Svechnikov Vaults Colts Past the Otters 7-5
A shootout inside the Barrie Molson Centre entertainted the fans on Thursday night, as the Barrie Colts celebrated their fourth home victory of the season in a 7-5 game versus the Erie Otters.
The Barrie Colts were up against the defending OHL Champions on Thursday night in the Erie Otters. Both teams came in with polar opposite records.
Colts were coming in off a 6-2 victory over the Saginaw Spirit on Saturday night, while the Otters were finishing up their road trip after a loss to the Owen Sound Attack the night before.
The Colts would take an early penalty but eventually they would go on the attack. After Lucas Chiodo was stopped on a breakaway it was Zach Magwood who got set up by Jason Willms in front as he snapped it home for his fifth of the season to open the scoring. Kade Landry drew the other assist on the play.
The boys in white would control most of the rest of the first period. They would finish off the frame the right way too. Curtis Douglas used his big body in front to shield a few defenders and make himself open for the pass in front by Magwood before potting it home. Landry would draw the other assist on the insurance marker.
The second got off to a great start. Who else but the teams leading goal scorer. The play all started behind the net with Lucas Chiodo finding Alexey Lipanov on the wing before firing a pass in front that Andrei Svechnikov just had to lay a stick on to get it past Anand Oberoi for his ninth of the season.
The boys would go back to work on the man advatange. It was the same trio hooking up for the fourth Barrie goal. After Lipanov had set up Chiodo all alone in front in a perfect scoring location, he unselfishly moved the puck five feet to his right to open up a scoring lane for Svechnikov’s second of the game.
Seconds after the goal, Erie would get a powerplay of their own and would get the goal right back. A shot from the point by Owen Headrick found its way through a screen and past Leo Lazarev who never saw it.
As most of the period went by it looked like Barrie would skate comfortably into the third with a three goal lead but with about two minutes remaining it was the Otters striking again. Another shot from the point, but this one was stopped, the rebound came straight out to Stephane Patry to cut the Colts lead in half.
They weren’t done, with less than a minute to go in the period they would capitalize again. This time on a 2 on 0 Cade Robinson would score on the easy setup to strike fear in the hearts of Colts fans as they held just a one goal lead heading into the third.
After a rough ending to the period, you had to know the message from Head Coach Dale Hawerchuk wasn’t a good one. The guys responded. Nine seconds in, the Otters goaltender Oberoi got the puck caught up in his skates. That’s when Jason Willms pounced on it and fed it to Chiodo wide open in front to put the puck into the open net.
A Barrie penalty sucked all the momentum away from them. The Otters would get on the powerplay and would capitalize once again. Taylor Raddysh grabbed the loose puck in the Barrie zone and fed a wide open Ivan Lodnia who snapped it home to bring the Colts lead to 5-4.
Less than five to go in the third and the good guys would get back on the board. Forcing a turnover in the neutral zone, Nathan Allensen got the puck and fed Svechnikov who patiently waited for Kyle Heitzner to work his way open at the side of the net to give Barrie back their two goal lead.
Just as things seemed to get a little more comfortable the Otters would get it back. Lodnia was sprung on a breakaway and beat Lazarev glove side to bring the score to 6-5.
Lipanov would be rewarded with the empty net goal shorthanded to end the game. Svechnikov tallied an assist on the goal to give him four points on the night and shoot him right into first in league scoring.
The boys are off Friday, before taking on the North Bay Battalion for the third time this season on Saturday, back at the BMC.
