SmartStop Post-Game Recap – A Big Win at Home

SmartStop Post-Game Recap – A Big Win at Home

The Steelheads return home in style with a bang and defeat the Attack!  

First Period

Tonight’s Friday night matchup between the Mississauga Steelheads and Owen Sound Attack is a rare one. The last time that the Attack made the trip to the Paramount Fine Foods Centre was 1,568 days ago when Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was leading Owen Sound. The Steelheads will look to sweep the season series against the Attack as they decisively won the previous meeting by a score of 4-0. 

The game started with fast back-and-forth play, however, not many shots were registered for either team. The Steelheads looked to set the tempo early with a couple big hits, notably, it was Angus MacDonell who ran over an Attack player right in front of the Trout bench. Both the Steelheads players and faithful seemed to enjoy the hit as it caused a big reaction. 

With 8:24 remaining in the period, the Trout headed to their first power play of the game. The power play generated plenty of zone time however they were unable to get many quality chances on net. A cross-crease pass from Lucas Karmiris nearly connected with Jack Van Volsen, who had his stick lifted at the last moment. That chance proved to be the best one for the Steelheads during the man advantage. 

Late in the period, speedy sophomore centreman Luke Misa entered the zone and used his patience to back off the Attack defenders. He slid the puck over to none other than James Hardie, who took a sharp angled shot and beat the goaltender through the five hole. 

Hardie’s 33rd goal of the season served as the only one of the period and took the Steelheads into the first intermission up by one.   

Shots on Goal – 3 OS/8 MISS

Second Period

The second period saw some more action than the first, as both teams upped the intensity. 

Early in the period, a two-on-one developed for the Attack. Rookie goaltender Ryerson Leenders slid across and stuck with the play to make the tricky stop. Leenders was taken out by the Owen Sound player and scrambled back into his crease before diving across to get back in position. The Trout were able to dodge the bullet and cleared the puck. 

The pressure from the Attack didn’t stop there, as they came out flying in the second period. Cedrick Guindon entered the zone and at full speed drew the Steelheads defender in before dropping the puck back to Colby Barlow who simply had to shovel the puck into a wide open net. That goal tied things up at one a piece. 

The game momentarily mellowed out after that point, with both teams locking up the neutral zone and denying zone entries. Zander Veccia chased after a loose puck and managed to make a move and get past a defender before being hauled down and drawing a power play. 

On the ensuing power play, it did not take long for the Steelheads to connect. Angus MacDonell received a pass from Hardie and rifled the biscuit above the right shoulder of Nick Chenard. The fantastic shot put the Steelheads back on top 2-1. Misa received his second assist of the night on the power play goal.

Later in the frame, the Steelheads made the most of another power play opportunity as the Attack were called for a double minor. After a loose puck flew in front of the net, Kai Schwindt was able to kick it down. The rebound flew right back out and Schwindt bunted the puck past the scrambling Owen Sound goaltender. Kasper Larsen and Jack Van Volsen got the assists on the goal that extended the Steelheads lead to 3-1. 

As the Attack headed to the abbreviated power play, they turned up the pressure looking for a goal. Leenders made a pair of beautiful saves to keep the Steelheads up by 2 heading into the final frame. 

Shots on Goal – 14 OS/10 MISS

Third Period

The Steelheads entered the third period looking to shut things down and nurse their two goal lead to the victory. The Trout dodged a bullet early, as Owen Sound found themselves with a great scoring chance just 20 seconds into the period but rang it off the post. 

After a few minutes of solid defensive play from the Steelheads, a flurry of chances developed for Owen Sound. One person stood in the way – Ryerson Leenders. The best of the saves came off a one-time attempt, Leenders slid across and made a great athletic save. 

With the Attack pushing for a goal, the Steelheads looked to take advantage of an odd-man rush. Adam Zidlicky entered the zone after picking up the puck in the neutral zone, he had a man breaking in front of the goal but elected to shoot. The short side shot nearly snuck past Chenard who was cheating to the other side, but the puck rang off the outside of the post. 

Despite a solid defensive period by the Steelheads, constantly locking up the neutral zone, with just 4:43 remaining in the third period the Attack were able to get within one goal. It was a fantastic play by Attack forward Kaleb Lawrence to get his team within one.  

With 1:32 remaining in the period, the Attack pulled netminder Chenard for the extra attacker. The Steelheads did a great job holding the puck along the boards, which killed over 30 seconds off the clock. Owen Sound called their timeout with 34.6 seconds remaining. 

After clearing the puck, the Steelheads might’ve thought the game was over, however the Attack quickly regained the zone. A partial rush developed and the Attack had a great chance on net. Once again, Leenders had the answer and made the crucial save with 7 seconds left on the clock to win the game for the Steelheads. 

Shots on Goal – 9 OS/6 MISS

Total Shots – 26 OS/24 MISS

Three Stars:

1. James Hardie (1G, 1A)
2. Luke Misa (2A)
3. Kai Schwindt (1G)

The Steelheads will enjoy the win tonight but are right back at it tomorrow against the Sudbury Wolves to cap off their three-in-three. The divisional matchup is an important one, as the Steelheads are in the thick of a playoff race. Tomorrow afternoon’s game also marks the second Pucks N’ Paws game of the season! We look forward to seeing your four-legged friends at the PFFC! To purchase tickets to the game click here!