ICEDOGS PUSH OSHAWA TO BRINK
Niagara carries healthy 3-1 series lead against the Generals into Saturday’s Game 5 on home ice
The Niagara IceDogs scratched a six-year itch Thursday night, thanks in large part to a third line that earned first-star honours.
Matthew Philip, Bradey Johnson and Oliver Castleman combined for nine points as Niagara ended a seven-game road playoff win drought against the Oshawa Generals with a 5-2 victory.
The come-from-behind victory, the IceDogs’ first in Oshawa since April 1, 2012, gives Niagara a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal.
Game 4 is 7 p.m. Saturday at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, where the fourth-seeded IceDogs scored 4-2 and 6-2 victories to open the series against No. 5 seed Oshawa.
Niagara rebounded from a 6-2 road loss Tuesday night by scoring four unanswered goals after being outshot 16-8 in the first period.
Intensity on both sides of the puck, made the game much closer than the final score. IceDogs head coach Billy Burke pointed out that as has been the case in each game in the series, it all came down to the third period.
“From their perspective, being down two in the rink in the third really isn’t much,” Burke said. “I thought the guys came out with an excellent sense of playoff urgency.
“Right from our leaders all the way down, they all did a great job, and Stephen Dhillon made some enormous saves for us.”
Also contributing to the victory in the hard-fought win was Niagara’s ability to generate offence from the back end.
“Drew Hunter got us going and Justin McPherson with that big one,” Burke said of goals scored by his defence in Game 4.
An extra attacker who never saw action on the ice for the IceDogs was a loud cheering section OHL continues // C7