Jacob Frasca potted the shootout winner, but it was Ben West who was the difference maker for the Barrie Colts on Thursday night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
The first-year goaltender made 39 saves in regulation and stopped all three shootout attempts in easily his best start of the season to lead the Colts to a 4-3 win over the Petes.
The big game in goal helped Barrie snap a three-game losing skid.
West was outstanding throughout the contest and then slammed the door in the shootout when he turned aside Tucker Robertson, Nick Lardis and Connor Lockhart.
"Absolutely," Colts head coach Marty Williamson said when asked if this was the best West has played this season. "It was the guy we saw in pre-season where we thought he was dominating games.
"I thought it was a great effort to keep us around. The second period was kind of poor, and he made some huge saves for us."
The win helps the 19-year-old Barrie native put aside his last start, when he gave up four goals on 13 shots before being pulled after the first period of a 6-5 win over Mississauga back on Oct. 22.
With a reeling Barrie club needing a spark, West came through big time.
"Oh yeah, that was huge for us," said Colts forward Chris Grisolia, whose goal early in the third period gave Barrie a 3-2 lead. "Stopping all three penalty shots, it was great. The whole game he played unreal. We had a bunch of key guys out today, and he really stepped us for us today."
Beau Akey and Tai York, on the power play, also scored for Barrie (6-3-1-1), which jumped out to an early 2-0 lead a little more than six minutes into this one.
Lockhart, with two power-play goals and an assist, and Lardis scored for Peterborough (8-3-1-1), which had its three-game win streak snapped.
For the third-straight game, the Colts gave up a two-goal lead or more, but this time found a way to get the win.
Up 2-1 after the opening period, Williamson told the team he was proud of the start, especially after the team had a "heck of a bus trip" and got into Peterborough a little late.
"I thought our guys responded with a great first 10 minutes," he said. "The two penalties kind of took the flow out of us a little bit, and they kind of got their feet back under them. The second we kind of wondered a little bit and I thought we responded with a great third period.
"I thought we were on our toes again and carried a lot of the play. West made a couple of big saves for us and we lost Akey for about eight minutes, getting stitched up. I thought he played just unbelievable, too."
After blowing three big leads in their last three games, Grisolia said the Colts were determined to turn things around (Thursday) against a Petes team that walked all over them in a 5-0 win in Barrie in early October.
"It was a tough week last week, but we had a good week of practice and came here to get the win and that's what we did," he said. "We played hard, and it was a good game."
All even at 2-2, West made a huge stop on J.R. Avon to start the period before Grisolia responded just a couple of minutes later on a wraparound to beat Petes goalie Michael Simpson and put Barrie on top.
"I saw Frasca kind of poked it out off the other guy's stick and it bounced behind the net," Grisolia said of his second goal of the season. "I saw the puck and kind of beat the defenceman to it and the first thing I thought was the wraparound.
I think the goalie was a little close to the other side and I just wrapped it around hoping I got the best of it, and it worked. It was great."
Lockhart's shot from the point, with the Petes on the power play, found its way past West to tie the game with just over four minutes to play.
Barrie would get a power play in overtime, but couldn't score. Frasca would get the lone shootout goal when he went to his forehand and beat Simpson high glove side.
"There was just a different vibe on the bench," said Williamson. "We felt good and we were confident. When you play a third period like that, where you're on your toes for a lot of it, and even though the goal went in, it was still a good period for us.
"Then it carried into overtime and carried into the shootout, rather than when you blow a four-goal lead or something like that. That was kind of important with the momentum."
While the Colts were beating the Petes, Brandt Clarke was scratched by the Los Angeles Kings last night in Chicago.
Clarke has played the maximum nine games before the first year of his NHL contract kicks in, but Williamson doesn't expect his captain back anytime soon.
"The word that we got is they're keeping him," said Williamson. "I don't think it (sitting tonight) really factors in for them. This 10-game thing doesn't really mean much to LA, burning a year on a contract. The thing that means a little more to them is whether they burn a year of free agency and that's at 40 games.
"I think he's there for now, and they'll make another decision at Christmas-time or December, and we'll see where it goes from there."
The Colts finish up their Eastern swing against two of the top-ranked CHL teams Friday night in Ottawa.
"We know it's going to be tough, they're rested," said Williamson. "We had kind of an ugly trip getting here tonight, but no excuses. We get the weekend off, and it would sure be nice if we get the two points.
"If we can play aggressive and play on our toes, we'll be fine."
Game time against the 67's at TD Place is 7 p.m.
ICE CHIPS: Shots were even at 42-42. . .Barrie was just 1-for-5 on the power play, while the Petes were 2-for-4. . . Both teams were missing key players in the lineup. Rookie forward Cole Beaudoin is away at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Langley, B.C. and the rookie forward had an assist on Canada Black's lone goal in a 3-1 loss, Thursday, to Canada Red. Veteran Barrie defenders Ian Lemieux and Artur Cholach are still out with injuries. The Petes were missing overage blueliner Shawn Spearing, top rookie Jack Van Volsen (World U-17) and Russian defenceman Artem Guryev, who is serving a five game suspension.
