Petes falter in nation’s capital
Sunday matinee followed shootout loss to Oshawa
OTTAWA – Peterborough Petes need to find a way to be competitive on the road or they’re in trouble down the stretch.
After an intense home game against the Oshawa Generals Saturday night the Petes had little left for a Sunday matinee in Ottawa.
After a thrilling 4-3 shootout loss to Oshawa before a season-high 3,796 fans at the Memorial Centre, the Petes were outshot 41-16 and pounded 6-1 by the 67’s.
The Petes gained one of six points on the week slipping to ninth place in the OHL’s Eastern Conference. They’re tied in points with the Mississauga Steelheads two behind Ottawa.
The quick turnaround, hindered by a late arrival as the Petes detoured around an accident on Highway 7, didn’t help. But Petes’ interim coach Andrew Verner said he challenged his team after the game to look within for the traits it takes to be successful on the road and to overcome adversities.
“The question we asked of them,” said Verner, “is what are the characteristics that separate a team that can compete and win at home and a team that when it gets some pushback against them on the road doesn’t compete.”
Despite being outshot 20-5 in the first period the Petes escaped with a 1-1 tie thanks to rookie goalie Hunter Jones’s play. They led 1-0 when Logan DeNoble reached the 20-goal mark for a third straight season. He roofed Brady Hinz’s power play pass at 15:45.
Ottawa blew the game open with three goals in the final 2:05 of the second period. Austen Keating’s second goal 11:41 into the second made it 2-1 after Sam Bitten created a turnover and an oddman rush. Graeme Clarke score a lacrosse style goal lifting the puck up on the blade of his stick to tuck it over Jones from behind the net on a power play at 17:55. Travis Barron and Tye Felhaber scored 1:30 apart for a sudden 5-1 lead. Felhaber added a third period goal.
“Yeah, it was a tough turnaround, same as last week, but Jonesy was excellent and really kept us in it early,” said Verner. “The guys didn’t respond.”
The game against Oshawa was one of the most exciting at the PMC this season. The Petes built a 2-0 lead, saw it evaporate in the second before Hinz scored his first goal as a Pete with 7:47 left in the third to force overtime. Matt Brassard, who scored on a penalty shot earlier in the game, was the lone shooter to score in the shootout to give Oshawa the win. Petes’ goalie Dylan Wells and Oshawa’s Kyle Keyser were strong combining for 71 saves.
“We wanted those two points,” Hinz said. “Getting the one point helps us in the standings. It was tough to lose our lead but the boys battled back.”
The Petes lost Cole Fraser to a five-minute charging penalty in the first period but scored shorthanded for a 1-0 lead. Alex Black blocked a shot leading to a twoon-one where Zach Gallant buried Chris Paquette’s pass. A highlight reel pass by rookie Nick Robertson gave Peterborough a 2-0 lead 1:23 into the second.
Robertson did a 360 degree spin to lay a backhand pass on Nick Isaacson’s stick and he converted.
Oshawa erupted for three goals 2:22 apart to leapfrog the Petes starting with Brassard’s penalty shot at 10:35. He was impeded by Bobby Dow on a breakaway and on the penalty shot snapped a shot past Wells.
Nick Wong tied it at 11:08 on Ian Blacker’s centering pass from behind the net. Kenny Huether put Oshawa in front at 12:57 converting Renars Krastenbergs pass on a rush.
“I’ve been out there and I know what it’s like,” said Petes’ assistant coach Mike Duco. “You think you have the game in control and all of a sudden a mental lapse or a few missed assignments and it comes back to haunt you. The message going into the third is we can’t give up and this is our game to win.”
The Petes outshot Oshawa 17-8 in the third and were rewarded when Hinz knocked a puck loose from a defender for a breakaway and beat Keyser upstairs.
“It means a lot to get that monkey off my back,” Hinz said. “I’ve had a lot of good chances but had to bear down there and put that one in.”
NOTES: Declan Chisholm missed both weekend games after returning Thursday from a five-week absence with a high ankle sprain. Andrew Verner said Chisholm was sore Friday so they opted to be cautious. Adam Timleck (upper body) and Adrien Beraldo (numbers) also sat out... Matyas Svoboda scored two goals in his first two games with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. The Petes released Svoboda on Jan. 10.