Comeback Falls Short Against Mississauga 6-4.
A late third period comeback wasn’t enough as Mississauga defeated Barrie 6-4.
The Barrie Colts put their three game win streak on the line as they headed down the 401 to take on their division rival Mississauga Steelheads.
The Colts had three players coming in riding 9 game point streaks and looking to continue those in a winning fashion on a Friday night in Mississauga.
Barrie would get off to a quick start. It was their second line less than four inutes in creating the first scoring chances of the hockey game. First it was Dmitry Sokolov in with a chance that was turned aside. On the rebound, Jason Willms was denied by Emanuel Vella with his other pad, and moments after that Ben Hawerchuk rang one off the iron as the score would remain tied at zero’s.
The scoring would get started at the 11:14 mark of the period. Andrei Svechnikov would bat the puck out of mid air at the Steelheads blueline before retrieving it and ripping one past Vella to open the scoring and extend his point streak to 10 games with his 30th goal of the season. The goal also gives him 20 points during the point streak. Lucas Chiodo would tally an assist on the games opening goal.
The game would be tied at the 17:16 mark of the period. On a Mississauga powerplay it was a point shot from Nicolas Hague that bounced off the chest of Leo Lazarev and then off of a Barrie Colt and into the back of the net.
The fish would put on a late charge at the end of the opening period that would result in another goal from the blueline. Once again it was Hague finding a lane and beating Lazarev top corner on a shot he didn’t see to send Mississauga into the break ahead 2-1.
It wouldn’t take long for the Colts to reply in the second period. Off a point shot by Justin Murray the rebound was picked up by Chiodo, who spun and fired the puck towards the net. He had the puck bounce off a defender and past Vella to tie the game at 2. Luchuk would tally an assist on Chiodo’s 17th goal of the season and extend Luchuk’s point streak to 10 games as well.
Seconds after the goal it was Owen Tippet sent on a breakaway all alone with Lazarev, but it was the Colts’ Russian net minder that came up with the huge glove save to keep the game tied.
Just past the midway point of the second period it was Mississauga taking the lead back. A scramble would ensue in front of the Barrie net and the puck would end up underneath Justin Murray. The puck would eventually be poked loose by Albert Michnac who quickly put it past Lazarev for the 3-2 lead.
The clock in the second period would continue to wind down and Barrie would get a man advantage but it was the Fish who would score. A long clearing attempt was gloved down by Mathieu Foget who went in on a breakaway and beat Lazarev blocker side to double the Steelheads lead to 4-2.
Barrie was going to need the next goal if they wanted a chance to get back in this one, but it was Mississauga that would extend their lead. After a turnover at the Steelhead blueline, Tippett would show off his speed and be off to the races, outwaiting Lazarev and putting it home for the 5-2 lead.
In what looked to be an opportunity for the Steelheads to really put the game away a break would go the way of the visitors. Jaden Peca corralled a bouncing puck and took it on a breakaway before snapping home Barrie’s third goal of the game. His 12th goal of the season cut the lead to 5-3.
The Colts would not surrender. On an innocent looking play in the Mississauga zone the puck would squirt loose at the side of the net. After Vella tried to come out and grab it, Chiodo would push it towards the net and it would slide past him and into the net for his second of the game and cut the lead to 5-4.
With just over a minute remaining Barrie would get a powerplay for a chance to tie the game. On the man advantage T.J. Fergus would ring one off the post, but that is as close as the Colts would get as the Fish would add one into the empty net to take the game 6-4.
Barrie is back in action tomorrow night to take on the Flint Firebirds to finish off the weekend.
