For the sixth time in their last 12 games the Sudbury Wolves needed overtime and despite a valiant effort it was not enough to beat the Peterborough Petes, who took the Friday night game 5-4.
They had just five overtime appearances in the 33 games before that.
It wasn’t the result the coaching staff could have hoped for but still a good game.
“We got to just concentrate on us, little disheartening because we wanted the two(points), but if our team continues to play clean and manage pucks like we did tonight and continue to play physical, we’ll be fine,” said Wolves Head Coach David Matsos.
It was a back and forth affair and could have come out a win for either side as we counted five combined chances that rang off the post or cross bar.
“Not saying they didn’t deserve the two, but we felt we deserved it as well,” said Matsos.
The Wolves lost a short time into the overtime period after Zach Wilkie carried the puck over the blue-line trying to make something happen, the Wolves got caught and a breakaway led to a goal for Steve Lorentz.
“This was a big game for us, Peterborough is top in the Eastern Conference almost. We obviously wanted to win this one and tough one in overtime. Nothing you can do, we got to get back to getting ready for Sunday,” said C.J. Yakimowicz.
Yakimowicz had two goals on the evening, David Levin and Macauley Carson added the other goals for the Wolves.
It was a good effort for a team coming off two tough 6-3 losses last weekend to North Bay and Saginaw.
“Coming off those two losses, I think everyone wanted to step up and make sure they were giving it all they could tonight,” said Michael Pezzetta. “There was a little spill maybe three, four minutes where things weren’t going our way. But other then that I think everyone gave it all they could tonight.”
“I thought they were good, they were sharpe, they were positive, enthusiastic, I liked our effort level tonight. I thought maybe our third period we managed pucks on occasion just a little bit poor, but it didn’t result in anything,” said Matsos.
The first period started with a bit of adversity for Sudbury as Nikita Korostelev scored his 23rd on the season off a rebound.
But the Wolves rallied off three straight. Alan Lyszczarczyk was behind the net and fed a beautiful pass out to Levin who fired home his 16th of the year. The next two goals were pure effort.
Michael Pezzetta shot from the left blue line on a rush and Yakimowicz beat out the Petes player to the net for a rebound goal.
Then Pezzetta again took the puck and carried it to the net this time, the puck bounced and Carson whacked it out of mid air for his 16th of the season.
After one the Wolves led 3-1.
The Petes battled back in the second with Semyon Der-Arguchintsev scoring twice.
The third started tied at threes.
Yakimowicz knew the bank was open late on Friday’s and fired a shot just over the blue line that hit off the end board, banked off the skate of goalie Dylan Wells into the net for his second of the game and 7th of the season.
Logan DeNoble tied the game up not long after which is the way it stood heading into overtime.
You know the rest.
With an Oshawa Generals win the Petes were not able to leap frog them for tops in the Eastern Conference, so they stay in third.
Sudbury picks up a point but Mississauga beat Barrie so the Wolves trail the Steelheads by four points in the Central Division.
They will head to Mississauga on Sunday.
“Every game from now on is a big game, we’re treating every game like a playoff game,” said Yakimowicz.
