Pats unable to hold third-period lead in Game 4
Toronto rallied in the third period with two goals in four minutes and 15 seconds from Graeme MacLean and Dante Spagnuolo, but could not withstand the ultimate Burlington onslaught as the Pats were pushed to the brink of elimination with a 4-3 defeat in Game 4 Tuesday evening.
Austin Bottrell opened the scoring for the heavily favoured Cougars 14:04 into the contest, chipping home a rebound on a well-placed Zack Fisher wrist shot.
Eric Eremita tied the game just over four minutes later by neatly finishing a breakaway on a sweet feed from Ryan Wells, but Burlington defender Max Balinson gave the visitors the lead again at the 12:29-mark of the middle frame, beating Toronto goaltender Tyler Fassl off the post and in on a Cougars’ power play.
MacLean’s tying goal at 7:05 of the third period was a strange one, as his long point shot handcuffed Burlington net minder Mario Cavaliere, popped up in the air, and landed beyond the goal line.
Then it was the rookie Spagnuolo’s turn to send the Pats fans into hysteria when the former Richmond Hill Coyotes’ midget snapped a centering feed from Steven Mounouchos over Cavaliere’s right shoulder at the 11:19-mark.
Yet it was not to be Toronto’s night as Bottrell got his second just over two minutes later, ripping a perfectly aimed wrister from the left circle over Fassl’s left shoulder, and then Matt Kenney bagged the winner at 15:44 by chipping the puck past Fassl from close range after a miscue deep in the Pats’ zone.
Toronto will now head to Burlington for Game 5 on Friday night down 3-1 in the series, and facing elimination. Puck drops at Appleby Arena at 7:30 p.m.
The Cougars have only lost five games all year at home, four in the regular season and one in the playoffs; but three of those five losses have come at the hands of the Toronto Patriots.
