Sztuska is great, Petes not so much
Peterborough Petes head coach Rob Wilson would like to see his team reward their goaltenders for keeping them in games they probably shouldn’t be in.
Liam Sztuska faced 52 or more shots for the fifth time this season, but a late goal and empty-net tally gave the visiting Ottawa 67’s a 4-2 win before 3,596 Memorial Centre patrons on Thursday night.
Sztuska has maintained a save percentage of .904 or better all season despite the Petes winning just six games since Nov. 19 and enduring a club record 13-game losing streak at home.
The loss combined with a point the Barrie Colts earned in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Mississauga Steelheads leaves the Petes (18-347-1) 10 points out of a playoff spot with eight regular season games remaining.
They play their third home game in five days when they host the Niagara IceDogs at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.
“Liam has played extremely well,” said Wilson.
“The one thing we can’t complain about at all is our goaltending. We’ve had really good goaltending and we should be getting something from these games. We let it slip away late so many times. It’s a learning curve but it’s frustrating,” the coach added.
Sztuska says he just focuses on doing his job and doesn’t worry about anything else.
“I’m talking to myself and saying just keep going. Take it one shot at a time and control what you can control and just do what I can do to give my team a chance,” said Sztuska.
Sztuska made a brilliant 10-bell save off Will Gerrior to keep it scoreless but a minute later Kimi Korbler drilled a low shot five-hole to open the scoring 10:05 into the game.
The Petes replied 1:12 later on a power play as Jonathan Melee’s shot was stopped by Ian Michelone but Quinton Page potted the rebound for his third goal in three games.
Melee left the game early in the second period with what might be a season-ending shoulder injury after a hit from former teammate Sam Mayer ended with Mayer falling on top of the Petes captain. Melee didn’t return.
“They both went down hard to the ice,” said Wilson, who didn’t have an immediate update on Melee’s status.
Sztuska came across his crease to get his blocker on a Brady Stonehouse one-timer as Ottawa outshot the Petes 10-1 in the opening nine minutes of the second period. The 67’s pressure eventually paid off when Stonehouse buried Gerrior’s rebound on their 13th shot of the period with 7:51 left in the second.
The Petes spent long stretches of the second stuck in their own end.
“Our first period was really good,” Sztuska said. “We were battling and blocking shots and doing all the little things we need to do to win. I felt in the second period we weren’t doing those little things. Simple things like running interference on players coming through, winning puck battles, blocking shots.”
Sztuska said he doesn’t expect the young team in front of him to play like last year’s veteran-laden squad.
“It’s a learning experience for everyone,” he said. “I was once an inexperienced goalie in this league. What I’m preaching to these guys is you have to take practice seriously and do the little things right and we have to work really hard to eventually get to the next level.”
Despite being outshot 19-2 in the period, the Petes tied it with 4:21 left. Tommy Purdeller stole the puck from a 67’s defender at the Petes blue-line and on a two-onone break fed Ryder McIntyre, who kicked the pass into his skates up to his stick before stuffing it by Michelone, giving him seven points in eight games. Purdeller has eight points in his past four games.
Sztuska made three saves in a 67’s flurry, two while on his back, shortly after the Petes failed to score on a third-period power play. On a fouron-two Petes break moments later, Michelone robbed Caden Taylor with a pad save off of a Purdeller setup.
Korbler put the 67’s back in front with 7:40 left as Luca Pinelli found him in the slot with a pass after a Petes turnover.
The Petes had a power play in the final two minutes and pulled Sztuska for a six-on-four advantage only to have Frankie Marrelli score into the empty net.
Notes Referee Brent Coulombe worked his last OHL game in Peterborough on Thursday as he is retiring from hockey at the end of this season. However, he is not done officiating. He works for the National Lacrosse League, senior lacrosse in Ontario and international lacrosse ... William Haley returned from a two-game suspension, while
Cam Gauvreau remained out with a lower-body injury. Healthy scratches were Joseph Cadorin and
Dylan Woulds.