The Barrie Colts are finding their game and it’s no coincidence that Eduard Sale is as well.
The talented Seattle Kraken prospect, who is a big part of the Colts offence, recorded a goal and assist for the second time in as many nights to help the Colts wrap up a winning weekend with a 5-1 victory over the Brantford Bulldogs, Saturday night, at Sadlon Arena.
Sale, a 20th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and linemates Beau Jelsma and Jacob Frasca are growing more and more comfortable with one another and that chemistry is showing up on the score sheet.
In a 6-1 road win Friday night over the OHL-leading Mississauga Steelheads, the trio combined for three goals and six points to help Barrie snap a four-game losing streak.
With a chance to build on that win and ensure a winning three-in-three weekend after opening with a 4-2 loss at home Thursday to Erie, Barrie’s top line made it two real strong efforts in a row with a combined five-point effort (2G, 3A) on Saturday.
“We just play hockey. We have some fun,” said Sale, who was Barrie’s first-round pick (29th overall) in the 2022 CHL Import Draft. “It was tough for us, having played maybe one game together and it was not good. Now, we’ve just played three games (together) and every game is better and better.
“We have some chemistry here and we need to build on it.”
While the Czechia native has posted solid offensive numbers with three goals and 11 points in 12 games, he’s been far from happy with his own game.
His effort over the last couple of days shows he’s growing more and more comfortable playing the North American game in smaller rinks.
“My first five or six games, it was not good,” admitted the 18-year-old, who has also had to adjust to living thousands of miles away from home in a different culture. “I’m just learning the league. I don’t think now is my best game, but I’m becoming more comfortable here and more patient with the lines. And we have a good line, so we keep going real well.”
Colts head coach Marty Williamson put Sale alongside the top veterans, and he can see his European forward getting stronger with each game.
“He’s key for us,” said Williamson. “He’s a real shooter and he seems to be getting more comfortable and the other guys with him too. He had that one bobble with the backhand pass, the European play there, but other than that he was real solid for us.
“A lot of guys are starting to get their feet under them. (Riley) Patterson is starting to grow and he’s starting to get consistent with his goal-scoring. It’s a good thing to see.”
Less than 24 hours after playing arguably their best game of the season against the OHL’s top team, Barrie (6-6) picked right up where they left off against a Brantford club (4-6-1) that came in having won three straight.
Once again, the Colts limited their opponent’s offensive chances and got ahead on the scoreboard. After a scoreless first, Jack Brauti moved in along the boards and slipped a pass back to Sale in the slot and the import wired a drive over the glove of Hamilton’s Matteo Droback a little more than three minutes into the second.
Patterson added to the lead midway through the frame when he took a nice feed from Sharmar Moses and beat Drobac, and the Colts were off and running.
“You’re not quite sure when you’re playing three-in-three how the energy level is going to be, but I thought the guys had a great effort,” said Williamson. “I thought at the beginning of the game we were moving well, and we kept mentally tough. That was what we pushed them on.”
Just like Friday night, the Colts had a strong start to the third period and were rewarded when Cole Beaudoin spotted Connor Punnett streaking in off the blue line and the Colts captain fired it short side to make it 3-0, just 5:43 in.
A Nick Lardis shot from the point nearing the midway point cut the Barrie lead, but Jelsma got that right back four minutes later off a turnover behind the net by Sale and then Punnett’s second of the game into an empty net sealed the win.
“The first five minutes are important,” Williamson said of the third period. “We needed to be strong, and we got a great forecheck going and we had the puck in their zone for pretty well the first five minutes and we got that goal, which was big. We gave up one, but we got one right back. It was a good period for us.”
There was one single power play, but it was a big one for the Colts. After Lardis cut the lead to 3-1, Brantford went on the power play with a chance to make it a one-goal game, but the Colts' penalty kill, which has struggled mightily the last couple of weeks, came up with a huge kill.
“I think we played pretty good in Mississauga, so everybody was happy,” Sale said of he and his teammates wanting to build off that in the return home. “We just have to keep going. (Tonight) was the same game, the same style because we were fast and had some chances, and we scored.”
Sam Hillebrandt had another solid effort in goal, kicking aside 33 shots. The rookie made some key stops, but the Colts gave up few quality chances on the night.
“It’s something we talked about the last two weeks,” said Williamson. “Even a couple of games we lost we limited chances against except we weren’t scoring at all. Now we’ve got a balance of both going. I just think we got better balance in our game, we’re throwing pucks to the net, we’re also making good plays, and that’s being kind of effective for us.”
The Colts kick off an Eastern road swing Friday night in Kingston, before wrapping up the weekend in Ottawa on Sunday afternoon.
Game time Friday at the Leon’s Centre is 7 p.m.
ICE CHIPS: Williamson got another strong effort from the line of Patterson, Moses and Bode Stewart. Moses continues to look for his first OHL goal, but the rookie winger has six assists in 10 games and has been one of Barrie’s best forwards. He looks like a veteran out there. “You forget (he’s a rookie),” said Williamson. He’s so calm too.” Williamson was also impressed with rookie Jaiden Newton, who made his OHL debut. “Even the young kid that went in, Newton, he really gave me some great shifts,” added the coach. “They’re not overwhelmed by anything. You don’t see nerves in them. They’re ready to play, anxious to play, and they just keep wanting bigger roles, and that’s exciting.” . . . Hillebrandt has started four out of the last six games in goal for Barrie.
Banner image via Terry Wilson / OHL Images
