Meteors end 33-year finals drought
On Monday night, the Fort Erie Meteors partied like it was 1991 after eliminating the host St. Catharines Falcons in a six-game semifinal with a 4-1 victory.
While the celebration of their first trip to the Golden Horseshoe junior-B hockey final in 33 years may have spilled into the wee hours of the morning, it was business as usual when they woke up Tuesday.
With their final against the No. 1 seed Caledonia Corvairs getting underway Wednesday on the road, it was back on the ice for general manager-head coach Nik Passero and his second-seeded Meteors.
“These guys they want to play,” he said. “We’re just going to turn it around right away. This group’s ready.”
On paper, Game 6 in the secondround series between Fort Erie and No. 3 seed St. Catharines was only a must-win game for the Falcons.
It was an entirely different matter on the ice. The Meteors, backstopped by Charlie Burns, who made 35 saves, several of the highlight-reel variety, also played like there was no tomorrow.
“We love our fans at home, but we didn’t want to go back for another one. We didn’t want to give them any momentum after what happened Saturday,” Passero said. “We had to come here and get it done. We knew that. You try not to put too much pressure on the guys, but they knew what was at stake.”
The 30-year-old coach, who had yet to be born when the Meteors last advanced past the second round, emphasized three things — health, special teams, goaltending — heading into the playoff versus the Falcons.
“I think we won all three, and I think our goaltending was awesome,” Passero said. “I think we stayed healthier and our special teams did the job, nullified their amazing power play and we got some on our own.”
What’s the key to beating Caledonia?
“Health, goaltending, special teams,” a smiling Passero answered without hesitation. “We’re going in healthy, our special teams are rolling and Charlie Burns is the best goalie in the world.”
Eliminating the Falcons was a “big win” for the organization as far as Burns was concerned. There was pressure on the Meteors going into Game 6 “They stole one from us at home Saturday, so we knew coming here today it was a big game,” he said. “We just had to get the job done.”
Burns, who began the season as a part of the Niagara IceDogs organization before being traded to the Erie Otters, said that the Corvairs, like the Falcons, are a “talented team.”
“They’ve had our number a couple of times this year, so I know we have to have a good day of practice tomorrow, roll into there Wednesday all-business.”
Burns, who was 2:14 away from earning his third shutout of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League post-season, thinks a deep playoff run at the junior-B level will help him when he attends his first Ontario Hockey League training camp with the Otters.
“I think it will benefit me a lot, staying and playing and just getting in my reps every day,” he said. “Some guys are just sitting at home right now not in the playoffs. “I think this is good for me.” The 18-year-old from Sault Ste. Marie has come to feel part of the Fort Erie community. He is especially appreciative of the fans.
“They play a huge role in our wins. They come out and support us every time, the best fans in the league by far,” Burns said.
“There’s no where else I’d rather be than here right now.”
Burns thought the Meteors fared “pretty well” against the Corvairs during the regular season.
“There were a couple of shaky games, but, other than that, I thought we fared really well against them,” he said. “It’s going to be a good series.
“We just have to keep things simple in our zone. We can’t overthink it and keep them to the outside.”
Falcons general manager-head coach Tyler Bielby thought it was a “great hockey team.”
“I think through two periods we outshot them 25-14 and we’re down 1-0. I’m proud of our boys, I thought they put together a game where they deserved a better fate.
“It was a good hockey game and there can only be one winner.”
He gave Passero and his brother Anthony Passero, an assistant coach with the Meteors, credit for having the team “ready to go” in Game 6.
“I knew they didn’t want to go back home tomorrow with that pressure, so they found a way to get it done tonight.”
Before Bielby addressed reporters in a postgame scrum, he reminded his team that hockey “needs solid young men to give back” to the game.
“It doesn’t keep going around if people don’t give back,” he said. “Right now, they got a lot on their mind. They all just naturally think it’s the last time they get to skate or ever walk into an arena, those kinds of things.
“It’s just not the truth and I made sure they knew that. There is a ton of kids out there who need their guidance and make sure they’re giving back to the game when they’re ready to give back to it.”
Kyle Adamo, with two goals, the second into an empty net; Braeddan Pollett and Chaka-Benjamin Ntumba-Munutu, empty net; scored for Fort Erie. Dylan Pergentile replied for St. Catharines.
The Falcons outshot the Meteors, 36-31. Neither team scored on the power play: Fort Erie, 0-for-3; St. Catharines, 0-for-2.