THUNDER BAY – The Lakehead Thunderwolves have to learn how to turn up the intensity in a hurry.
The OUA hockey team’s backs are against the wall after Wednesday night’s 2-1 loss to their long-time rival Western Mustangs, forcing them to win two games on the road this weekend to stay alive.
The Wolves were unable to generate many offensive chances for the first 53 minutes of Game 1, played in front of 856 fans at the Tournament Centre, their traditional Fort William Gardens home playing host to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts this week.
By the time the team came to life, the Mustangs were up 2-0 and withstood a late awakening by the T-Wolves, save for a last-minute goal by Spencer Blackwell that spoiled Matteo Drobac’s shutout bid the tally coming with just 41 seconds on the clock and Christian Cicigoi on the bench for an extra attacker.
It’s got to happen a lot earlier on Saturday, Blackwell said.
“It’s playoffs, it’s going to be tough. When we were hemming them in it was great. We’ve just got to keep doing that and keep being all over them and get it behind them,” he said, after scoring the fourth playoff goal of his OUA hockey career.
For most of the night, it was a 1-0 contest.
The Mustangs, who entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the OUA West, broke the ice 8:38 in, Jake Gravelle firing a puck through traffic that eluded Thunderwolves goaltender Christian Cicigoi.
The pursuit of the equalizer was disjointed at best, the T-Wolves players a half a step out of position when the puck arrived, or pinned down by a smothering Western defence that seemed to get a stick or a glove or a body in the way before Lakehead could take advantage of the situation.
“They played tight. Give them credit,” said Lakehead coach Andrew Wilkins. “It’s one shot away. It felt like we were generating pressure in the third and the one turnover they came down and executed a really good play. Opportunities we felt were there, especially toward the end of the game.”
The chance Wilkins spoke of came at 13:16 of the third, when Owen Saye intercepted a pass at the Thunderwolves blueline and generated a 2-on-1 with Zach Power. Saye slid the puck over to his teammate, who rifled the puck past Cicigoi, giving the Mustangs a much-needed insurance marker.
Wilkins pulled Cicigoi with two minutes to go, but the team ran out of time, despite getting one of the two goals they needed to force overtime.
Lakehead had a chance to build some momentum late in the third, when Western’s Brett Willits was assessed and four-minute double-minor for high stick, but 32 seconds later Josh Van Unen was assessed a high-sticking minor of his own, and the two teams played four-on-four for two minutes.
Western coach Clarke Singer said the importance of getting a Game 1 win in a best-of-three series can’t be overstated.
“The playoff series are so short … You lose the first game it’s tough. So you’ve just got to be ready,” said Singer, who guided the Mustangs to a national championship in 2002, Lakehead’s first year in the league.
“We just talked about being ready – being ready for the game, being ready for the period, being ready for their shift. And I thought our guys were ready tonight.”
Asked if the disruption to routine had anything to do with the loss, Wilkins was quick to say no.
“Not at all,” he said.
The Wolves will fight for their playoff lives in London, Ont. on Saturday afternoon. Game 3, if necessary, will be played on Sunday afternoon. Both games start at 3 p.m.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Western, Gravelle 1 (unassisted) 8:38. Penalties: Yearwood WES (slashing) 4:10, Van Unen LAK (cross checking) 9:02, Van Impe WES (interference) 11:18.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: Drobac WES (delay of game) 6:17, Blackwell LAK (slashing) 10:36, Bruder WES (slashing) 13:25, Willits WES (high sticking double minor) 19:01, Van Unen LAK (high sticking) 19:34.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Western, Power 1 (Saye) 13:16. 3. Lakehead, Blackwell (Pouliot) 19:19. Penalties: None.
GAME DATA – SOG – Western 12-13-11-36, Lakehead 10-8-10-28; Power plays (goals-chances) – Western (0-3), Lakehead (0-5); Goaltenders – Western: Matteo Drobac, Lakehead: Christian Cicigoi; A: 856.
