Thanks to a standout performance in net by Ben Hrebik, Mason Zebeski’s overtime winner, and Jaiden Newton once again coming through in the clutch, the Barrie Colts are heading to a seventh and deciding game in their Eastern Conference Final against the Brantford Bulldogs.
Hrebik made 54 saves, while Newton scored his second goal of the night midway through the third to tie it, before Zebeski ended it with a backhanded winner under Ryerson Leenders at 9:38 of the extra frame to cap off a thrilling 4-3 come-from-behind win Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,228 at Sadlon Arena.
Barrie, playing without injured captain and top scorer Cole Beaudoin, has climbed its way back from a 3-1 series deficit. Similar to Game 5, when they were down a goal heading into the third with their season on the line, the Colts once again found a way to stave off elimination.
“To be honest, I would love to tell you it was a big speech, or something that I did to make it happen,” said Colts’ head coach Dylan Smoskowitz, of his team’s resilience. “It’s just a bunch of guys who love each other, who didn’t want this thing to end. A bunch of guys who believe in each other. A bunch of guys who are prepared for the moment. That’s the biggest thing.
“The moment doesn’t overwhelm them because they put the work in. If the work wasn’t done, the moment would overwhelm them. We wouldn’t be prepared for it. These guys have put the work in. They’ve done more than they needed to be ready for a moment like that.”
Outshot 10-2 in overtime, the Colts needed only one opportunity to decide this and got it when Kashawn Aitcheson held a puck in at the point.
The New York Islanders’ top prospect, who was an absolute force with some 40 minutes of ice time and three assists, found Zebeski in front, and the power forward spun around and tucked the winner under the left pad of Leenders to bring the home crowd to its feet.
“I honestly forgot a lot about what happened during the goal,” said a Zebeski with a big grin. “That’s kind of my thing, I just hung around the net. When I got the puck, I had a lot more time than I thought, so I just tried to make a nice finesse move in front.”
The Bulldogs, who got goals from Cooper Dennis, Ryder Boulton, and Jake O’Brien, outshot the Colts 57-28, but ran into a goaltender who refused to let them send his team home for the season.
Brantford had all kinds of opportunities to lay claim to the Bobby Orr Trophy and advance to the OHL finals against Kitchener . Marek Vanacker had a wide-open net late in the game, only to slide the puck through the crease and off the far post.
The Hamilton Spectator Trophy champions then failed to take advantage of a power play in the final two minutes of regulation.
In overtime, Gabriel Frasca scored only to have the goal called off for goalie interference after a lengthy review showed Luca Testa bumping into Hrebik in the crease.
David Jiricek then had a chance to end it, but he was stoned by Hrebik on his one-timer in the slot.
“I thought we played a great game,” said Bulldogs’ head coach Jay McKee, whose club dominated play in the opening two periods, outshooting Barrie 38-17 to grab a 3-2 lead. “Obviously, I’m very happy with the effort, with the amount of chances that we generated. Disappointed with the result.”
Hrebik was the true difference maker on this night. He kept his club in the game long enough for them to push back in the third period. With his team fighting for its playoff lives, Hrebik arguably played the best game of his three-year OHL career.
“If there are any NHL teams out there watching this game tonight, to not have this guy on your (draft) list, to not have this guy as a must-get in this draft, is beyond me,” said Smoskowitz of his veteran goalie. “He’s not stopping pucks from 16- and 17-year-olds. He’s stopping pucks from guys who are going to wear NHL jerseys next year.
“There’s not a day he’s been in Barrie where he’s let me down. There hasn’t been a day where he’s let his teammates down. He deserves all the accolades, and we are so fortunate to have him as our backbone to this team.”
Newton has also risen to the occasion in helping his team get back in the series. After not recording a point in his first 35 playoff games over three seasons, the gritty forward now has three goals in the last two games.
After tying the contest 1-1 early in the second, he helped get the Colts into the extra frame. After Carter Lowe got Barrie within a goal late in the second, Newton dug a loose puck out of a scramble in front and fired it up over Leenders midway through the third.
“Every team has these heart and soul kind of guys, and often times a heart and soul guy is left out of the shuffle,” said Smoskowitz. Jaiden Newton doesn’t play on our power play. Jaiden Newton isn’t going to get 20 minutes of ice time per game, but Jaiden Newton is a reason why a team has success.
“You want to talk about a positive force, who brings that leadership, brings that grit. Who would stand up for any one of his brothers at any given time, and really embodies what the Barrie Colts are all about, that is Jaiden Newton. So, if there is one guy I could pick to be rewarded in a moment like this, because he deserves it, it’s Jaiden Newton.”
Despite the loss, McKee wants his team to “hold their heads high.” He would take this effort every night.
“We got a good opportunity here to go home and play in front of an amazing building, amazing fanbase, and this is what these players play for, is opportunities like this,” he said of Game 7. “So, I’m excited for it.”
UP NEXT
The best-of-seven series is now even at 3-3, setting up a winner-take-all contest Monday night back at TD Civic Arena in Brantford.
After finding a way to force a deciding game, the Colts look to bring that belief in one another on Monday.
“Whether it starts with the ownership, or the coaching staff to our players, we all have this buy-in, and we really just stayed disciplined through the whole season,” he said. “It showed in the game today.”
NO REVEALING THE SECRET SAUCE
Smoskowitz’s favourite motto all season has been “win the day.”
Asked how the Colts won the day on Friday in preparation for Saturday’s do-or-die game, the Colts head coach wasn’t revealing anything.
“I’m not going to give you the secret to our success,” he said with a big smile.
ONCE A COLT, ALWAYS A COLT
While they moved on from Barrie, a lot of familiar faces have returned to Sadlon Arena to watch their former team.
Former Colts’ forwards Dalyn Wakely and Evan Vierling attended earlier playoff games, while Chicago Blackhawks winger Andrew Mangiapane sat in a box with owner Howie Campbell at Game 4.
Last night, wingers Anthony Romani and Owen Van Steensel, who helped lead the team to the Eastern Conference final last season, were in attendance, along with former defenceman Braden Hache.
ICE CHIPS
Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play.
Jonah McCormick moved into the lineup with Beaudoin out.
Aitcheson sits seventh overall in playoff scoring with five goals and 16 assists for 21 points in 14 games.
Colts’ rookie Eamon Edgar had two assists for his first career OHL playoff points.
Newton led all Barrie shooters with seven shots.
