Petes Lure in a Win to Start Second Half
The Petes put aside the leftover turkey in favour of the start of the second half of the OHL season on Tuesday night in Mississauga. With just four points separating the second and sixth place teams in the Eastern Conference, Peterborough was aching for a win against the Steelheads. Despite missing top scorer Greg Betzold, the Petes’ had no shortage of firepower as they cruised to a 5-1 victory.
The mighty maroon and white were hot to the chase in the first period, looking to Logan DeNoble to open the scoring. The Peterborough native lit the lamp from the right circle with assists awarded to Hunter Garlent and Eric Cornel.
Peterborough needed just 26 seconds to tickle the twine again in the first period. Mississauga starter Jack Flinn was helpless against Adam Timleck’s deflection to extend the Petes’ lead to 2-0 from Josh Coyle and Matt Timms 4:29 into the game.
The third goal of the period took another twelve minutes to surface after a great middle of the period for the Petes. Hunter Garlent scored his seventeenth of the season, with help from DeNoble and Nick Grima, who was playing in his first game since recovering from an injury on November 15. Garlent’s goal was the final tally of the opening twenty, which the Petes dominated all around the scoreboard, taking their 3-0 lead and 17-7 shot advantage into the second period.
Peterborough jumped out of the gate in the second period as well, but they could not beat Flinn early in the middle twenty. Instead, rookie Nick Hague scored his second in two games to move Mississauga within two from Ryan McLeod and Daniel Muzito-Bagenda.
In the latter half of the period, though, the Petes found their scoring touch once again. With 7:31 on the clock, rookie Nick Grima ripped the puck from the point to beat Flinn for his first career OHL goal. Grima’s marker and second point of the game was doubly special as it also gave him his first career multi-point game. Eddie Schulz had an apple on the goal.
From new scorers to seasoned vets, the Petes had it all in the second period as Hunter Garlent scored his second of the night, this time from Cornel and Matt Spencer, to give Peterborough a 5-1 lead. The overager’s goal forced Flinn from the net in favour of Joseph Murdaca, who alongside Matt Mancina kept the rivals off the scoresheet in the final minutes of the period. The Petes led 29-15 in shots after two periods.
The pace was significantly slower in the third period, but the chances and the intensity were both on full display. The Petes’ team discipline was also evident throughout the night as the visiting squad denied their opponents any powerplay opportunities through the first fifty minutes.
The Steelheads did earn a man advantage late in the period, but Mancina continued his great play to maintain the four goal lead. Peterborough rounded out the game with a few more opportunities of their own and were more than content to grab two huge points with a 5-1 road win to kick off the second half.
Peterborough finished the game with a 35-23 shot lead, and Hunter Garlent, Logan DeNoble, and Nick Hague were the first, second, and third stars of the game, respectively.
The Electric City Kids host the cellar-dwelling Guelph Storm on Thursday night at 6:05pm for New Year’s Eve. Ring in the new year with great seats for Thursday’s game, which are available here or by calling (705) 743-3561.
