Kyle Maksimovich nets overtime winner, as Panthers secure first win of New Year

By Thomas Becker

Kyle Maksimovich delivered the game-winner in overtime, as the UPEI Panthers survived a sluggish start to come away with a 3-2 win over the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus.

Zac Beauregard and Kaleb Pearson also scored in the win, while Vincent Deslauriers and Jeremy Michel countered for Moncton. 

After a month-long layoff, both teams were shaking off the cobwebs early on, which resulted in a scoreless first period.

"It was a little rough there," Maksimovich said. "We weren't winning too many battles, and we were just trying to get a feel for the game again after the long Christmas break. But we picked it up in the second and third periods." 

UPEI's best chance came around the 7:30 mark when Troy Lajeunesse sent a short pass to his right to a wide-open TJ Shea, who fired a shot off the goalie's right pad.

Jonah Capriotti was the best player on the ice in the opening frame, where he turned aside 14 of the 30 shots he faced on the night, including denying a point-blank shot from Alexandre Couture at 16:26. 

Moncton broke the deadlock at 1:11 of the second period when Jacob Dion sent a pass off the side boards to Deslauriers, who took the puck and fired a shot by Capriotti from the top of the right circle. 

That lit a fire under the Panthers, who responded with two quick goals. Beauregard made his presence felt in his first AUS game, as he tied it up with a tap-in off a long cross-ice pass from Cole Candella 59 seconds after surrendering the first goal. 

"I'm feeling great right now," said Beauregard, who decided to return to the team after skating with them in training camp. "It was a bit of an adjustment at first, but it's great to be back helping the team win some games."

Some slick passing led to another goal and their first lead of the game at 4:52. Danil Antropov got the play started as he took the puck through the neutral and dropped it off to Drake Pilon, who found Pearson by the far post where the sophomore tipped it in. 

UPEI carried a 2-1 lead into the third period, where the Aigles Bleus quickly tied it up. At 1:02, Dion led Michel with a great cross-ice pass through the neutral zone where the forward took a couple strides before firing a wrist shot off the far post.

Both teams battled hard to find the winner in regulation but couldn't get it done, setting the stage for a hero to emerge in the extra fram. That hero was Maksimovich, who took a pass from Matt Brassard by the side of the net and got shot past Étienne Montpetit from the difficult angle for the power play goal.

"It starts with Lajeunesse moving his feet and working really hard to draw the penalty, and then our power play guys came up clutch in the end," Maksimovich said.

The Panthers look to make it two wins in a row to start the New Year when they visit the UNB Reds Saturday night, while the Aigles Bleus take on the Reds at home Friday night.

Photo Credit: Janessa Hogan