Blues light the lamp in two wins

Blues captain Patrick Millette and forward Adam Cavaleri each had two goals in a win over the Ottawa Jr. Senators 7-3 at the Jim Durrell Complex Sept. 19. Shane Bakker, Andrew Creppin, and David Walters added singles while Morgan Barr made 40 saves in the victory.

Millette scored three more the next night in the team’s home-opener – which moved the Blues into a three-way tie for the division lead, along with Cornwall and Cumberland – at the Earl Armstrong Arena a 6-4 win over the expansion Kemptville 73’s.

The tallies give the Kapuskasing native seven goals in just four games. “It’s just been going in,” Millette said. “I don’t know but I’ve been pretty hot and the team just seems to keep putting it in too. All our rookies are scoring and that’s perfect. That’s what we want.”

Creppin, Andrew Beuman, and Kyle Couvieau also tallied markers against the 73’s. Stephen Cross (1-2, 3.33 GAA, .907 SV per cent), meanwhile, contributed 36 saves as the Blues continued their effective goaltending platoon along with Barr (2-0, 2.50 GAA, .935 SV per cent). Third-string goalie Adam Chalifoux has yet to play this season.

The sore point for the Blues, explained Millette, was not being able to put together a solid 60 minute effort in either game. The captain said the latter match was a perfect example – they were leading 6-0 after two periods but seemed to stop skating in the third, allowing Kemptville to bring the game within reach.

“Both games I think we played pretty good for a few periods, but we still have to work on our third period,” he said. “We always have one period where we seem to just not work as hard. (Kemptville) was a perfect example, four goals in the third period.”

Blues head coach Mike Ruest said the two wins felt like losses because in both games the team went long stretches “without much effort” in their play.

“I’m just not happy with the overall 60 minute effort that we’re putting through right now, so we’re just going to have to bear down a little bit more,” Ruest said. “Luckily in February we probably won’t remember how we got our two points right now, but there was just a lack of effort for periods of time during the game and that’s what’s costing us.”

Orléans’ home-opener on Sept. 20 also marked the first time the team has skated on the Earl Armstrong rink this season, thanks to the new boards and ice surface installed at the arena over the summer.

“I like it,” Millette said of the home barn’s new boards. “The boards are kind of stiff, but I don’t know, I like it. They seem to have a new arena feel, so it’s perfect. I like going into a new place and it kind of helped us out…six goals in the first two periods.”

The Blues head on the road for a match with the Kanata Stallions Tuesday, Sept. 25, before coming back to the Earl for a 7:30 p.m. tilt against east-end rivals Cumberland on Thursday, Sept. 27.

-- Jamie Harkins