Perth up 2-0 in Valley final series with Renfrew Timberwolves
Posted Mar 11, 2010 By Jeff Maguire
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Tweet ThisEMC Sports - First place Perth Blue Wings have taken the early initiative in the Valley Division final series with Renfrew Timberwolves in the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL).
After winning the opener in easy fashion on home ice Friday, Blue Wings improved their post season record to a perfect 6-0 with a 5-1 decision at Renfrew Arena Sunday night. The third game was scheduled for Perth and District Community Centre Wednesday night with Game 4 in Renfrew tomorrow night (Friday) at 8 o'clock.
Perth finished atop the six-team division and they had no trouble with fourth place Almonte Thunder in their Valley semi final set, sweeping the best-of-seven four straight.
Renfrew finished third, behind county rival Arnprior Packers, during the regular season. But in the semi final series between the two it was Timberwolves who triumphed, winning the series in six games against an injury-hit Arnprior club.
In Game 2 of the Valley championship series Sunday, Riley Kane opened scoring with just 27 seconds remaining in the opening stanza. Kane helped set up Gio Falsetti for his second playoff goal at 15:30 of period two. Exactly one minute later Zach MacMillan made it 3-0 Wings with a shorthanded effort.
With 2:27 left in the middle stanza Matt Rosebrook backhanded home what proved to be Wolves' only tally of the night. But with only 50 seconds left in the period it was Ben Minkus giving the visitors a 4-1 advantage after 40 minutes of action.
Perth playoff goal scoring hero Blair Barr netted his 10th of the post season, a powerplay effort at 6:14 of the third, to round out scoring.
Blue Wings held a 41-30 shots advantage in the contest and Jeremy Wright picked up yet another goaltending win. Wright was particularly strong in the first period when Perth was forced to kill four consecutive minor penalties and did so without incident.
"We are happy with the first two games," Perth coach and general manager Jeff Snow told the EMC Monday.
"I thought except for the last 10 minutes of Game 1, when we had a big lead, we have played how we wanted to. We've been strong defensively and we've put a lot of pucks in the net.
"So far we have scored 14 goals in the series and our two leading goal scorers during the regular season (Eric Hebert and Nick Held) have not scored yet. Our depth has been a big factor so far," Snow observes.
Perth opened the best-of-seven with a 9-4 home ice decision Friday. The game featured a wild third period in which Wings scored five straight goals in a span of under four minutes early in the stanza. Renfrew then came up with three of the next four markers as the teams combined for nine goals in nine minutes and 40 seconds in the final frame.
The home team was three for seven on the powerplay and Perth held period leads of 2-0 and 3-1.
BARR RED HOT
Rookie right winger Barr is the story of the playoffs so far for Perth. He connected for a hat trick Friday to raise his post season total to nine goals in five games. Barr scored No. 10 Sunday.
Following Friday's action the 16-year-old had the highest playoff goal total in the entire four-division league. Barr finished eighth in scoring among Valley-Metro rookies with 21 goals and 14 assists in 42 regular season games.
Kane and MacMillan each fired their third of the post season for the winners in the opener with MacMillan adding one helper. Four Perth players Falsetti, Shawn McGillivray, Josh MacMillan and Jason Burchill notched their first playoff goals. Peter McGahey helped the cause with four assists while Anthony McVeigh helped set up three markers.
Renfrew scoring leader Ethan Allard netted his seventh and eighth post season goals with Eric Logan and Kirk Skebo scoring 19 seconds apart, just past the 12 minute mark of period three, to round out scoring in the contest. Skebo also assisted once with Matt Johnston helping out on a pair.
Perth out shot Renfrew 46-36 with Wright the winning net minder.
Mike Rosebrook started in goal for Wolves but failed to survive the third period Wings' onslaught, exiting after the fourth Perth goal of the period at the 6:21 mark. Richard Barr finished up, yielding two goals on 11 shots.
Referee Jeff Pashak called 15 minor penalties, eight of which went to the visitors.
CLASSIC SERIES
Metro Division pennant winners and defending league champion Ottawa West Golden Knights had a major scare in their opening round series with fourth place Clarence Creek Beavers.
After taking a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Knights appeared to be cruising toward a final showdown with cross-town rival Ottawa Junior Canadians in the division final.
Beavers, however, weren't prepared to go into hibernation. They nearly pulled the upset of the season, roaring back with three straight victories, including a 5-4 overtime victory last Wednesday night in Clarence Creek which forced the series to the maximum seven games. Jamie Begin scored the winner just 24 seconds into the extra session.
The deciding contest, played last Thursday at Barbara Ann Scott Arena in Ottawa, turned out to be a barn burner!
The teams played through a scoreless first period. In the middle stanza the host Knights scored twice with veteran Brandon Durant and Taylor Alexander, with a powerplay goal, making it 2-0 after 40 minutes of play.
It stayed that way until the late stages of the final regulation period. Beavers then tied it on goals one minute, 46 seconds apart by Begin (a powerplay effort) and Pascal Brisson, on a set-up from Begin. The pair finished second and third respectively in the regular season scoring derby in the Metro Division. Brisson's tally forced overtime for a second straight night!
The rivals then skated through a scoreless 20 minute added period with Ottawa out shooting Clarence 5-2. But at the 2:51 mark of the second overtime it was Matthew MacDonald scoring his second goal of the series to give Golden Knights a thrilling 3-2 triumph.
It was a classic seventh game with each team firing 26 shots. Former Perth goalie Adam Morden was the winning net minder while Patrick Martin was the hard luck loser.
Three of the seven contests were decided in OT with Knights winning two of them.
Ottawa West, who has won six of the past 10 overall championships in the EOJHL, advanced to yet another division final, this time against Canadians who disposed of Gatineau Mustangs in five games in the other semi final. Those clubs had finished second and third respectively during the regular season.
The Metro final opened Monday night at Barbara Ann Scott Arena with Game 2 at Brian Kilrea Arena (Canadians' home) Tuesday. Ottawa West hosted the third game Thursday night. Game 4 goes Saturday at 7:20 p.m. at Brian Kilrea Arena in southeast Ottawa.
Meanwhile, in the Rideau Division, near neighbours Westport Rideaus and Athens Aeros are playing for the title. The first place Rideaus skated past fourth place Gananoque Islanders in five games in one semi final while Aeros bested third place Brockville Tikis, also in five games.
The final opened on the weekend with Westport scoring back-to-back 5-4 victories Friday and Sunday. Game 2 in Athens was decided in overtime.
Casselman Vikings, who won the regular season pennant in the St. Lawrence Division, are now battling perennial champion Alexandria Glens in the remaining final series in the EOJHL.
Casselman opened the set with an easy 7-1 win on home ice last Thursday. However Alexandria rebounded with two weekend triumphs, edging Vikings 5-4 in overtime Friday and then cruising to a 5-1 win in Casselman Sunday evening to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven.
Casselman reached the final by easily sweeping fourth place Winchester Hawks in the semi finals. The second place Glens needed five games to overcome third place Char-Lan Rebels from Williamstown in the other opening round series in the St. Lawrence Division.
As mentioned Game 3 of the Valley Division final was played Wednesday in Perth with the fourth game scheduled Friday night at Renfrew Arena starting at 8 o'clock. If necessary Game 5 will be in Perth Saturday at 7:30 p.m. A sixth game would go Tuesday (March 16) in Renfrew at 8 p.m. If a seventh and deciding contest is needed it would be played in Perth on St. Patrick's Day night at 7:45.
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