Robertson extends goal streak to 7 games
Petes improve to 5-2 as Hunter Jones gets first shutout of the season in 4-0 win
SAGINAW, MICH. — The Peterborough Petes hoped to go .500 over their nine road games to start the season but they’ve already exceeded those expectations.
A four-goal third period helped the Petes up their record to 5-2 with a 4-0 victory over the OHL Western Conference leading Saginaw Spirit Wednesday at the Dow Event Center.
Hunter Jones made 23 saves for the shutout, improving to 5-0 this season. The Petes improved to 3-1 four games into the longest road trip in team history. They’ll complete six games in 10 days with visits Friday to the Sarnia Sting and Saturday to the Flint Firebirds, both 7 p.m. starts.
The Petes broke open a 0-0 game with two goals 51 seconds apart In the opening 2:25 of the third period.
Faceoff whiz Zach Gallant drew the puck cleanly to Cameron Butler who rifled a shot top corner at 1:34.
A Spirit penalty gave the Petes an opportunity to grab control and they did scoring just six seconds into the man-advantage. Nick Robertson fed a backdoor pass to Liam Kirk for a tap-in at 2:25. Robertson extended his points streak to seven games.
Kirk did the setting up at 9:39 when Petes’ rookie Mason McTavish put his return pass over Tristan Lennox’s shoulder on a three-on-two rush. McTavish has five goals in his first seven OHL games.
Robertson stripped a Spirit defender of the puck and scored his league-leading ninth goal with 2:19 left. Robertson has scored in all seven games this season, the longest scoring streak by a Pete since Austin Watson scored in seven straight games in 2011. The Petes record is 19 games held by Mike Ricci.
Also on Wednesday a sneak preview of renovations to the Peterborough Memorial Centre was held by Petes business and PMC staff for suite holders and sponsors with renovations to the floor and installation of new boards and glass complete. The Petes will play their home opener Oct. 17 against the Hamilton Bulldogs.
Fans might have expected a high scoring game with six of the league’s top 12 scorers in the two lineups. Instead, they got a game that was scoreless through 40 minutes with minimal quality scoring chances.
The first period was tight checking with no shots registered for nearly seven minutes. The Petes’ best scoring chance came on a power play late in the first period when Robertson rung a shot off the crossbar.
Dustin Hutton got robbed of his third goal in three games by a referee’s quick whistle. Hutton one-timed a shot Lennox got his glove on but he couldn’t handle it cleanly and it dropped behind him over the goal line after the whistle blew with 5:25
left In the second.
NOTES: Curtis Trolley made his OHL debut on Thursday with Michael Little feeling under the weather. Trolley was the first Pete to jump to the aid of Hunter Jones in the second period when Saginaw’s Cole Coskey bumped into the Petes’ goalie. Trolley and Coskey got roughing penalties… Brady Chisholm) 2:25 pp 3-Petes, McTavish 5 (Kirk) 9:39 4-Petes, Robertson 9 (Kirk, Der-Arguchintsev) 17:41
Penalties: Katic (S) hooking 2:19; Denault (P) hooking 6:43; Trolley (P) roughing, King (S) roughing double-minor 14:15.
Goaltenders: Jones, Petes; Lennox, Spirit.
Referees: Biggers, Celestin.
Linesmen: Bet, Horan.
Attendance: 1,772 at the Dow Events Center.
Shots: 12 3 T
Petes 9 5 6 20
Spirit 6 9 8 23
Hinz remained out with a lower body injury. Keegan McMullen drew back into the lineup with Tucker Robertson taking a seat. Artem Guryev was also scratched… The three stars were 1. Hunter
Jones (P); 2. Cameron Butler (P); 3. Cole Coskey (S).