First Elimination Game of 2026

The Aurora faced a Grey wall in game 1, but game 2 was a chance to reverse the course of their playoffs.  Just one win and the series would be level.  The Greyhounds were without their fearless leader Connor MacPherson as he was without his priorities in order.  David Lacey had his priorities straight, and that’s why he went right to the box for a body check 95 seconds into the game.  

 

The Greyhounds power play had absolutely nothing going for it.  The Aurora got their first good chance just after its conclusion as Matt “Birthday Boy” Ryder took a shot through a screen which Logan MacLean had to kick out with his left pad.  Then Josh Beaudreau shot through a screen and Logan once again had to be quick, this time with his blocker, as he kept the Aurora off the score sheet.

 

After a barrage in their end, the Greyhounds finally put a little pressure on the Aurora in their end as Bryan Gillis had a slot shot stopped by Nick Stryniak.  It felt like ages before Connor LeBlanc picked up the puck off the end boards as his first shot was blocked.  He tried to roof his shot, but went over the glass instead.  And then the Greyhounds were the better team for a stretch which included Kyle Gouthro toe dragging Chris Ryder and then Bobby Sacre slid through the play as Brock Bethune rolled up and picked up the loose puck and beat the blocker of Stryniak with just under 5 minutes left in the first.

 

A late first period power play gave the Aurora the chance to level the score.  A point shot wide nearly ended up in the back of the net but Bryan Gillis slid to stop Matt Ryder from shooting at the open net, then Tyler Selvet took a one timer that missed the net by millimetres.  Selvet would then hit the side of the net as the Aurora were looking like the second place team once more.  David Lacey had the top corner in his sights, but Logan had the blocker save in the final minute of the first.

 

The Aurora were feeling motivated and took it to the Greyhounds to start the second.  Chris Ryder took a shot from the point that Nathan Bessey jumped out of the way of as it went between his legs and off the base of the post.  Bobby Sacre was standing right there and had the whole open net to shoot at.  He didn’t miss.

 

Now tied, the game’s dynamic changed as the intensity increased.  Mat McLeod and Connor LeBlanc had a big collision as the two tracked down a puck.  Both players went down and the play was blown dead, but no penalty was called.

 

Back up ice, Nathan Bessey chipped a shot to the net that went off Matt Ryder and dropped just wide of the post as the Greyhounds scrambled for defensive coverage.  Ryder would do a patented rush on the same shift and after he was stopped, Bessey tried to hit Sacre with a back door pass, but it missed and Brandon Marsh was called for a penalty while battling for a puck on the boards.

 

Connor LeBlanc, playing with 2 inches of steel broken off his skate blade, took a pass at the point and fired a shot that beat Stryniak glove side to put the Greyhounds back in front once again.  The Aurora took the faceoff and then went right into the Greyhound zone where, after a shot deflected over the glass, Matt Ryder won the draw back to Bobby Sacre.  Bobby’s shot missed David Lacey style and Matt was there on the back post with Logan stretching to get over, but not in time as the puck was bulging the twine behind him before he could get there.

 

There was a trading of zone time, but no goals, and then the Greyhounds opened the door for the Aurora as Matt Ryder drew a call on a rush.  The Aurora power play looked practiced as the boys worked the puck around like a proper hockey team.  It culminated in a Sacre shot in the slot.  Sacre vs MacLean.  The shot is a wrister its aim was the top glove side, but the glove of Logan was quicker as he snagged the shot and held for the whistle.  The Aurora pressure continued, and when Kyle Ervin picked up a loose puck beside the goal, he had the whole ice to dump the puck down into as the only defenseman was Chris Ryder at the far side.  Yeah, he put it right to Ryder.  The puck went back towards the goal and Ervin made up for his fuck up as he cleared the puck away from Sacre popping in his second open net goal, and the puck left the zone too.

 

When chances arose, the Greyhounds were going for them.  Kyle Gouthro had a step on Sacre when Bobby wound up a slash on Kyle’s hands and thwarted a scoring chance.  The slash sent him to the box.  On the PP, Kyle Gouthro hit the blocker of Stryniak and the post but he couldn’t get it into the net.  Then the Greyhounds drew another penalty and on to a 5 on 3 for 30 seconds.  Connor LeBlanc had the only chance of the 2 man advantage off the rush and he put his shot wide.  No-one couldn’t find a goal and that meant a shootout.

 

Greyhounds were up first

Connor LeBlanc, Nathan Bessey, Brock Bethune, Matt Ryder, Mat McLeod, Bobby Sacre, Drew LeFrank, David Lacey, Kyle Gouthro, Tyler Selvet, Noah Joncas, Chris Ryder; 6 rounds of shooters and not a single goal as Nick Stryniak and Logan MacLean slammed the door shut.  7th round, Bryan Gillis goes in slow, then speeds up at the end, forehand to backhand, to denied.  On to Mike Gilmore, the holder of 2 career NHL goals.  He shoots low, off the stick of Logan, then his glove, then the sloooow roll towards the line.  Logan peeks back but can do nothing.  The puck crosses the line and doesn’t even make it to the back of the net.  The Aurora season is still alive, and the series is tied 1-1.

 

Due to the local tournaments taking our ice, these two teams will need to wait until Monday March 30th to play the deciding game of their series.