Cole Beaudoin made sure the Barrie Colts wrapped up some important business on Friday night in Sarnia.
The Utah Mammoth prospect scored twice, including the game-winner just 24 seconds into overtime, to help the Colts clinch their second-straight Central Division title with a 2-1 victory over the Sting at Progressive Auto Sales Arena on Friday.
Needing a win or North Bay loss in Sudbury (or both Barrie and North Bay to play overtime) to capture the franchise’s 10th Emms Trophy crown as Central champs, Barrie (41-11-2-4) bounced back from a shorthanded equalizer with 2:21 remaining to extend its win streak to 11 games and match Flint for the longest such run in the OHL this season.
While the Colts have their eyes on adding a second OHL championship to their trophy case, they’ll take a moment to celebrate this accomplishment.
“That’s big for our group,” said Beaudoin, who now has 28 goals and 79 points on the year, and sits tied for second spot with three players among the OHL scoring leaders. “We need to take each accomplishment and be happy about it, but then move forward the next day.
“Be happy, learn from it. We got another title to get.”
Barrie head coach Dylan Smoskowitz pointed to last season when they acquired Dalyn Wakely, Owen Van Steensel, and Anthony Romano, and went on to win the division.
All three never lost a Central title.
“When you look at those three and how they prepare every day, those guys are winners through and through,” Smoskowitz said. “I know what it takes to win a division. We won it last year with those guys, and to have another one, back-to-back, speaks volumes of the organization.
“Not only the players, but it’s the coaching staff, management, ownership, and everyone pulling in the same direction, and putting everything they have into this organization. So, to put another banner up is pretty special.”
It didn’t take much time for Beaudoin to put this one away in the three-on-three extra frame. The big centre raced over the blueline, spun back and cut to the middle of the slot before ripping one past the right blocker of Sarnia goaltender Patrick Quinlan for his seventh game-winning goal of the season.
“I kind of just saw a screen,” said Beaudoin of his overtime goal. “The goalie played well all game, and made some big saves on me, so I’m glad I got that one on him.”
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Fighting to remain in the playoff picture near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, Sarnia (18-33-7-1) gained an important point with the overtime loss and now trails Saginaw by five points for the eighth spot.
With the clock winding down and the Sting trailing 1-0 on Beaudoin’s second-period deflection, a familiar face came to the rescue for the home side.
Former Colt Ben Pickell, parked in front, deflected a Mitch Young shot from the point past Barrie goaltender Arvin Jaswal to tie things up.
It was a big goal for a desperate Sting team that, thanks in big part to the play of Quinlan in net, hung with the Colts all game.
“That’s a good team,” Smoskowitz said of a young, rebuilding Sarnia club. “That’s a well-coached team, and they have something to play for, so for us to get a game like that in front of a rowdy crowd and a big ceremony before hand, a playoff game for sure, I thought it was great for our guys to go through that.
“Great for our guys to have some good moments. Great for our guys to have some learning moments. In the end, it was great to get the two points. It’s what we wanted here, but it was a really good test for us, and we answered the bell.”
Beaudoin was happy to get the win, but said the Colts have to learn how to better close out games like these.
“Going into the playoffs, games like that with three minutes left, we have to close that out, and finish that game in regulation,” he said. “It went into overtime, and we got the two points, and that’s all that matters.”
Quinlan was outstanding for Sarnia. Especially early. In the first period, he stoned both Ben Wilmott and Cole Emerton on big one-timers from the slot.
The Sting netminder made 33 saves in all to earn first-star honours.
I thought he made some really good saves,” said Smoskowitz. I liked a lot of the looks we had, and I think going into the third, we had like 15 Grade A scoring chances. Sometimes the puck rolled on us tonight. Sometimes a pass was just deflected inches away, and sometimes he made some big saves.
“The fact that we were generating offence and sticking to our principles, getting some good looks, they were bound to go in eventually.”
Barrie kept pace with the Brantford Bulldogs atop the Eastern Conference standings. They remain three points behind them with a game in hand after a Brantford win on Friday.
UP NEXT
The Colts can close that gap on the idle Bulldogs on Saturday night when they visit Windsor.
“They’re playing well,” Beaudoin said of the Spitfires, who sit second in the Western Conference standings. “They got a good team. They added pieces for the playoffs, so it’s going to be a good battle, a good test for our group.”
Meanwhile, Sarnia's next matchup is a home matinée against Ottawa on Sunday.
ICE CHIPS
The Sting inducted alumni and former New York Islander Matt Martin into its Hall of Fame in a special ceremony before the game.
A game after setting the franchise record for all-time points by a defenceman, Kashawn Aitcheson added two assists and leads all OHL blueliners with 63 points.
The Emms Trophy is named in honour of four-time Memorial Cup champion and Barrie Flyers (OHA) founder, Hap Emms.
Colts Joe Salandra (illness), and Justin Handsor joined suspended forwards Carter Lowe and Luc Gauvreau as scratches, while Ethan Armstrong, Teague Vader moved into the lineup. “I was really happy with the play of Armstrong and Vader tonight,” said Smoskowitz, who also had Jaiden Newton return. “We’ll get Handsor back in there tomorrow.”
ADD. OHL
Brantford 7 Oshawa 3
Kitchener 8 Brampton 2
Windsor 6 London 1
North Bay 6 Sudbury 3
Niagara 3 Guelph 2 (SO)
Kingston 6 Soo 3
