It was only a couple of weeks ago, amidst a five-game losing streak, Riley Patterson said it was time he and his teammates each took a deep, long look in the mirror at themselves.
That self-reflection has not only helped the Barrie Colts find their winning ways, but it has them playing some of their best hockey of the season.
Barrie made it five-straight wins Saturday night, cooling off the red-hot Brantford Bulldogs 6-3 to snap their eight-game win streak in front of a crowd of 4,132 at Sadlon Arena.
With four players returning from world juniors, the OHL trade deadline resulting in roster changes, and injuries, the Colts found themselves scuffling.
Barrie (29-14-1-1), said general manager and head coach Marty Williamson, had kind of lost its way.
“There was a lot of stuff going around this team,” said Williamson, whose club is back on top of both the Eastern Conference and Central Division standings. “Riley’s comment was a good comment. Enough was enough and we needed to look in the mirror.
“We knew we were a better team than the way we were playing, and we got back to what we believe is our identity and our kind of hockey, that we’re a strong defensive team and we have offensive talent, and we need to play to our identity.”
Captain Beau Jelsma knew he and his teammates were much better than the team that struggled through the skid.
The response has been impressive. Four of the five wins have come against some of the top teams in the OHL.
“We’re playing really good hockey right now,” said Jelsma, who had a goal and two assists in the win. “It’s the work we put in. I felt we weren’t using our heads during that five-game losing streak. Right now, we’re playing smart hockey. We’re in a good spot right now.”
Riley Patterson, Brad Gardiner, and Carter Lowe each had a goal and assist, while Anthony Romani, playing his 200th OHL game, and Emil Hemming, with his fourth in the last five games, also scored for Barrie.
Ben Hrebik made 32 saves to pick up his 15th win of the season.
Nick Lardis became the first OHL player to hit the 40-goal mark, scoring twice to give him 41 on the season. Marek Vanacker also scored for the Bulldogs (26-16-4-0), whose last loss was January 3 in Sarnia (4-1).
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The Colts believe they can play with anybody right now.
“One hundred percent,” said Jelsma. “We’ve got a good team. We got to respect our opponent also, but going into every game we got a chance to win every game.”
The Colts didn’t stop skating from the drop of the puck in this one. That resulted in a forecheck that slowed down a potent Brantford attack for most of the night.
“I must have said it 100 times on the bench, you guys are doing a great job with your feet,” said Williamson. “I just thought our feet continued from one race to one battle, to the next. We were getting above the puck, so we weren’t giving up odd-man rushes.
“Again, that’s part of our identity. We’re a good skating team and when we move our feet and understand our forecheck and our neutral zone, it’s hard to play against us. I’m talking to other coaches and that’s what they’re talking about.”
That pressure got Barrie off to a 2-0 start a little more than seven minutes into the game on goals by Hemming and Jelsma, who beat Brantford goalie Ryerson Leenders on a perfect feed from Patterson.
“We have a very fast team,” said Jelsma. “I think right now we’re using our speed to our advantage and it’s working out for us.”
The fast start has been another big change for Barrie. Notorious for their slow starts this season, that hasn’t been the case through the current win streak.
“We’re a completely different team than we were eight games ago,” said Jelsma. “We weren’t having great starts, and I think our last five starts have been on time, tonight especially
“That’s the best we’ve looked in the first period. To get up two goals, that’s what it’s all about.”
Ethan Armstrong, who was signed earlier in the day, made his OHL debut, but it was a bit of a tough start for the young defenceman.
The sixth-round pick was sent flying behind the net by Brantford’s Tommy Karmiris and then, later in the opening period, he turned the puck over in front of his net which led to Vanacker’s eighth of the season to cut the lead to 2-1.
“I was a little disappointed with one of our goals we gave up today, said Williamson. “The young kid (Armstrong) made a mistake on one, but we’re sticking around that two mark (on goals against) an awful lot and that’s a good recipe to win.”
Early goals by Patterson, who has two goals and six points in his last four games, and Gardiner in the second period extended the lead to 4-1.
A Lardis power-play goal midway through the same frame cut the lead in half, but Romani’s fifth of the season just 1:02 into the third proved a decisive blow.
Barrie would dominate the first half of the final period. Lardis’ second would give the Bulldogs some life with less than eight minutes remaining, but Lowe sealed it with an empty-net marker for his fourth goal in the last five games.
“I was really happy,” said Williamson of Barrie’s play in the third period. “I think we get a little unlucky on (Lardis’ second) goal and (Beau Akey) would like to have that back on just how he played the guy, but I thought for big chunks we had great forechecks going, we kept it in their zone.
“We won the majority of faceoffs to get right on our toes right away and it wasn’t one line. It was everybody. It was such a quality effort by this team and that’s what you need. Hopefully, we can keep this going.”
The Colts return to action Thursday night when they play host to the Ottawa 67’s. Game time at Sadlon Arena is 7 p.m.
ICE CHIPS:
Brantford was 1-for-3 on the power play, while Barrie was 0-for-3. “We’re finishing our checks and not playing soft, and we’re not taking a lot of penalties,” said Williamson. “We took a couple tonight, but we’re staying out of the box.”. . . Gabriel Eliasson (illness) returned to the Barrie blueline after missing four games. . . Shots were even at 35-35. . . Dalyn Wakely and Kashawn Aitcheson each had an assist to extend their point streaks to four games. . . Jake O’Brien had two assists and now has three goals and six points in his last three games with the Bulldogs. . . Brantford’s Patrick Thomas was held off the scoresheet after recording five goals and 17 points in his previous eight games.
