ICEDOGS PUSH OSHAWA TO BRINK Niagara carries healthy 3-1 series lead against the Generals into Saturday’s Game 5 on home ice
Niagara third line earns first-star honours in first playoff win in Oshawa in six years
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 5 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
positioned right across from the Niagara bench. Three busloads made the trip from St. Catharines and they made their presence felt.
“They were loud and they were visibly noticeable,” Burke said. “We have the best fans in the league, and they gave us a big boost tonight.”
The Generals hit two goalposts on their first power play. They did it again seconds later after play returned to even strength with Brendan Harrogate knocking in a rebound off the post to open the scoring 6:17 into the first period.
Niagara tied the game a little more than a minute later. Hunter’s second goal of the playoffs was permitted to stand following a lengthy video review.
Oshawa regained the lead when Domenico Commisso scored through the traffic with 2:12 remaining in the opening frame.
Johnson tied the game at two all with his second of the postseason, and his shot off the back boards found Philip perfectly positioned in front of an empty net to give Niagara its first lead of the game. The even-strength
marker was Philip’s first of the playoffs.
McPherson’s bullet from the right faceoff circle beat Oshawa netminder Kyle Keyser to give the IceDogs a two-goal lead heading into the third period.
Philip rounded out the scoring with an empty-net goal for his second of the night.
Oshawa kept Niagara’s top two lines off the scoreboard, but Philip, with two goals and two assists; Johnson, a goal and an assist;
and Castleman, with three assists; filled the void – and the net – nicely.
“They are three guys who never seem to get the limelight and all the attention,” Burke said. “For them to play a real strong two-way game for us, and also being involved in almost every goal, it was great.
“Those are the type of guys that you win with. When you have guys like that on your third line, it certainly speaks to our depth
up front.”
Niagara and Oshawa only faced each other twice during the regular season despite being in the same conference. The IceDogs won 5-4 in overtime Oct. 6 in Oshawa and lost 4-3 in a shootout on their home ice Oct. 26.
This is the sixth Niagara-Oshawa playoff series since the IceDogs relocated to St. Catharines. The Generals have won three times – semifinals, 2008; quarterfinals, 2013; semifinals, 2015 – and the IceDogs twice – semifinals, 2011; quarter-finals, 2012.
Each team came into Thursday night’s game with 109 shots on net.
’Dog Biscuits: Oshawa forward Renars Krastenbergs, a 21-goal scorer during the regular season, was serving the first game of three-game suspension following a cross-checking incident involving IceDogs captain Johnny Corneil in Game 3 … Niagara forward Kyle Langdon was serving the third game of a six-game suspension for a blind-side hit in the opening game of the series.