The Bears fought and clawed their way into a spot where one goal would decide Game 2.
It just wasn’t meant to be.
George Diaco capitalized on a turnover at 15:47 of overtime, ripping a shot from the slot past Corbin Votary to lift the London Knights to a 5-4 win over the Owen Sound Attack in Game 2 of the Ontario Hockey League Western Conference quarterfinal at Budweiser Gardens Sunday afternoon.
The Knights now lead the best-of-seven 2-0.
Brody Crane, Easton Cowan, Ryan Winterton and Ethan MacKinnon also scored the London.
Colby Barlow had two for Owen Sound, while Sam Sedley and Cedrick Guindon added singles.
Votary was sensational for the Attack in the Game 2 loss – making a career-high 48 saves, several of them highlight reel caliber.
It was quite a dramatic end to regulation to get this game into overtime. The Attack scored twice in 32 seconds with their net empty to tie the game.
Logan Mailloux was off on a hooking call when Owen Sound scored to cut London’s lead to 4-3. With Votary on the bench, it was a 6-on-4 opportunity for the Attack. Sedley fired a point shot through traffic that took a bounce in front of Knights’ netminder Brett Brochu towards the far board – and Barlow was waiting there and made no mistake burying his second of the game to bring Owen Sound within one with 1:25 remaining.
The Attack won the ensuing faceoff and Votary headed right back to the bench for the extra Attacker. Then it was Guindon. He fired a shot high in the zone that touched the crossbar and fell in, beating a screen Brochu to tie it 4-4.
Almost out of nowhere the Attack scored twice in a short span to stun the crowd at the Budweiser Gardens, tying the game with 52.8 seconds remaining in regulation.
That momentum didn’t carry into overtime. The Knights outshot the Attack 8-3 in the extra frame, and had the bulk of the offensive zone time as Owen Sound battled with a short bench.
Forward Thomas Chafe left the game in the second period after being caught with a high hit from Alec Leonard. There was no penalty call on the hit.
Sedley was also lined up and rocked with a check from Max McCue in overtime, and missed a chunk of time but did return to the bench.
And Teddy Sawyer also left the game after being crunched into the boards by Ruslan Gazizov. That play led to a chance for Owen Sound to work on the power play at 6:02 of overtime.
The Bears couldn’t generate anything.
There was a moment near the 10-minute mark of overtime where it looked like a bad bounce would decide the game. But Attack rookie defenceman Braedyn Rogers saved the game.
The Knights dumped the puck in and Votary left his net to try to play it, and then it bounced awkwardly out of the corner directly out of the the Attack net. Knights forward Ryan Winterton was waiting there staring at a completely open net – everyone looking on surely thinking the game was about to end. But Rogers swooped in from behind and got a stick to Winterton’s blade as he released the shot, deflecting it out of play.
The game went on.
Then it was Owen Sound in the offensive zone with about 5:30 to go in the first overtime. Servac Petrovsky dashed down the right wing and put a backhand on net, forcing Brochu to make a save. Petrovsky picked up his own rebound and circled behind the goal and attempted a wrap-around, but it stayed out.
Right off that possession the Knights took it back up ice, and Taos Jordan fumbled a clearing attempt just inside his own blueline. Diaco was away and made no mistake on the look he had in the slot, cutting to his left and firing a shot past the glove of Votary. 5-4 final – the Knights win it in overtime.
It was a tough ending to a game that had its up and downs for the Attack. Things started well in the first period.
Barlow potted his first of the game at 11:11 on the power play, to give the Attack a 1-0 lead.
Crane answered just over five minutes later. The Attack took an icing call and were left with several skaters dog-tired after a lengthy shift in the defensive zone. A Sam Dickinson point shot was deflected in front by Crane and found its way past Votary.
Votary made one his several big saves in the first period – denying a Cowan breakaway.
It was all Knights in the second. They outshot Owen Sound 19-3 and scored a pair of power play goals.
Cowan made it 2-1 at 7:05, and then four minutes later Winterton let a shot go that hit the back of the net to put London up 3-1.
But the Attack weren’t going to go quietly.
Sedley bought Owen Sound with in one at 4:34 of the third. He stripped the puck at his own blueline and skated up ice on a breakaway, dekeing to his backhand before shovelling a shot five-hole on Brochu to cut London’s lead to 3-2.
Five minutes later, MacKinnon scored on a shot through traffic to restore London’s two-goal advantage. The Attack challenged the play for goaltender interference – and the replay showed there may have been a case to be made as Denver Barkey streaked through the blue paint near Votary just prior to MacKinnon’s shot into the net.
The referees decided he didn’t impede the Attack netminder and the goal stood.
It was then Barlow and Guindon with the late magic for Owen Sound – two goals in thirty seconds with an empty-net – as the Attack tied the game 4-4 and forced overtime.
Brochu made 24 saves in the win, while Votary stopped 48 taking the loss. The Knights outshot the Attack 53-28 while going 2 for 6 on the power play; Owen Sound finished 2 for 4.
The series now shifts back to Owen Sound for Games 3 and 4.
Game 3 is Tuesday night at 7 p.m., at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. While Game 4 is also a 7 p.m., start – it’s set to go Thursday.
BANGED UP BUNCH
There was a stretch in overtime where the Attack were down to 15 skaters – forcing Greg Walters to send Matthew Papais out as a defenceman. He fared just fine.
Chafe and Sawyer left the game with injuries – while Sedley was out for awhile as well before returning to the Attack bench just prior to Diaco’s winner.
The question now is whether Chafe or Sawyer will be able to suit up in Game 3.
The Attack will be getting at least one forward back in the lineup on Tuesday – Kaleb Lawrence did not play in Game 2 as he was assessed a one-game suspension for an aggressor call against him in the series opener. He will be back on Tuesday.