Thunder KO Clinton in six games
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It was a busy night for Tillsonburg Thunder goalie Cody Vinnai who stopped 40 shots in Saturday night's 4-2 win over Clinton Radars.
"I was busy up there last night too," said Vinnai after Game 4 of their WOAA South Division semifinals. "Same number of shots... went into overtime."
Saturday's 'must-win' gave Tillsonburg a 3-2 advantage in the senior men's hockey best-of-seven playoff series heading to Clinton Sunday evening for Game 6 (7 p.m. start).
The Radars had knotted the series at two apiece with a 1-0 overtime win Friday in Clinton.
"I thought we played a very good game as a team," said Vinnai. "Unfortunately we lost. But obviously that gave us more motivation tonight – our arena, our house.
"They're a team that's very good in their arena. Like any team, they practice in their arena and their plays are very good, very effective. Defensively, they don't give us a lot up there. It's a way different game up there."
Clinton's Mike Gillen won Friday's game 7:55 into the sudden death OT period. The Thunder got their offence on track Saturday and led 3-1 after two periods, despite the Radars having a 2-1 advantage in shots on net.
"Giving them one game gave them legs, they knew they could compete with us. They have nothing to lose, we have everything to lose. We're the team that's undefeated at home, we're the team that came first."
There were some tense penalty-killing moments in the third, and Clinton cut the lead to one with 5:54 left to play. Tillsonburg's penalty killers effectively shut the door, and Thunder's Nathan Peacock nailed it scoring on a breakaway from the right wing with 1:02 left to play.
"Overall we had a very good game," said Vinnai. "We got a couple guys back who didn't play in the loss and that definitely showed. We fell into some penalty problems in the third, but we killed them off and... a win's a win, right?"
Vinnai stopped 17 of 18 Clinton shots in the third period.
"I'm pretty focused when it comes to my game. It's playoffs – I want to win, the team wants to win. Obviously in a game like this we don't want to give up home ice, so it means a little more. I know what my job is – my job is to stop the puck. If there's five guys or three guys, my job is to stop the puck.
"I'm pretty low key. I've played on some very competitive teams over the last couple of years, I know what it takes to make it to the finals... so I try to stay as 'level' as possible, try to forget the refs or anything."
With his Junior B coach in Niagara Falls, Vinnai developed a hybrid style, which he has effectively used since joining the Thunder in January.
"It's not a butterfly, I'm not dropping to my knees all the time. And I'm not standing up all the time. Our mentality was to 'not give the shooter the first option.' If I drop to my knees, they go upstairs. That's the motive we've lived and died with the last couple of years."
Sunday night's Game 6 makes it three in three nights. Game 7, if necessary, is back in Tillsonburg Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m.
"I'm 23 and I just got out of Junior B the year before last, so I'm used to these back-to-back-to-back games. But it throws your whole weekend off. We got home last night (Friday) at 2 a.m."
SUNDAY UPDATE: Thunder defeat Clinton 5-1 to win the best-of-seven 4-2.