There will be a Game 6.
The McLean and Dickey Orillia Terriers squandered a chance to eliminate the Schomberg Cougars on Tuesday night. The home side had trouble staying out of the penalty box and lost 6-3 but still lead the best-of-seven, second-round Provincial Junior Hockey League playoff series 3-2.
Three minutes into the first period Terriers forward Kaiden Robitaille collided skates with a Cougars player and was sent to the box for tripping. The visitors cashed in when forward Luke Miehm put one past Terriers goalie Wade Monague off a rebound in front of the net.
Three minutes later, Terriers defenceman Kaden Goggins was called for high sticking and once again the Cougars capitalized when forward Christian Taylor added his eighth of the playoffs, which leads the North Carruthers Division in scoring for the post-season.
Midway through the opening frame, Terriers forward Josh Brown ripped one through traffic, past Cougars goalie Tristan Szymanowski to bring the home squad within one.
“We got off to a rough start,” Brown said. “It was an important game for us to move on, so the goal was good and it helped get the momentum back.”
However, the Terriers would find themselves in penalty trouble once again when Noah Mountain took a hooking penalty.
The Cougars opened the second period with their third power-play marker of the game which was scored by regular-season division MVP Cameron Kokelj. About a minute later Cougars forward Anthony Nascimento added another tally, which would spell the end of the night for Monague, who was pulled for Reed Spinola.
“I sucked,” Monague said after the game. “I let in some bad goals and it kind of stopped all momentum.”
Monague stopped 14 of 18 shots before getting the hook in the second period.
“I feel like I had a chance on all of the goals, I just didn’t make the stops,” he said. “When they score a bunch of goals in a short amount of time it’s hard to get into a rhythm.”
Both teams would add another goal before the end of the penalty-filled second period that saw seven players sent to the box. Forward Jayden Murison was the goal scorer for the Terriers.
Terriers’ assistant captain Mason Beck was guilty of a roughing and slashing penalty on the night. He was visibly upset with the officials who awarded the Cougars six power plays and the Terriers three.
“It has gone both ways for sure, bad calls both ways,” Beck said. “I think it should be more nitty-gritty and they should let things go for sure.”
Beck says officials should adapt to the more physical style of game when it comes to the playoffs and elimination games.
“The game gets chippy and down and dirty in the corners,” he said. “I think the refs should be more easygoing and let the game be more fast-paced.”
The Terriers gave their 395 fans in attendance some hope to open the third period when forward Dylan Palomaki netted his seventh of the postseason to bring the deficit down to two. But the Cougars took the life out of the building 10 minutes later when forward Jacob Futas ripped one by Spinola to make the score 6-3.
The Terriers were without captain Broderick Black in game 5 who is serving a two-game suspension for interfering with the Cougars goaltender in game 4.
The Terriers will look to close out the series again on Thursday in Schomberg at 7:30 p.m.
“We weren’t going as a team tonight,” Brown said. “Our systems were messy, our forecheck was messy, but if we get back to playing our game, we should put them away for sure.”
Brown says avoiding a Game 7 is crucial to the Terriers’ playoff hopes.
“Game seven would be flipping a coin 50/50,” he said. “The next one is big.”
If the local Jr. C squad isn't successful in Game 6, a Game 7 showdown would bring the series back to Rotary Place on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
