Canadians boost playoff hopes winning over 73's
Posted Jan 21, 2010 By Jeff Maguire
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Tweet ThisEMC Sports - A four-goal third period in Kemptville Friday night may have saved Carleton Place Canadians' season! The 4-2 triumph most certainly keeps them in the race with 73's for the eighth and final playoff place in the Central Junior Hockey League (CJHL).
Unfortunately they failed to capitalize on Friday's road success, dropping an identical 4-2 decision to Ottawa Junior Senators Saturday night before a small crowd at community centre.
Kemptville, the previous expansion team in the league in 2007, is seeking their first playoff berth following two very difficult campaigns in which they won just 15 games in each of their first two seasons. That is 30 wins in 120 games, a depressing total to say the least!
The 73's started out slowly this season too. But recently, under head coach Chris Droeske, they have made real progress. A 3-0 shut out win over lowly Hawkesbury Hawks last Tuesday (Jan. 12) boosted Kemptville into a six-point lead over the previously struggling Canadians with the season now into the home stretch. A win at North Grenville Municipal Centre Friday would have given 73's a big eight-point advantage.
Sunday afternoon 73's regained their six-point edge over idle Carleton Place, downing visiting Kanata Stallions 4-1. Kemptville is clearly in the driver's seat at this stage as they also hold two games in hand on their nearest rival.
Canadians had lost five straight going into the key game Friday. But thanks to the third period explosion, the Kemptville lead can still be overcome. The clubs still have two games to play against each other before the CJHL campaign ends on March 7.
On paper at least, Carleton Place has an easier schedule than Kemptville at the end of the season too. But they will have to do better than they have lately, or the final half dozen games may not mean much!
Friday Canadians got good goaltending from Scott Shackell who started instead of newly-acquired Francis Dupuis. The latter was on the bench after being picked up in a trade deadline deal with Gloucester Rangers where he was 8-10 in 18 decisions.
Shackell made 29 saves to record his 16th victory in 32 decisions, a .500 record. He hadn't played particularly well lately, prompting the move for the veteran Dupuis who will provide some insurance the rest of the way.
The Carleton Place offence came to life as well in Kemptville, with Canadians out shooting the home team 34-31 in front of a disappointing turnout of 195 fans at the North Grenville complex.
LEGACE STARS
Newly arrived Ryan Legace, Canadians' second draft choice who spent most of the season playing for Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, made an immediate impression. Legace fired the game winner. He decided to return to Junior A at the annual trade deadline, after getting very little ice-time with Shawinigan.
In his first game for the club he scored once and set up another and could be a key for the team going forward. Centre Brock Plouffe, the former Carleton Place Legion Kings' (Junior B) star, scored his 11th and added one assist. Plouffe has an impressive 19 points in just 16 games since joining the locals in a late November deal with Cumberland Grads.
Left wingers Richard Stethem with his 15th tally and Aaron MacCosham with his sixth had the others for Carleton Place. Stethem, the club's second leading scorer, wrapped it up with an empty netter with just 57 seconds left in regulation.
Almonte's Zach Wilson, with No. 21 on the campaign, had given the home team a one goal lead early in the opening stanza. Wilson is second in team scoring for Kemptville.
The second period was scoreless and after Plouffe tied it at 1:16 of period three, Ben Hutton scored his 10th at 3:39 to restore 73's one-goal advantage.
MacCosham tied it two minutes, 19 seconds later and Legace's game winner came less than two minutes after that.
Ben Curley was the losing goalie despite making 30 stops.
Referee Erik Falardeau called 11 penalties, seven of which went to the home team. The most damaging to Kemptville came at 9:54 of period two when team scoring leader Michael Rowbotham was tagged for checking from behind. That carries an automatic game misconduct. Rowbotham, who had 20 goals and 44 points going into the contest, was a big loss for 73's in the second half of the game.
Through 21 home games Kemptville is second last in the league in attendance, while after the same number of appearances on home ice, the new Canadians are a much more impressive fifth in the 12-team loop.
For the record Junior Senators of the Yzerman Division have the lowest attendance, while three-time defending champion Pembroke Lumber Kings lead the league by an impressive measure.
Ottawa didn't attract much of a crowd Saturday either with just 233 in the pews. But in this case it was Canadians' who failed to live up to their usual gate standard. Home attendance has been flagging recently and with the playoff race heating up, that has to be something of a concern for Carleton Place brass.
Senators' 4-2 win gave them four wins in five regular season meetings as the clubs concluded their season series. In fact Ottawa (24-18-0-3) picked up nine of a possible 10 points against the new Carleton Place side. Canadians' only victory was a 3-2 shootout decision in the second game of the season, during the 'CJHL Showcase', hosted by Carleton Place, way back on Sunday, Sept. 13.
Dean Shepherdson, who has been outstanding in games against Carleton Place this season, made 31 saves as the home team held a 33-30 shots advantage.
Canadians (18-28-0-1) started brightly, leading 2-1 after 20 minutes on goals by Almonte's Luke Martin (his ninth) and newcomer Bryan Warner. The latter came up with a shorthanded, unassisted effort at 14:47 of the opening frame. Warner was acquired in a deal with Brockville Braves just prior to the recent junior hockey trade deadline.
Sandwiched between was Joel Senecal's goal for Junior Sens which was set up by veteran centre Nicholas Belleville. In the second period Belleville went to work, firing a pair of goals which effectively decided the issue. He has 56 points, including 23 goals and stood 16th in league scoring following the contest.
Sens' Devon Rice scored the final goal of the game, a late insurance marker with 1:33 left to put the icing on the cake. Senecal, who was acquired at the trade deadline (Jan. 10) in a deal with last place Hawkesbury Hawks, and Belleville each had two assists to finish with three-point games.
Ottawa is still in the battle for second place in the tight Yzerman Division, along with Nepean, Gloucester and Cumberland.
Dupuis took the loss in his first game between the pipes for Carleton Place. He kicked out 26 shots.
In the penalty department Referee Josh Foster called 11 minor penalties, six of which went to the visitors. There were no powerplay goals.
Tuesday night Carleton Place visited Kanata in another crucial contest. Tomorrow (Friday) night Nepean Raiders will be the visitors at community centre and Saturday the team finishes back-to-back home games with Gloucester Rangers due in town. Both games at community centre are 7:30 p.m. fixtures.
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