NEWS

Jacob Buerger of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres sits in a hallway at HarborCente in Buffalo between periods of his team’s OJHL playoff game with the Oakville Blades Wednesday. (Photo by Spencer Smye / OJHL Images)

By Ron Valentine

NEWS/ COMMENTS

Five playoff games so far this season and five wins at the HarborCenter for the Buffalo Junior Sabres. With the senior Sabres entertaining the Maple Leafs next door, the action in the OJHL was game four of the series against the Oakville Blades who made a large statement Tuesday night at Sixteen Mile with a third period four goal explosion in their 6-1 victory. Despite the big win Head Coach Mike Tarantino said: “I still think we were playing a little tentative but we loosened up in the third. Tonight, will be a whole new ball game and a huge one.”

The Junior Sabres captain, Adam Tretowicz, commented on the first period Tuesday where his club created many chances but could not get pucks on the net: “We had some opportunities early to get a lead that could have changed the game but we couldn't put one in. We will need a really strong effort tonight at home to tie it up.”

Oakville forward Jack Ricketts, who had a goal and two assists in Game 3 and now has 12 points tied for third in playoff points scored, knows the border city team will be ready for Game 4: “They will come out strong tonight and we just need to focus ourselves and we will be good, we need to steal this one from them.”

GAME RECAP

For the first time in the playoffs, the Junior Sabres iced a full 20-man roster with blueliner Anthony Scanzuso back in the lineup. The Lancaster, NY native played in 12 regular season games for the Sabres this regular season after joining them from the Rochester Monarchs. The Blades had an unchanged lineup from Game 3.

Following a scoreless first period, the Blades got things rolling in the second and it was rookie Alton McDermott tabbing his second of the post-season. The visitors went up by two courtesy Ryan Nicholson with his first of the playoffs. The 20-year old blueliner spent two seasons as a Stratford Warrior before coming to Oakville. He heads for RIT next term. 

The Junior Sabres came out speedily in the third period and narrowed the gap to a single goal in just thirty five seconds through a Nick Alfieri unassisted marker following a goalmouth scramble. The Buffalo-born center is one of seven last-year players on the squad. At the halfway mark of the period it was all square with 16-year old Spencer Smith from St. Catharines ON. doing the honours as he broke into the clear to get the puck past Will Barber. It took just over a minute for the visitors to reclaim the advantage with Josh Nixon the goal scorer, assisted by Nicholas Aromatario. Nixon averaged a point per game after being traded to the Blades from Georgetown for Marc Shannon, who is now playing for the Hamilton Kilty Bees. Forward-turned defenceman Matt Jakubowski would send the game into overtime scoring his first of the playoffs with a little under three minutes left in regulation.

With 6.12 left in the extra period the Blades got the decider for the 4-3 victory setting up a possible series win at home on Friday. It was Nicholson with his second of the game.

At 7 p.m. on Friday, action resumes in the series with the Blades looking to advance against the winner of the Newmarket/Markham matchup. That one resumes at the Ray Twinney on Thursday night with the Hurricanes up three games to none. Also on Thursday, Whitby visits Wellington up two games to one.

For the complete OJHL playoff schedule and conference brackets click here

Follow Ron Valentine on Twitter @ronandlynda