Canadians playoff fate is virtually sealed following embarrassing loss to Stallions
Posted Feb 18, 2010 By Jeff Maguire
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Tweet ThisEMC Sports - It can't be called unexpected! But for Carleton Place Canadians' players, management and fans the club's recent fall from grace is, at the very least, unfortunate.
Expansion teams aren't normally expected to make the playoffs. But until a few weeks ago it appeared Canadians, the newest entry in the Central Junior Hockey League (CJHL), would eventually wrap up the eighth and final post season position in the 12-team Junior A loop.
Enter Kemptville 73's, the CJHL's previous expansion franchise in 2007. Kemptville had trailed Carleton Place in the Robinson Division and overall league standings for most of the long campaign. However, in recent weeks the improving team moved past Canadians and then accelerated far ahead of Carleton Place who, following Friday's action, is a mere speck in 73's rear view mirror.
Kemptville doubled the visiting Smiths Falls Bears 4-2 Friday to record their fifth straight win. Meanwhile Carleton Place was embarrassed 11-5 at home by Kanata Stallions who have the second worst record in the CJHL this season.
The latest Kemptville shift left Canadians 11 points behind 73's. With seven games remaining they weren't mathematically eliminated from the race Friday. But with Kemptville winning so regularly and Carleton Place losing, the outcome appears obvious. Add the fact 73's own two games in hand on Canadians and it becomes even more apparent the expansion team's fate is virtually sealed.
Last Tuesday night (Feb. 9) red-hot Kemptville edged the visiting Ottawa Junior Senators 2-1 in a shootout. That triumph alone meant the eighth and final playoff position in the league was Kemptville's to lose. Friday things got even better for 73's.
Prior to Friday's action Carleton Place head coach Jason Clarke was already on record as saying "we now have to depend on what other teams can do against Kemptville if we hope to make the playoffs." After watching his club lose their third straight game he was no doubt looking ahead to next season!
Carleton Place dropped back-to-back one goal decisions to Kemptville the previous weekend, including a home ice overtime defeat on Saturday, Feb. 6. That pretty much told the tale!
If, as expected, 73's go on to nail down a playoff place it will mark the first time in the club's three-year history they have qualified for the post season. The previously struggling Kemptville team won just 15 games in each of their first two seasons (30 victories in 120 games) to fall well short of the playoff places.
Friday's win over Bears gave the surging 73's (25-23-0-5) the best mark they have owned in three campaigns in the Junior A loop. Like Carleton Place, the Kemptville club previously played in the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League.
AVOID LAST
At the bottom of the league table, despite losing in a shootout last Tuesday (Feb. 9), Kanata has now taken steps to avoid finishing the season in the CJHL basement.
Stallions, who have endured the worst campaign in club history in 2009-2010, secured one point when they were edged 6-5 by visiting Nepean Raiders at Kanata Recreation Complex. It was the 45th defeat in 56 games for Kanata who can't finish any higher than 11th overall in the 12-team league. But they could still end up dead last depending on what Hawkesbury Hawks do with the five games in hand they hold over Stallions.
Friday night Kanata rolled over the injury-hit Canadians to move eight points ahead of Hawkesbury.
Hawks, with a record of 10-41-0-1 after losing 6-2 at home to Cumberland Grads Friday, are on course for a second consecutive last place finish. But mathematically at least they can still catch Kanata before the season ends early next month.
At Carleton Place and District Community Centre it was a nightmarish performance by Canadians' goaltenders which led to the club's fifth defeat in six games. The visitors had 31 shots and Carleton Place 30, but Stallions scored 11.
Despite the one-sided setback, Carleton Place still claimed the season series, involving the teams, four games to two.
Kanata scoring sensation Allan McPherson was a one-man wrecking crew. He scored four goals and added four assists to take his season total to 86 points including 35 goals. In the process McPherson leapfrogged from eighth to sixth in the league scoring parade and moved within three points of third place on the CJHL chart. The 18-year-old centre from Kinburn has had a truly remarkable season considering he plays for a team which, at one stretch early this season, set the CJHL record for consecutive losses with 26.
Still, you have to turn to Canadians' net minding - or lack of same - to help explain Carleton Place's worst defeat of the campaign Friday.
The 11 goals by Kanata marks the first time any team has hit double figures against Canadians this season, which helps explain why they were in the playoff race for so long. Good defence has been a hallmark for the club during their first season of Junior A hockey. Not on this occasion though!
Francis Dupuis, who was acquired in a deal with Gloucester Rangers at the league trade deadline Jan. 10, was given a rare start after playing back-up recently while nursing a minor injury.
Dupuis probably wishes he had stayed on the bench! He gave up the only two goals of the first period. But he was pulled by Clarke at the 4:39 mark of the second after yielding three more as the visitors took a comfortable 5-0 advantage.
His replacement, Scott Shackell, didn't fare any better. Kanata got one more at 9:20 of period two to make it 6-0. Canadians rallied with a pair to trail 6-2 after 40 minutes.
But sensing a rare victory, Stallions really kicked up their heels in the final frame. They outscored the suddenly defenceless Carleton Place team 5-3 in the period. Overall Shackell allowed six goals on just 13 shots.
Stittsville's Ryan Donnelly netted twice and set up three for Kanata while defenceman Curtis Watson assisted on three.
PAIR FOR LOWE
Centre Ryan Lowe was a two-goal shooter for Carleton Place giving him nine on the campaign. He also helped set up line mate Richard Stethem's 17th goal of the campaign while Stethem assisted on one of Lowe's efforts. Stethem is second on the team scoring chart with 45 points. Lowe is third with 38.
Aaron MacCosham notched his 10th of the campaign for Canadians while rookie defenceman Donovan Gardiner, a local native, connected for No. 8 to round out scoring with just 1:23 left to play.
Kanata goalie Sebastien Parker made 25 stops to record only his fourth win of the season against a dozen defeats.
Referee Josh Foster called 21 penalties, 12 of which went to the visitors. The only majors were inciting an opponent misconducts handed to Zach Farris and Luke Martin of Carleton Place and Kanata's Philipe Doucet during a brief melee that occurred with just 11 seconds left in the game.
Stallions went two for five on the powerplay while Carleton Place was two for nine.
McPherson, Donnelly and Watson, all from Kanata, were the game's three stars.
Just 213 were in the stands to watch this one as the late season attendance slump at community centre continues. Still, Carleton Place remains a respectable fifth overall in average attendance in the league.
Interestingly Kemptville is 11th, one position below Kanata, despite playing in the most modern facility in the CJHL.
Monday afternoon Carleton Place entertained Hawkesbury in a 'Family Day' fixture. Tonight (Thursday) Canadians open a home and home series with Cornwall Colts, the second place team in the Robinson and third overall. Game time at Ed Lumley Arena in the Cornwall Civic Complex is 7:30. Tomorrow (Friday) Colts visit community centre for another 7:30 fixture.
Next Wednesday (Feb. 24) Carleton Place has a tough assignment when they take on the defending champion Lumber Kings in Pembroke. It's the sixth and final regular season match-up featuring the perennial league winners and the CJHL's newest team. Lumber Kings have won all five previous meetings. Face-off at Pembroke Memorial Centre is set for 7:30 p.m.
After that Canadians will have just three games remaining this season, two of them on home ice.
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