Oh For Petes Sake!
Brampton, ON – Despite a late push, the Steelheads fell to Petes 5-4.
The Steelheads wasted no time, taking the lead just three minutes into the game. The reunited top line showed off their chemistry. Carson Rehkopf won a puck battle in the corner, before chipping it to Porter Martone beside the goal. The captain quickly snapped a feed to the backdoor for Luke Misa, who hammered into the empty net to give the Trout the icebreaker.
It did not take Peterborough long to find their answer. With the net empty for a delayed penalty, Jonathan Melee found Braydon McCallum cross-ice. The Delhi native saw an opportunity with Stevie Leskovar tying up Francis Parish on the backdoor, wiring a pass of the skate of the Steelheads defender and into the net. McCallum’s sixth of the year tied it up at 1-1.
The Petes had a chance to take a lead for themselves with Stevie Leskovar being called for a high stick, but it was the Trout who had the best opportunity of the kill. Petes’ netminder Easton Rye attempted to start a rush with a pass up ice, but it was intercepted by Kieran Witkowski at the blue line. Witkowski ripped a shot on goal, but Rye slid back to keep it out.
Peterborough pressured again when they went to a second power play. First, a puck bounced behind the Steelheads’ defence to a wide-open Quinton Pagé in front. The veteran snapped a shot on goal, but Jack Ivankovic denied him with the blocker.
The Petes continued to pressure in the dying seconds of the kill. As Angus MacDonell was stepping out of the box, Caden Taylor slid a pass over to Martin Matejicek. The Czech native rifled a shot on goal. Luckily for Matejicek, Ivankovic caught an edge as he slid over, and the puck sailed past him to give the Petes a 2-1 lead.
With just under eight minutes to play, the ice opened up as the teams went to four-on-four. Less than twenty seconds into the extra ice, Caden Taylor threw a shot on goal from the point. Brady Stonehouse deflected the puck between his legs on goal, but it was stopped by Ivankovic. The veteran did not give up, diving to chip the puck over the glove of Ivankovic. Stonehouse’s stellar goal doubled the Petes lead.
Peterborough continued to pressure when Martin Matejicek ripped a shot on net, but it rang off the crossbar. Colin Fitzgerald picked up the rebound, driving to the net before having the puck knocked off his stick. Genc Ula found the loose puck, jamming a shot on goal, but Jack Ivankovic sprawled over to make the save.
In the final minutes of the period, Brampton looked to start a comeback on the man advantage. Angus MacDonell worked in from the blue line where he found Luke Misa at the side of the goal. Misa looked to find a teammate on the backdoor, but his feed bounced off the stick of Braydon McCallum and into the Petes’ goal.
At the start of the second period, the Petes came close to regaining a two-goal lead. Jonathan Melee worked in from the left side and found Quinton Pagé on the backdoor. Pagé deflected it on goal, but Jack Ivankovic sprung over to make the save.
The Steelheads came inches from tying the game themselves. Jack Van Volsen slid a pass to a streaking Kieran Witkowski. The sophomore cut to the backhand, but he could not tuck it past Rye.
The Petes pushed when they went to their third power play of the night. Gavin Bryant worked the quarterback spot on the man advantage where he wired a shot on goal. Bryant’s wrister sailed through a screen before ringing off the post. After the Steelheads cleared the puck, Easton Rye looked to start something up ice. Porter Martone read his pass, intercepting it out of mid-air before breaking in alone. The Captain head faked and chipped a shot on goal, but it was turned aside by Rye.
The Steelheads continued to push when Kieran Witkowski found MacGregor Richmond in the slot. Richmond rifled a shot on goal, but a sprawling Easton Rye slid over to make the save.
With just under six minutes to play, the Steelheads found the equalizer. Stevie Leskovar pinched up ice where he forced a turnover in the Peterborough zone. Jack Van Volsen picked up the loose puck before ripping a shot upstairs on Rye. Van Volsen’s goal against his former team knotted things up at 3-3.
In the final minutes of the second period, the Petes nearly retook the lead shorthanded. Jack Ivankovic snatched a dump in from the air, before attempting to drop the puck and slide it to his defender. Caden Taylor flew in to intercept the pass, but his shot slid through the crease.
Peterborough came out flying to start the second period, as they nearly scored a highlight reel goal to take the lead. After a pass intended for Brady Stonehouse bounced behind the goal, the Edmonton Oilers prospect literally picked up the puck, as he attempted a Michigan. Jack Ivankovic slid over with the blocker up to deny Stonehouse of his fancy finish.
Just before the halfway mark in the third period, the Petes retook the lead. Caden Taylor picked up the puck at the red line and broke in on a two-on-one with Gavin Bryant. The former Sudbury Wolves’ first-round pick elected to shoot it himself, ripping one through the five-hole of Jack Ivankovic.
Just two minutes later, Peterborough doubled their lead. The Petes’ first line broke in on a three-one-two where Aiden Young found Nico Addy on the right wing side. Addy threw a pass to the backdoor where Colin Fitzgerald tapped it home. The rookie’s eleventh of the year put Peterborough up 5-3.
With four minutes to go, Brampton tried to start a comeback. Jakub Fibigr activated from the point to make it a three-on-two in the Peterborough zone. Fibigr found Mason Zebeski on the back door, but Easton Rye dove across to rob the Trout of a goal.
The Steelheads continued to press in the final minute of the game. After the Petes iced the puck, Finn Harding threw a shot on goal from the point. The puck ricocheted to Jack Van Volsen in the slot who banged the rebound through a screen to cut the Peterborough lead in half. That was as close as it would get, as the Petes hung on to a 5-4 win.
The Steelheads are back in action on Sunday when they travel west to play the Attack. You can watch all Steelheads away games by purchasing CHL TV, accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca.