It was do or die on Sunday, May 7 when the Peterborough Petes hosted the North Bay Battalion for game six of the Eastern Conference Final. The Battalion led the best of seven series 3-2 heading into the game, after a commanding 6-2 win on home ice last Friday. New Jersey Devils first round pick Chase Stillman returned to the lineup after serving his two game suspension that he picked up in game three. Michael Simpson was between the pipes for the Petes, looking to steal a game with the Petes playoff lives on the line.
It was a huge first period for the Petes, who showed early that they were ready to put their game five loss behind them. It all started six minutes into the game, when J.R. Avon jumped on a loose puck and ripped a beautiful shot past Battalion goalie Dom DiVincentiis to put the Petes up 1-0. The goal gave the Petes their first lead since game three, which they won on home ice. Just a minute after the goal, Chase Stillman tipped home a Connor Lockhart shot to extend the Petes lead to 2-0. Peterborough would be all over North Bay after the second goal, with multiple chances to extend their lead. After 20, the Maroon and White took their 2-0 lead into the locker room, leading 17-12 in shots.
The second period was not as kind to the Petes as the first. Peterborough would outplay North Bay for the majority of the period, outshooting them 14-6 in the second. Despite the heavy Petes pressure, the Battalion would still manage to score two in the period, including one in the last minute, to tie it up. Heading into the final frame, the game would be tied 2-2, and Peterborough would be fighting for their playoff lives.
The third period would set up a wild finish. The Battalion would strike first, taking the lead nine minutes in on a goal by Matvey Petrov. Not to be outdone, just over a minute later, Sam Mayer struck for Peterborough to tie the game, igniting the PMC crowd. The third would finish tied at three, sending the game to overtime. In OT, Avery Hayes showed his playoff experience and fired a Brennan Othmann pass past DiVincentiis, giving Peterborough the 4-3 win and forcing a game seven Monday in North Bay.
Brennan Othmann led the way for the Petes with two assists. Avery Hayes scored the overtime winner, while J.R. Avon, Chase Stillman, and Sam Mayer also scored. Shawn Spearing, Connor Lockhart, Owen Beck and Tucker Robertson all picked up an assist. Michael Simpson stopped 26/29 for his 11th win of the playoffs.
The Petes are in North Bay on Monday, May 8 for game seven of the Eastern Conference Final against the North Bay Battalion. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Fans can catch the game on OHL Live, YourTV Peterborough, and Freq 90.5.
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