Petrolia 'Thunderstruck' in opener
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Ah, the playoffs.
A worthy and feisty opponent.
A total of 11 goals.
A couple of scraps, including a crowd-pleasing tilt with hometown boy Cody Chute more-than-holding his own in a David-versus-Goliath encounter.
An early deficit, long battle back to even and then a one-goal lead, erased by a pair of late penalties, and resultant power-play tying goal. And then, scant seconds on the heels of the lowest-of-the-lows, a last-minute game-one-winning high, scored on the backhand from a semi-prone position.
If game one is anything to go by, Tillsonburg Thunder and Petrolia Squires fans have seven exciting WOAA Senior Men’s Hockey opening-round playoff games worth of excitement to look forward to.
“It looks like a script from a movie, almost,” said Thunder coach Tim Christo following a dramatic 6-5 victory Saturday evening inside Tillsonburg’s Kinsmen/Memorial Arena.
Tillsonburg’s Pat Ouellet was responsible for the first of what Christo hopes are four first-round happy endings, a scene established with 46.6 seconds remaining in regulation time. Taken down while driving to the Petrolia net in the immediate aftermath of the Squires’ tying goal, Oullet made a home for himself on the edge of goalie Chris Houle’s blue ice as a massive scramble developed.
Tillsonburg’s Shane Balcomb shot the puck up in the air from behind the Petrolia net, said Ouellet, who saw it touch down in front of Houle, to the goalkeeper’s right.
“Just a gift, it showed up in the crease, I banged at it a couple of times,” said Ouellet, who hadn’t yet regained his skates, but was able to make two plays on the puck.
“I just whacked at it, it went through his legs, I put it in on the other side on the backhand.”
Balcomb had a hand in the game-winning Omega, and also a share in the comeback Alpha.
Petrolia’s Kyle Quinn opened scoring at the game’s 1:13 mark and teammate Scott McPhail upped the visitors’ lead to two goals 1:47 later, on the power-play. Adam Vandepoele’s power-play reply got the home side on the board with 6:23 remaining in the opening frame, on assists to Brad Streib and Justin Salt. Petrolia’s Rob Vanwynsberghe restored a two-goal margin with 2:39 left in the period, but Balcomb’s first of two (both assisted by Vandepoele) cut the gap to a single goal 1:42 prior to its conclusion.
“We got off to a little slow start there,” admitted Balcomb. “The usual typical slow start for playoffs, everyone overexcited, gripping the sticks too tight.
“But we got a couple in the first to come into the dressing room instead of being down by three. Nobody quit, nobody got down, we just kept banging away.”
Petrolia’s Mark Dunlop made it a 4-2 game at the 5:18 mark of the second. Balcomb’s second, on the power-play 42 seconds past the second frame’s midpoint, cut the deficit to one, and just 39 seconds later, Travis Lisabeth completed the comeback to square one. Kevin Galerno drew the lone assist as Lisabeth neatly tucked the puck home inside the right post, glove side, on his former teammate during a stint the two shared in Columbia, South Carolina.
“You could feel the momentum coming our way,” said Christo.
The Thunder’s Devin Homick completed a three-goal period 38 seconds prior to its close, spinning to fire home a Streib rebound off Houle’s right quarter.
“It was planned,” laughed Homick, whose spinnerama delivery may have hid the puck from Houle, who initially was unable to cleanly handle Streib’s ‘knuckleball’ from the point.
Homick’s effort looked as though it might stand up, but tripping and slashing penalties with 3:08 and 2:12 respectively, put Tillsonburg down two skaters through the game’s home stretch.
“It’s tough killing penalties at any time, let alone two in the final three minutes,” admitted Christo.
Petrolia’s Jesse Drydak took advantage on a rush down the right wing, knotting the score at five with 1:05 remaining, just as what had become a four-on-three power-play (due to a hooking penalty to the Squires) expired.
Just under 19 seconds later, Ouellet set the stage for a game-one victory, with assists to Balcomb and Salt.
Christo expected a battle with Petrolia, and game one definitely lived up to expectations. The Squires like to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes said the Thunder coach, and did so early on in the contest, creating a number of odd-man rushes.
“They know they’re not going to skate with us, we’re younger and faster, but they’re older and playing smarter than us right now.”
“Defensive awareness is what we need,” said Ouellet. “It’s not we’re not working hard, we’re not working smart, that’s the problem.”
Christo looks for the Thunder to manage the puck better as the series continues, but on the whole, was pleased with both the effort and result in game one.
“There it is, a good game. The players are happy in the dressing room and the fans were happy in the stands. We’ve got some work to do, and some things to fix, but generally, we’re going to keep the things we like, take away the things we don’t and be back in Petrolia Friday night going at it again.”
The series is scheduled to resume Friday at 8 p.m. in Petrolia, returning to Tillsonburg for game three, Sunday at 5 p.m.
The Squires’ home ice is smaller says Balcomb, which suits his style of hockey just fine.
“I’m sure it will be a lot chippier up there and ‘stickier’.
Maintaining discipline and capitalizing on the power-play chances Tillsonburg does receive will be keys said Ouellet, who in conclusion, praised the level of officiating during Friday’s contest.
“If it’s like that the whole series, we should be OK.”