White wins again

Press Release

REGINA – The coaches wanted goals and that's what they got as Team White beat Team Red 6-4 on Monday night in the second intrasquad game in as many nights at the Canadian junior team selection camp.

Members of the Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires led the way as Greg Nemisz had two goals and two assists, Adam Henrique had the tying and winning goals in the third period, Taylor Hall had four assists and defenceman Ryan Ellis added a goal and an assist.

The Spitfires' top three forwards were put together as part of head coach Willie Desjardins' extensive line-juggling aimed at sparking more scoring from his players.

Luke Adam of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles also scored for the Whites before a thin crowd of 2,887 at the 6,300-seat Brandt Centre.

Brandon McMillan of the Kelowna Rockets, Nazem Kadri of the London Knights, Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats and Gabriel Bourque of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar scored for the Reds, who outshot White 35-33.

It was a fast-paced game with good chances at both ends and plenty of hitting despite the fact that 22 of the players will be teammates when the roster for the world junior championship squad is announced on Wednesday.

White beat Red 3-2 on Sunday night in a game marked by tight checking and shot blocking, and head scout Al Murray noted that it would take time for the skilled attackers to find their groove.

One night later, the offensive players found some room, with the Red attack led by the Eberle, Kadri, McMillan trio and the Whites by the Spitfires.

McMillan got it started when he picked up a puck at the blue line, broke in from the left side and beat Martin Jones at 11:39 of the opening period.

Two minutes later, Kadri used an impressive burst of speed to rush in, cut in front and beat Jones with a wrist shot to the glove side.

Nemisz answered 22 seconds later after Hall fed him in front to tip a puck past Olivier Roy.

Adam tied it 1:22 into the second frame with a shot from the left circle that trickled through Roy's pads and Ellis scored on the first shot against Matt Hackett, who came in when both teams changed goalies at 10:06.

The Whites picked up four penalties in the second period and Eberle scored on the last of them at 16:16 when he was set up alone in front, and Bourque put Red back in the lead when he beat Jake Allen from the right side at 17:42.

Henrique tied it for the Whites on a power play 9:29 into the third when he poked a puck in from the doorstep and then added another as the Spitfire line swarmed the net and scored on a high shot from in close.

Nemisz, with his third goal in two nights, closed out the scoring at 15:52 on another penalty.

There was a scary moment late in the third period when Jordan Caron rammed defenceman Tyler Cuma head-first into the boards. The Ottawa 67s defenceman lay on the ice for a moment, but was able to get up and stayed in the game.

The juniors will play an exhibition game Tuesday night against a team of university players. Some cuts may be made Tuesday morning.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)