PETES BEAT FRONTS
The Kingston Frontenacs are off on a Christmas break not on a high but on a tailspin.
The Peterborough Petes handed Kingston its fifth straight loss, beating the Frontenacs 3-1 Friday night before 3,809 fans at the Rogers K-Rock Centre.
The Petes beat the Frontenacs with just 16 shots on net as Kingston’s offence, missing five key players, continued to struggle.
“(Peterborough) got some timely goals (and) obviously we are having a little bit of trouble scoring,” Kingston head coach Paul McFarland said.
“The adversity that is staring us in the face, we’ve got to stare it back. Hopefully we can rebound from this last two weeks when we come back in the second half.”
McFarland said the Christmas break — the Frontenacs (13-14-2-2) will be off nine days — is good for a team that has been playing shorthanded.
“These kids gave me, honestly, everything they’ve got. This is a big adversity that we are facing as a group right now. Hopefully we use the rest wisely,” McFarland said.
“Come back refreshed obviously with more energy. It is rest for a lot of players that have played a lot of hockey in the first half. It is a great time for the players to go home and enjoy some time with their families. Come back ready to work hard and hopefully ready to have a long second half.”
Ryan Verbeek gave the Frontenacs some life in the third period with his first goal in 16 games. Conor McGlynn’s shot hit the post and Verbeek was in front to bat the puck behind goaltender Dylan Wells at 8:48 to cut the Petes’ lead to 2-1.
But the Frontenacs could not get the equalizer. Robert Polesello’s shot from the slot into the bread basket of Wells — a familiar area all night for Kingston shooters — was one of the best chances Kingston had over the final 11 minutes.
Sam Schutt, on a wraparound, and Evan McEneny, on a backhand, were also turned back by Wells.
Josh MacDonald, with a no-look backhander from the Petes bench area, hit the empty net with 26 seconds left to seal the victory for Peterborough (11-17-1-3).
The Frontenacs ended up outshooting the Petes 36-16.
“Sometimes you are just not going to get bounces,” McFarland said.
“I am not saying that is why we lose but we could use a bounce to go our way. It wouldn’t hurt us.”
The second period was three seconds away from being scoreless when the Petes made good on a slip-up by goaltender Lucas Peressini. MacDonald was behind the net and chipping the puck out front. Peressini seemed to overplay it and the puck went off his stick and trickled into the net.
The goal came at 19:57 and was the type of late-goal dagger that an offensively challenged Kingston team hasn’t been able to overcome over the losing stretch.
The Frontenacs have scored only six goals in the five losses. Three of them have been by one goal and the other two, like Friday night, went to a two-goal margin on an empty-net goal.
The Frontenacs shooters at times made goaltender Wells — he of the 4.20 goals-against average and .886 save percentage — look good. He was in good position to turn away the shots to his midsection that the Frontenacs were want to direct.
The Petes got the jump on the scoreboard in the game’s opening minute on Michael Clarke’s unassisted goal.
The Frontenacs caught a bad break when McEneny’s attempt to clear the puck behind Kingston’s net hit Clarke in the shins. The Petes forward took a stride in front, turned and deposited the puck high over Peressini after just 27 seconds.
It was the first time all season at home the Frontenacs have given up a goal in the game’s opening minute.
Click here for the full article.
