Finding their groove
THOROLD — Perhaps Niagara Falls Canucks coach Terry Masterson said it best.
“We have two of the best goalies in the province, but fortu- nately or unfortunately, someone’s got to win.”
That’s held true for much of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Golden Horseshoe Conference quarter-final between t he Canucks and Thorold Blackhawks. It was especially true in Game 4 Wednesday in Thorold.
Aside from a Hawks power-play goal late in the first period and a scoring flurry sparked by Canucks forward Johnny Curran early in the third, it was a goaltender’s duel that needed overtime to declare a winner.
Michael Christou’s fourth goal of the playoffs just 26 seconds into the extra frame gave Niagara Falls its second straight 3-2 victory and handed the Canucks a 3-1 series lead.
Game 5 is Friday Centre at 7:30 p.m.
While Masterson has been thrilled with the play of Canucks goalie Hunter Johnson, who has stopped 66 of the last 70 shots he’s faced, he knows Thorold netminder Vinny Merante is just as capable of stealing a game.
“With those two kids in net, we could have been here until tomorrow,” Masterson said. “Goaltending is always a key in playoffs and both played well (Wednesday).”
Merante turned away 35 shots in Game 4, which made the Canucks’ quick goal in overtime even more difficult to digest.
“We battled hard the entire game, and for something like that to happen, it’s tough, but we’ve just got to learn from it and move on,” Merante said. “It was such a good game all the way through for both teams, but I guess that’s why it’s a series, so we just have to focus on the next game.”
Johnson has a 3.75 goals-against average and .895 save percentage
at the Gale in four games. His numbers would be much better if not for allowing seven goals in Game 2.
Merante, meanwhile, has been much sharper after allowing 11 goals in the series’ first two games.
“Both goalies played well – I think there was almost 40 shots a piece on each goalie – so give both of them credit,” Blackhawks coach Ed Pizzo said Wednesday. “It ( game- winning goal) was in the Zamboni end and it’s a little wet back there, the puck got stuck, we overskated it and they took advantage.
“It was a tough one, but we do play well in Niagara Falls so it doesn’t trouble me going back there. It’s one game at a time and we’ll be ready to play hard next game.”