Short-handed Petes rebound with late burst
Spearing scores first OHL goal as Petes win sixth game in eight games, handing Flint Firebirds their eighth straight loss
It was too close for comfort for the Peterborough Petes until an early third period outburst on Thursday night.
The last-place Flint Firebirds gave the Petes all they could handle until three goals 4:24 apart early in the third propelled the Petes to a 5-2 win before 2,313 fans at the Memorial Centre.
The Petes improved to 18-12-0 with their sixth win in eight games while sending the Firebirds to an eighth straight loss and a dismal 3-28-2 record.
The Petes have two more games left before a 12-day Christmas break. They visit the Guelph Storm at 7:30 p.m. Friday and host the first-place Ottawa 67’s at 2:05 p.m. Sunday at the PMC.
Chris Paquette broke a 2-2 tie with his fifth short-handed goal of the season 3:47 into the third period. Declan Chisholm made a move to get around a Flint defender while rushing the puck then fed Paquette who chipped the puck in as he was being knocked to the ice.
Adam Timleck hit a goal post but didn’t give up on the play later breaking in off the wing to get a shot of and Brady Hinz followed up on the rebound.
Liam Kirk added to the lead burying Paquette’s pass at 8:11 on another play instigated by Timleck who had three assists.
Up to that point the game had been a struggle.
After 15 minutes of evenly played hockey the Petes drew first blood on Shawn Spearing’s first OHL goal. The rookie defenceman let a high arching wrist shot go from the point that eluded goalie Luke Cavallin.
The Firebirds entered the game with the OHL’s worst power play and in fact they had allowed as many short-handed goals (13) as they had scored with the manadvantage.
They had a power-play goal and gave up a short-handed against the Petes.
Flint tied it 1:18 later with their 14th power play tally at 16:43. A shot hit Eric Uba in the elbow and dropped in front of Ethan Keppen who snapped it past Petes netminder Hunter Jones. It took a lengthy video review to confirm the goal as officials tried to determine if Uba knocked the puck down with his hand.
The Firebirds took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission after Evan Vierling, the second overall pick in the April OHL draft, scored his first OHL goal. Keppen chipped the puck off the boards to a streaking Vierling who swept in and deked Jones to the forehand.
Nick Robertson had a glorious chance to tie it early in the second period. He made a toe drag to evade one check and snapped a low shot that Cavallin threw out his pad to stop. Robertson and Jones were named earlier in the day to the 2019 Sherwin William CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Jan. 23 in Red Deer.
Robertson made no mistake on his next quality chance tying the game on a power play with 1:50 left in the second.
The Petes moved it around until Erik Cermak hit Robertson with a pass through the slot and he wired the puck top shelf. After a slow start to the season Robertson is now at better than a point-pergame pace with 10 goals and 19 points in 18 games. He has eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in eight games since returning from a wrist injury.
NOTES: Sunday’s home game is Service Clubs Day when the Petes will recognize local volunteer
organizations. Fans will have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus before the game and during intermissions. The game will be followed by a Skate with the Petes which is free for all fans with game tickets. A second intermission chuck-a-puck will support the Peterborough Tyke Selects.… The three stars were 1. Adam Timleck (P); 2. Chris Paquette (P); 3. Ethan Keppen (F)…. The hardest working Pete was Shawn Spearing…. See the Petes Pieces package on Page C2.