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Round 2 Begins
2024-03-22
Nick Comeau about to make a save on Matt Ryder
The Eurekas and Greyhounds started the second round off with a bang.
After awaiting the results of the Osprey Evergreens game the night before, the Eurekas and Greyhounds learned early Thursday morning that they would be playing each other that night. A matchup that is touted to be evenly matched would be how the league would start off the second round of playoff action.
It didn't take long to put pen to paper on the game sheet. Derick Levesque snuck into the slot with Connor Tousignant controlling the puck behind the goal. A nice pass out in front and the Greyhounds first shot on goal was in. Would this be a sign of things to come?
It was on the very next shift that Jonny Bamford would keep the puck in at the blueline. With a slight hesitation to draw players in, Jonny then made the pass to an open Bobby Sacre at the left point. Sacre walked in uncontested and with ample time and space, he fired a shot that beat Nick Comeau on the blocker side. The goaltenders were both sitting on a save percentage of zero 123 seconds into the game. That would change though. The Eurekas tying goal would motivate them and they made sure Comeau would increase his save percentage drastically, especially with a lot of scoring chances.
Comeau battled, making some big saves, but an odd man rush with Matt Peters and Matt Ryder would be a tough one for him as Peters made the pass across the ice to Ryder whose one timer propelled the Eurekas into the lead. The Greyhounds made their way to the Eurekas goal but couldn't get good shots as the Eurekas defence got their sticks and bodies in front of as much as possible.
Peters and Ryder would replicate their goal with 5 minutes left in the first, making it 3-1. That's where we would be when the horn sounded to end the first. The Eurekas had a heavy lead in the shots category as well, outshooting the Greyhounds 15-6.
In the Second period, we would see the Greyhounds mounting a stronger attack as the Eurekas saw less puck possession time. JK MacAdam was making the saves he needed to, until a faceoff to his left would be won by his team back towards him, Max Boudreau jumped in and stole the puck off the Eurekas defenceman and buried to to cut the lead to one.
Comeau started seeing more rubber again once the score got tighter and he was making some big saves. Then the Eurekas found themselves with 2 men in the box and the Greyhounds sent out their top players to make the most of their situation. Derick Levesque would rip it in after some good passing to tie the game with 5:11 to go and his team still on the Power Play.
The Eurekas killed the rest of the penalty and even had a couple shorthanded scoring chances, but the momentum was definitely on the side of the Greyhounds. Max Boudreau was looking for his second of the night and took a clapper that felled Kyle Ervin as it hit the side of his leg, giving him a nasty bruise and a cut, but he kept the shot from going on goal.
Dylan MacDonald's Greyhounds we're working their asses off as they tried to get the lead, but they may have pushed a little too hard and the ref's arm went up for a tripping penalty, and the Eurekas were set to go to a late power play, but instead, they held on to the puck and again Matt Peters found Matt Ryder, this time alone up top, where he walked in and roofed it to give his team the 4-3 lead with just 3 minutes left.
Despite their best efforts, the Greyhiunds failed to find a late equalizer as the final minute got chippy. The Eurekas take a 1-0 series lead into the weekend and these teams will face each other Tuesday at 10:15 in game 2 as the Eurekas look to win their 4th playoff game in a row.
It didn't take long to put pen to paper on the game sheet. Derick Levesque snuck into the slot with Connor Tousignant controlling the puck behind the goal. A nice pass out in front and the Greyhounds first shot on goal was in. Would this be a sign of things to come?
It was on the very next shift that Jonny Bamford would keep the puck in at the blueline. With a slight hesitation to draw players in, Jonny then made the pass to an open Bobby Sacre at the left point. Sacre walked in uncontested and with ample time and space, he fired a shot that beat Nick Comeau on the blocker side. The goaltenders were both sitting on a save percentage of zero 123 seconds into the game. That would change though. The Eurekas tying goal would motivate them and they made sure Comeau would increase his save percentage drastically, especially with a lot of scoring chances.
Comeau battled, making some big saves, but an odd man rush with Matt Peters and Matt Ryder would be a tough one for him as Peters made the pass across the ice to Ryder whose one timer propelled the Eurekas into the lead. The Greyhounds made their way to the Eurekas goal but couldn't get good shots as the Eurekas defence got their sticks and bodies in front of as much as possible.
Peters and Ryder would replicate their goal with 5 minutes left in the first, making it 3-1. That's where we would be when the horn sounded to end the first. The Eurekas had a heavy lead in the shots category as well, outshooting the Greyhounds 15-6.
In the Second period, we would see the Greyhounds mounting a stronger attack as the Eurekas saw less puck possession time. JK MacAdam was making the saves he needed to, until a faceoff to his left would be won by his team back towards him, Max Boudreau jumped in and stole the puck off the Eurekas defenceman and buried to to cut the lead to one.
Comeau started seeing more rubber again once the score got tighter and he was making some big saves. Then the Eurekas found themselves with 2 men in the box and the Greyhounds sent out their top players to make the most of their situation. Derick Levesque would rip it in after some good passing to tie the game with 5:11 to go and his team still on the Power Play.
The Eurekas killed the rest of the penalty and even had a couple shorthanded scoring chances, but the momentum was definitely on the side of the Greyhounds. Max Boudreau was looking for his second of the night and took a clapper that felled Kyle Ervin as it hit the side of his leg, giving him a nasty bruise and a cut, but he kept the shot from going on goal.
Dylan MacDonald's Greyhounds we're working their asses off as they tried to get the lead, but they may have pushed a little too hard and the ref's arm went up for a tripping penalty, and the Eurekas were set to go to a late power play, but instead, they held on to the puck and again Matt Peters found Matt Ryder, this time alone up top, where he walked in and roofed it to give his team the 4-3 lead with just 3 minutes left.
Despite their best efforts, the Greyhiunds failed to find a late equalizer as the final minute got chippy. The Eurekas take a 1-0 series lead into the weekend and these teams will face each other Tuesday at 10:15 in game 2 as the Eurekas look to win their 4th playoff game in a row.