his impressive and inspirational style of play with the Royals tied it at 2-2 before the Blazers scored a pair of unassisted goals to move in front 4-2.

But Eric Jackaman, a 40 goal scorer in British Columbia Junior Hockey last season, moved the Royals back to within 1 with 14 seconds left in the second period. The third period began with the Blazers moving up two goals again 5-3 but Brett Mosher and then Cameron Gross scored for Windsor to force overtime and the shoot-out.

The Royals outshot Sackville 38-27.

Royals outhustle first-place Ducks

The Ducks entered the weekend home and home with a 21-5-0-1 record and first place in the Fred Fox Division.  Windsor entered at 10-14-0-1 but you would never have known the Ducks were a first place hockey club as the Royals took it to them from the outset and turned the Ducks inside out.

Eric Jackaman opened the scoring for the Royals on a great wrist shot as he circled around his Ducks defender and drilled a shot half-way between the blueline and the goalie to give Windsor a 1-0 lead after twenty minutes. Cody White, Brett Mosher and Tyler MacGowan put Windsor ahead 4-0 beffore the Ducks got on the board. Tyler MacGowan then finished the game’s scoring to give the Royals their second win of the season over the Ducks. The game saw 122 penalty minutes called.

Ducks escape with narrow win

Saturday night saw the Ducks outscore the Royals 3-1 in the third period to escape with a close 5-4 win after Windsor had held leads of 2-0 and 3-2.  Kevin Campbell had an outstanding game in nets for the Royals blocking 49 of 54 shots as the Ducks outshot the Royals 54-30.  This after Windsor outshot the Bay 41-37 Friday night.

Brett Mosher scored a pair for the Royals Saturday while Eric Jackaman and Cody White with his 24th goal of the season added singles for the Royals.  White also has 16 assists for 40 points on the season.

Four home games ahead

The Royals with a 3 point lead on East Hants for the fourth and final playoff spot now face the Penguins head-on the next two Friday evenings in Windsor.  Both games will start at 7:45 at Hants Exhibition Arena.

The Royals will also play the Brookfield Elks in a make-up game this Saturday evening beginning at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 10 at home against the Sackville Blazers at 8:00 p.m.  

Four huge home games for the Royals and the Royals are hopeful of large turn-outs for all four games as they attempt to clinch the 4th and final playoff spot.  Don’t forget everytime you attend a Royals home game, you will have the chance to shoot for $5000 in cash courtesy of Windsor Home Hardware.  Kevin Leppert of Kentville just missed the $5000 by the skin of his teeth two weeks ago Friday but did take home a $50 gift certificate from Windsor Home Hardware.