On Tuesday, March 2, the Peterborough Petes welcomed the North Bay Battalion to the PMC for game three of their Eastern Conference Final best of seven series. The series was tied 1-1 heading into the game after Peterborough took game one in North Bay on Friday and the Battalion battled back to win game two on Sunday. Avery Hayes returned to the lineup for the Petes, ready to kickstart an offence that really missed him in game two. Michael Simpson was once again between the pipes for the Petes, on the hunt for his 10th playoff win this postseason.
The PMC was rocking from the drop of the puck in the first period, happy to have the Maroon and White back from North Bay. The Petes really put on the pressure late in the period, firing shot after shot at Battalion goalie Dom DiVincentiis. With six minutes left in the period, on a Petes powerplay, Brennan Othmann would beat DiVincentiis to bring the Peterborough faithful off their feet and go up 1-0. The Petes would take the lead into the break, leading 17-13 in shots.
With the home crowd behind them, and a huge five minute penalty kill to start the period, the Petes continued to put the pressure on in the second period. They almost pulled ahead multiple times and worked hard defensively to shut down the dangerous Battalion attack. Everything was looking good until a breakdown on a powerplay resulted in a short handed goal for North Bay late in the period. That would spark the Battalion and they would add one more before the end of the period to take a 2-1 lead into the break. The Petes continued to lead in shots 28-23 after two.
The Petes were on a mission from the start of the third period, and it showed. Seven minutes into the period, Avery Hayes blasted a one-time from Brennan Othmann past DiVincentiis to tie the game at 2-2. The momentum really switched after the goal, with Peterborough pouring on the pressure. Finally all of the momentum would pay off with two minutes left. Jax Dubois had a fantastic forecheck behind the net and fed Sam Mayer who scored to take a late 3-2 lead. The PMC sell-out crowd erupted with the goal and had the arena buzzing until the final whistle. The Petes won the game 3-2, staying undefeated at home this postseason, and taking a 2-1 series lead over the Battalion.
Brennan Othmann led the way for the Petes with a goal and an assist. Avery Hayes and Sam Mayer scored, while Tucker Robertson, Gavin White, Connor Lockhart, and Jax Dubois all picked up an assist. Michael Simpson stopped 32/34 for his 10th win of the playoffs.
The Petes are back in action on Wednesday, May 3 for game four of the Eastern Conference Final best of seven series against the North Bay Battalion. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Very limited tickets are available by clicking here, or by contacting the PMC Grant Thornton Box Office in person or at (705) 743-3561. Fans can also catch the game on OHL Live, YourTV Peterborough, and Freq 90.5.
You must be logged in to post a comment.