BRAMPTON, ONT – There are a couple of moments in a playoff series that can make or break it one way or the other. Overtime hockey is without a doubt one of those moments.
Saturday night at the Powerade Centre, the Brampton Beast moved within one game of winning its first ever ECHL playoff series by downing the Reading Royals 2-1 in double overtime. Brandon MacLean was the hero, beating Royals goalie Mark Dekanich 15:34 into the second extra period to give Brampton a three to two lead in the best-of-seven North division semifinal series. The game winner was MacLean’s second tally of the night.
Game six is set for Monday night in Reading.
In what has become a classic defensive duel, Dekanich and Beast netminder Zach Fucale put on a clinic, keeping the game scoreless until the third period when MacLean put Brampton in front with his second goal of the series at the 8:55 mark. Olivier Labelle pulled the visiting Royals even with 9:08 left in regulation, setting up the overtime dramatics.
Fucale, who finished with 43 saves, kept the Beast in the game in the first overtime by making eleven saves. Dekanich was by far the busier of the two goalies in the second overtime, facing 13 of Brampton’s 52 shots in the contest including MacLean’s winner.
Neither team connected on the power play as Reading went 0-for-5 while Brampton finished 0-for-9.
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