Petes snap losing streak, scoring drought
Petes improve to 9-6, move into third in Eastern Conference
The streak is over.
The Peterborough Petes snapped a four-game losing streak, rediscovering some offence on Thursday night. They won 5-2 over the Sudbury Wolves before 2,588 fans at the Memorial Centre.
The Petes’ five-goal output more than doubled the two goals they scored in their previous four games.
Players like Nick Robertson and Pavel Gogolev got off the schneid while Hunter Jones continued his stellar play in the Petes net this season.
The win allowed the Petes (9-6-0) to climb past the Wolves (8-5-0) and Niagara IceDogs (74-2) into third place in the OHL’s Eastern Conference. The Wolves and IceDogs hold two games in hand on the Petes.
Coming off a 3-0 shutout loss to the IceDogs in St. Catharines on Wednesday night the Petes wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Robertson cruised over the Wolves’ blue-line and hammered a slapshot top corner over goalie Jake McGrath’s glove 34 seconds after the opening faceoff.
It was Robertson’s first goal of the season after missing nine of the club’s first 14 games to a wrist injury.
It was a lead the Petes never relinquished.
Hunter Jones almost got caught out of his net when he came out to play the puck. His clearing attempt was picked off but he scrambled back in time to rob Blake Murray in the slot. Jones has started 14 of the club’s 15 games and appeared in all 15. His saves total is more than 100 ahead of the next OHL goalie.
The Petes went up 2-0 with 1:44 left in the opening period on some tic-tac-toe passing. Declan Chisholm passed to Robertson at the far circle and pinched in to deposit Robertson’s return pass over McGrath’s glove.
Quinton Byfield, the first overall pick in April’s OHL draft, struck 1:32 into the second period with a quick release of Owen Robinson’s pass just out of reach of Jones’ glove at mid-net height. It tied the six-foot-five, 214-pound 16-year-old forward for the lead in Wolves scoring with 11 points in 13 games.
The Petes were on their heels through the middle of the game until Pavel Gogolev struck suddenly at 13:24 for a 3-1 lead. Gogolev stole the puck near the top of the Wolves faceoff circle and drilled a shot between McGrath’s legs.
Peterborough had a glorious chances to break the game open with a two-man advantage. They came close with Chris Paquette hitting a goalpost. The Petes are zero-for-14 on the power play in their past five games.
Nick Isaacson blew a low hard shot inside the far post as he crossed over the Sudbury bleuline 9:49 into the third.
Nolan Hutcheson drew Sudbury back within two 20 seconds later. He tucked the puck between Jones’ pads from the side of the net when the Petes netminder missed a poke-check attempt.
The Petes are back in action Saturday when they visit the Owen Sound Attack at 7:30 p.m.
Brady Hinz added an emptynet goal with five seconds left.
NOTES: Adam Timleck returned to the lineup after missing two games with an upper body injury. Healthy scratches were Dustin Hutton and Shawn Spearing.… Thursday’s game was Austin Osmanski’s 200th in the OHL…. The three stars were 1. Nick Robertson (P): 2. Pavel Gogolev (P); 3, Nolan Hutcheson (S)…. Hardest working Pete was Declan Chisholm.