The word on the Mann Cup street entering the series was an easy series sweep. After game two one team would leave the building up two games to none. It wasn’t, however, the team many expected. The mind games started early on as the hometown Peterborough Lakers took to the floor for warmups wearing their home white jerseys. However, as this is the Mann Cup the statistical home team was the Langley Thunder, who were to wear their whites in the game. The tactic did have many talking, and even a few Langley players. Would it work for the game?
Game two started slow with both teams feeling each other out. Six minutes in, Brad Self picked off a Langley pass and ran the floor, as he’s done so many times this season, to convert the unassisted goal. The goal came on a four-on-four with the Lakers’ Chris White in the box for interference and Chris Van Beek from Langley sitting for four minutes for checking from behind. As White’s penalty expired, Lewis Ratcliff was able to score short handed. Langley was four seconds away from killing off the entire four minute double minor to Van Beek when Cory Vitarelli pulled Peterborough back ahead. After another minor to Langley, it would be Vitarelli again converting the powerplay opportunity. Despite Joel McCready pulling the Thunder within one, John Grant would add Peterborough’s third powerplay goal of the period, and fourth in a non-five-on-five situation. In our keys to victory for Peterborough earlier this week, we said they needed to win special teams. They did in the first period on Sunday and came out of the frame leading 4-2.
The second period opened with the Thunder scoring in the opening minute thanks to Alex Turner. Turner has been an unsung hero for Langley all year long posting fifty-three points in the regular season (third on the team). However, his numbers have dropped since then with thirteen points in the playoffs, and just his third goal on this play in the Mann Cup. One man who has not cooled off is Grant who would score his second of the game shortly after Turner. Athan Iannucci has been scoring incredible goals all season long featuring a number of players draped all over him, including a beauty in game one. On Sunday night in game two, he did the same, on the powerplay, to pull Langley within one.
The close score was short lived as Peterborough would ride the encouragement of the 3,300+ in attendance and score three goals in 2:11. The move sent Brodie MacDonald to the bench in favour of Steve Fryer. MacDonald was jeered all night by the fans, especially after being the cause of a lengthy delay when he had to go to the bench earlier in the second for a new throat guard after the one he had was cracked in half by a shot. MacDonald would return to the goal on the ensuing possession, but the break not only gave him a chance to clear his thoughts, but also energized the Thunder. With just under four minutes to play in the quarter, they would score four goals to tie the score at eight in the final minute headed to the rooms.
With one goal on the board already, Scott Evans took care of the remainder of his hat trick early in the third scoring two goals over a minute and a half span. Vitarelli would complete his own hat trick less than a minute later to make it a three goal run, and lead, for the Lakers. However, Garrett Billings, who had three points in the four goal run to end the second, set up Iannucci and Joel McCready before potting his own to re-tie the score, this time at eleven. A minute later, Vitarelli would add his fourth of the game to give Peterborough the lead. MacDonald would make two massive saves to keep Peterborough from going on a run, and the Lakers had another goal called back due to a man in the crease, before Iannucci would score his third of the evening to tie the game at twelve with just over four minutes to play. Despite the team’s best efforts Tyler Carlson and Brodie MacDonald stopped everything thrown at them in the final seconds and game two of the Mann Cup went to overtime.
The entire series has been a chippy affair, and this game was no exception. As was the case in game one, as Langley started to claw back to tie, Peterborough started taking ill advised penalties at key times. Such was the case in the extra frame as well when Jamie Lincoln was called for cross-checking. It took all of twenty-two seconds for Billings to convert and put the Thunder ahead. In Mann Cup play, the overtime sessions is a full ten minutes which allowed time for Mark Steenhuis to retie the game at thirteen a minute following Billings’ goal. Not to be outdone, it would be Billings again completing his hat trick forty-three seconds later and Langley held the hammer again. Kerry Susheski would head to the box for Langley, and this time it would be Iannucci scoring shorthanded to pull ahead by two.
With the rough play continuing, Shawn Evans and Ian Poole got involved as Langley was called for too many men. Once again, MacDonald would come up big on the four-on-three penalty kill. Mark Steenhuis evened the penalty situation by taking a high sticking major behind the play with just over a minute and a half to play. With John Grant Jr having left the game in the third after taking a big hit, and Steenhuis in the box, Peterborough still trailed by two and were looking for someone to step up. Shawn Evans would be that man as he repeated his game one act of scoring in the final minute to pull Peterborough within one. There would be no tying goal, however, and Langley finishes the game up 15-14, and with a two games to none cushion in the series.
Mac Allen missed game two due to a one game suspension as a result of incurring a double game misconduct in game one. He should return for game three on Monday night, but it doesn’t look good for Grant. Local TV Cogeco commentator, Tyson William tweeted following the game regarding Jr’s condition, “No word yet, looks to have been a knee injury. Was sent straight to hospital.” It will be a story to look for heading into game three. It was a rough weekend for Peterborough as they lost both opening games of the Mann Cup, they may have lost their leading scorer, and not only that, but Sir Elton John cancelled his Saturday night concert last minute. Here’s hoping their luck changes as the new week starts.
Game three goes Monday night at 8pm and can be viewed in Peterborough on TV Cogeco, or throughout the world via pay-per-view webcast thanks to JVI Productions over at www.webcast-sports.com.
