Steelheads leave Petes reeling
Despite 10-1 road loss, Petes remain ahead of Oshawa for first after Generals also lost
MISSISSAUGA – The Mississauga Steelheads served notice to the OHL’s Eastern Conference leaders.
Powered by Michael McLeod’s career-high seven points the Steelheads embarrassed the Peterborough Petes 10-1 at the Hershey Centre Friday night.
The only good news for the Petes was the Oshawa Generals also lost Friday 3-2 to the Ottawa 67’s. The Petes maintain a two-point lead atop the Eastern Conference. Oshawa will use its game in hand Saturday against the Kitchener Rangers before hosting the Petes 6:05 p.m. Sunday. The loss snapped a Petes’ seven-game road winning streak and three-game winning streak overall.
McLeod had three goals and four assists and was a one-man wrecking crew. It was Mississauga’s first win in four meetings with the Petes this season and just the second Petes’ loss against Central Division opponents in 17 games.
Petes head coach Jody Hull struggled to find words to describe what happened as the result was so uncharacteristic of what he’s seen from his team most of the season, especially since Dec. 1.
“We forgot to play the final 20 minutes for whatever reason and we paid the price for it,” Hull said.
His biggest concern was the way his team went out without much of a fight.
“There was no bite back,” he said. “We just let them keep coming at us. All the things we did well last night (Thursday’s 3-1 win over Kingston) we didn’t do at all tonight. I don’t care who you’re playing, if you don’t do the right things you won’t get the results. It’s tough because we haven’t had this all year.”
The club has a day off before its showdown with Oshawa.
“We’ll address some things Saturday and we’ll have to park this and be ready for a huge match Sunday,” Hull said. “After games like this the true character of your team usually comes to the forefront. That’s what we’ll be looking for from our guys Sunday night.”
The Petes started decent enough hitting a couple of goal posts early on but Mississauga took the lead on a power play at 11:01 as McLeod beat Petes starter Scott Smith. Smith played the full game allowing 10 goals on 34 shots. Jacob ingham stopped 26 at the other end.
McLeod made it a two-goal lead 2:40 into the second as he finished Stephen Leblanc’s feed. The third Steelheads goal was short-handed 5:20 later. McLeod had a breakaway after Matthew Timms fell at the Mississauga blue-line and he dropped a pass that Nathan Bastian slipped past Smith. Mississauga looked in full control when Jacob Cascagnette converted on a power play at 14:13 to make it 4-0.
Logan DeNoble broke a ninegame scoring drought putting a loose puck past Ingham with 2:30 left in the second.
Mississauga assumed control early in the third as Spencer Watson whacked at Brandon Prophet’s stick knocking the puck through Smith’s legs. McLeod completed the hat trick 2:20 later at 5:26 burying Scoley Dow’s behind-the-back pass. Vile Saarijarvi made it 7-1 on the first goal McLeod was not in on. Austin Osmanski, Watson and Marcus Dickerson rounded out the scoring in the final five minutes.
NOTES: Thursday’s 3-1 win over the Kingston Frontenacs was the 1,000th game for Brian Miller as Petes’ trainer .... The Petes’ 35 wins is their most since their 2006 OHL championship when they won 47 .... Peterborough native Owen
Tippett is out with a lower body injury that Mississauga officials say will sideline him two weeks .... Petes centre Chris Paquette was misidentified as Steve Lorentz in a caption for the photograph on Page C1 of Friday’s