When it comes to playing the role of overtime hero, the cape fits Kashawn Aitcheson just fine.
The defenceman notched his fifth overtime goal of this season – his biggest one yet – at 9:57 of the extra frame to give the Barrie Colts a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Kingston Frontenacs Saturday night at Sadlon Arena and move them a win away from a berth in the Eastern Conference final.
The Colts now lead the best-of-seven semifinal series 3-2 and can wrap things up Sunday night in Kingston. Game time is 7 p.m.
“I think it was so important for us to finally play the way we wanted to in this series, strong defensively and kind of just chipping away at them,” said Aitcheson, who leads all OHL blueliners this season with six game-winners. “Getting that win is obviously huge for the series and we’re going to go there (Sunday) like a business trip and get the job done.”
Aitcheson’s flare for the dramatic this season has certainly not gone unnoticed by Marty Williamson and the Colts’ coaching staff.
“He’s been doing it all year,” said the Barrie general manager and head coach. “We all kind of picked the guy (to score the winner). As soon as (assistant coach Dylan Smoskowitz) said Kash, we all said it probably will be him. It seems like he scores every big goal that we get.
“He just has a knack. He played a lot of minutes for us and then to get that shot on net and make the right little play to make sure it wasn’t blocked; it found its way to the back of the net.”
After taking a drop pass at the point from teammate Emil Hemming, the top prospect for this year’s NHL Entry Draft cut to the left and then made an extra move to ensure his shot wasn't going to be blocked by Tuomas Uronen before firing a wrister past teammate Cole Beaudoin, parked in front, and Kingston goalie Charlie Schenkel to bring the crowd of 4,046 to their feet.
“I knew it was pretty tight on me,” said Aitcheson. “Hemmer made a great drop, and I made a little shimmy to get my puck in the shooting lane properly, and Beaudoin with the great screen, and (Bode) Stewart as well.
“They’re kind of the unsung heroes on that goal.”
It was easily Barrie’s best game of the series and most complete effort after being outshot 173 to 107 over the first four games of the series. They outshot the Frontenacs 17-6 in the opening period but still came away trailing 1-0 on Cedrick Guindon’s late goal.
The Colts would go on to outshoot the Frontenacs 44-28 and carry play for the better part from start to finish. It comes after Williamson said they needed a full 60-minute effort on the heels of a disappointing 9-4 loss Thursday in Kingston tied the series at 2-2.
“I liked our game,” said Williamson. “I thought we played a faster game, and we did some things well. We can build on that and go in there and have a heck of a game (Sunday).”
The Colts came out flying in the second period and appeared to have tied it on a goal by Owen Van Steensel just minutes in. Anthony Romani slipped the puck between the pads of Schenkel who pulled it back before crossing the line.
The puck would bounce off the skate of Van Steensel and go in, but after a lengthy review officials ruled it was kicked in.
Dalyn Wakely, who has points (6G, 12A) in each of the 10 playoff games, would come right back for Barrie at 8:20 when Van Steensel found his teammate alone in front.
Wakely’s first attempt was stopped, but the Edmonton Oilers prospect buried his rebound to tie the game.
“We had one a couple of weeks ago in here that looked way more like it was kicked in than that one,” said Williamson of the disallowed goal. “Every ref has a different view of it, and he views he kicked it in. There’s no arguing. There’s nothing we can do.
“It was disappointing at the time, but to come right back and get that one a few minutes later was huge.”
That set up a huge third period and the two teams didn’t disappoint.
The Colts had numerous chances throughout, but the Frontenacs would get a huge break when a double minor for high sticking on Wakely and then another high sticking infraction to Tiller gave the Frontenacs a two-man advantage.
Part of that two-man advantage would be wiped out by a high sticking call on Ethan Hay, but the Colts’ penalty kill, led by goaltender Sam Hillebrandt, kept the Frontenacs off the board.
“We know they wanted to have possession in our zone, and I think our mindset is to bend and not break,” said Aitcheson. “Getting the job done here tonight was kind of showing that.”
Hillebrandt, along with the likes of Aitcheson, Cole Beaudoin, Tristan Bertucci, and Emil Hemming came up big in a crucial kill.
“Hilly was fantastic, a couple of blocked shots, and (Beaudoin) was great,” said Williamson. “I know he hasn’t scored in a little bit for us, but he’s an absolute unsung hero for us with the ice time he’s logging for me and his penalty-killing ability.
“He’s doing such a good job.”
The Colts would dodge another huge bullet with a little more than three minutes remaining when Uronen was sent in all alone on a long pass from the Kingston zone.
The Vegas Golden Knights prospect would walk in and wire one just past the short post.
“A little breakdown there,” said Williamson. “Yeah, you hold your breath there. Hilly looked big in there and then, of course, the wide shot.”
Aitcheson would finish off the low-scoring affair in overtime.
“It is the type of game we want to play when we’re at our best,” said Williamson. “We’ve never been a real good shootout type of team and even though we won a couple early in this series (like that), defence is our bread and butter.
“When we play that way, we’re a tough team to beat. That’s what we got to do for the next one and if we play another one, we got to keep doing that.”
Barrie now heads to Slush Puppie Place where Kingston has just a single loss in its last 21 games.
“They are 20-1 in that barn, and we want to (hand them a) loss and end the series right there,” said Aitcheson.
The Colts would love nothing better than to put the 9-4 loss in their last trip there behind them.
“They’re a good team,” Williamson said of Kingston. “They had as much right to win this game. I like our game; our shot count was better. We got more pressure in their zone, and it wasn’t a one-way game like the last one.
“I think the guys were mad. One kid made a comment about it being too easy beating us and I think our guys took that to heart that we’re not an easy team.”
ICE CHIPS: Game 7, if necessary, is Tuesday night at Sadlon Arena at 7 p.m. . . . Beaudoin has two goals and 10 points in 10 playoff games, but it’s his work on the penalty kill and other aspects of his game that is drawing praise from Williamson. “He knows how to play the game, I tell you,” the Colts’ coach said of the Utah top prospect and workhorse. . . Romani also has points (9G, 7A) in all 10 playoff games. Van Steensel has points (5G, 9A) in all but one game, giving the line a combined 20 goals and 48 points in 10 playoff games. . . Hillebrandt has a 6-0 record in the playoffs. . . Kingston finished 0-for-5 on the power play, while Barrie was 0-for-3.
