BY SCOTT HADDOW
Clutch goaltending provided the Sudbury
Wolves with five out of a possible six points over the
weekend.
 |
Wolves number one puck stopper Kevin Beech
held his ground in three impressive games, which included two
shoot victories and a tough overtime loss.
On Friday night, the Wolves dumped the
Brampton Battalion 3-2 in shoot out.
Sudbury took a 2-0 in the second period
thanks to two goals by Nick Foligno. The crafty Foligno swept a
backhand past Brampton's goalie Daren Machesney for his
first of the night on the power play, and then pumped a quick
snap shot from the slot moments later for his second of the
game.
There would be more of Foligno, but not until
the shoot out.
Brampton tied the game in the second half of
the second period when Taylor Raszka and Wojtek Wolski scored
on the power play.
After a scoreless third frame and overtime
period, the clubs headed to the shoot out.
The intensity of the fans picked up for the
shoot out, as the booed Brampton shooters endless, and cheered
until their voices were hoarse for the
local gunners and Beech.
Brampton shot first, with Luke Lynes doing
the chore. He made a move, but Beech stoned him.
First up for the Wolves was Keaton
Turkiewicz, who lost the handle on the deke and didn't
score.
Second shooter for Brampton was Wolski, and
he made no mistake, deking Beech out of his pants and slipping
the puck into the net.
Foligno shot next for the Wolves, and after a
nifty move, potted a backhand shot into the net to tie the
game.
Former Sudbury Wolves player Howie Martin
shot next for Brampton. Beech thwarted Martin's deke with a
sliding pad save.
Matt Dias followed for the Wolves, but he was
stopped by Brampton goalie Daren Machesney.
Sudbury native J.F. Houle was the fourth
shooter for Brampton. Beech was ready, and stopped a hard,
quick shot by Houle.
Then Kevin Baker stepped into the spotlight
and delivered. Baker raced in, went to his backhand and
squeezed the puck through Machesney's
five-hole for the dramatic win, sending 4,603
fans into wild hysteria.
"It was a real tight game," said
Wolves head coach and GM Mike Foligno. "Overall, it was a
great effort."
Foligno praised shoot out hero Baker.
"Kevin Baker has been playing really
hard for us and one of our go to guys...He did a great job and
won the game for us."
Beech was thrilled to get the shoot out win,
his first of the season.
"It was intense," said Beech.
"The guys told me not to worry and just have fun. I loved
it. The fans went crazy. It was a lot of fun. I managed to stop
some shots and our guys scored. When you win in shoot out, you
got to love it."
Brampton head coach Stan Butler
"We played a good defensive game...That
was our fourth shoot out, we have won three of them, but the
law of averages was against us. We always seem to bring the
best out of both teams and it's always a game where fans
get there money worth."
Battalion forward Houle was drained after the
tough game.
"It was a hard-fought game," said
Houle. "It was a defensive battle. I was the fourth
shooter in the shoot out, but I didn't have the shot to
beat him. They got some bounces and won in shoot
out."
It wasn't a complete loss for the
battalion as they left Sudbury with battered spirits, but full
stomachs.
As always when Brampton plays in Sudbury, the
team gets a big meal from the Chateau Guay. The owners are
Denis and Francine Houle, parents of J.F. Houle.
Instead of the usual lasagna, the Battalion
went with the Sheppard's pie.
"Everyone loves the food," said
Houle. "We switched it up to Sheppard's pie this time
and the guys are happy."
On Saturday, the Wolves won again in shoot
out, taking a 4-3 victory over the Belleville Bulls in
Belleville.
Ben Pouliot, Baker and Foligno scored in
regulation. Baker also scored in shoot out, and Marc Staal
ripped the game winner.
Beech made 33 saves in the game, and stopped
four of five shooters in shoot out.
On Sunday, the Wolves lost 4-3 in overtime to
the Oshawa Generals in Oshawa.
The game was on Roger's Sportsnet.
Anton Hedman, Baker and Staal scored for the
Wolves.
Beech stopped 32 shots fired his way.
The Wolves still hold onto second place in
the Central Division with a 16-10-1-1 record, good for 34
points. They're also fourth overall in the East
Conference.
The Wolves are back in action at home this
weekend, as they face Kitchener on Friday night at the Sudbury
Arena, and Peterborough on Sunday afternoon. Game times are
7:30 pm Friday and 2 pm Sunday.
