Adam Prudhomme
Editor
A 5-2 win at the Strathcona Paper Centre on Saturday night has the Clarington Eagles up two-games-to-none over the Napanee Raiders in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Marshall McFarland had the Raiders up early with a power-play goal 14:28 into the first.
Momentum swung in the Eagles’ favour from there as Adam Klaas tied the game in the final two minutes of the opening period. The visitors took over in the second as Kayden Hambly, Klaas and Mitchell Davies all found the back of the net while netminder Oliver Webster turned away all 12 Raiders shots sent his way over the 20 minute span.
Connor Brooks finally got the Raiders back on the scoresheet with a power-play goal midway through the third to cut the deficit to 4-2. Davies iced the win with an empty net goal in the final seconds to wrap up the 5-2 victory.
Webster finished the night with 29 saves while Logan Vale took the loss, just his third defeat of these playoffs and first time dropping back-to-back games, facing 23 shots total.
The game was seen by 822 people.
Now down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Raiders find themselves in about as close to a must-win without officially being in a must-win situation ahead of tomorrow afternoon’s Game 3 in Clarington, commencing at 3:25 p.m.
A win there would help right the ship and give them a chance to tie it up on home ice during Wednesday’s Game 4 back at the SPC starting at 7:30 p.m.
*This article has been updated to reflect the fact the Raiders’ next home game is Wednesday, April 17*