Romani leads Colts to win over IceDogs in playoff opener

Anthony Romani finally feels he’s at the top of his game, and that’s a good thing for the Barrie Colts.

The sniper, who finished the regular season on an offensive tear, picked right up where he left off, scoring twice to earn first-star honours in Barrie’s 4-2 win over the Niagara IceDogs, Thursday night, in the opening game of their Eastern Conference first-round series at Sadlon Arena.

The Vancouver Canucks prospect missed over three months after suffering a broken clavicle with the North Bay Battalion back in early October and admits it took time to get back to full health and adjust to a new team after being acquired by the Colts at the OHL trade deadline in early January.

Romani is proving that’s all behind him. Including his first playoff game, the winger with the big shot now has 13 goals and 22 points over his last 13 games.

“I feel a lot better now,” said Romani, who finished with 19 goals and 30 points in 29 games with Barrie after recording an eye-popping 58 goals and 111 points in 68 games with the Battalion last season to finish second overall in league scoring. “Coming off an injury is always hard just getting back in the game.

“With a new team it’s always solving new systems and I think the coaches and my teammates have made it an easier job for me to adjust. I’m definitely feeling ready to go and 100 per cent now.”

Romani and linemates Owen Van Steensel and Dalyn Wakely dominated all night, finishing with three goals and three assists between them to give the Colts the lead in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 2 on Monday night in Barrie.

The trio, who were a force in leading the Battalion into the Eastern Conference final three straight years, have over 138 games of playoff experience.

“I think we had a good game,” said Romani, who opened the scoring in the first period and then potted the game-winner late in the second. “We have some experience in the playoffs and we were just trying to carry that into this playoff. Maybe help out others who haven’t as many games as us.

“We’re just making sure we’re ready for each game and are taking it one step at a time.”

Colts’ general manager and head coach Marty Williamson thought his big line was “outstanding.”

“(Van Steensel) played just a warrior game for us and Romani just keeps getting better and better, and the plays he can make,” said Williamson. “Then defensively (Romani) makes a play on (Kevin He) there. He’s one of the fastest guys in the league and Romani was able to close him out there on that final push they were doing at the end there.

Those three guys, we’re going to count on them.”

The Colts expected a battle from their Central rivals and that’s exactly what they got in the series opener. Trailing 3-2 heading into the third, the IceDogs certainly had their chances to even things up.

Just seconds into the frame Ryan Roobroeck was stopped by Barrie goaltender Sam Hillebrandt on a breakaway and then Colts’ defenceman Evan Passmore was thrown out of the game after receiving a game misconduct and five-minute major for a check to the head at 5:57.

The Colts’ penalty kill, which finished third overall during the season, would hold strong and the IceDogs could generate little on their big opportunity.

“The breakaway we kind of messed up there and the penalty kill, that was huge for us,” said Williamson. “We played a pretty good game from the first period on. I thought we were a little tentative. I think sometimes it’s a little easier being a team starting on the road and you have nothing to lose and you go play hard.”

That Colts would get a lift from the penalty kill and would ice the contest with 1:47 remaining when Beau Jelsma threw the puck out in front and Wakely tipped it to Van Steensel who wired one past Owen Flores into the top corner.

“In our building, you want to get the lead,” said Williamson. “I actually thought the penalty kill in the third period really energized us for the last seven or eight minutes.

“The guys killed and they were pretty pumped and proud of themselves. We really didn’t give much up after that.”

Twice the IceDogs fought back to tie the score. He drew the score even at 1-1 on a power-play goal with 37 seconds remaining in the first and then after Cole Beaudoin put Barrie back on top early in the second, Alex Assadourian tipped a shot past Hillebrandt a little under four minutes later.

Barrie would outshoot Niagara 17-3 in the second and carried play for the final two periods.

“I think it woke us a little bit,” Williamson said of He’s late first-period goal. “It was a bad break on the goal. Hemming got tripped in the corner and that made us a man short after we were already a man short. It was kind of an unlucky break for our structure and we saw later in the game how good our structure was.

“I think it was kind of a little wakeup call that this isn’t going to be like the last game of the season (an 8-1 Barrie win), that this was playoff hockey now and it’s different, and we answered the bell in the second period really good.”

The Colts’ depth came into play for Barrie, especially in the third when they gave up few scoring chances.

“We did and we used our hole bench,” said Williamson. “I thought we were energized still in the third. We had good legs and we were able to close them out in battles. That’s how we want to play third periods.

“That’s the advantage of four lines when you can run them.”  

Flores kept things close for the IceDogs, who were outshot 38-27 in this one.

“We know he’s going to make saves,” said Williamon. “I think the chances in the second period were 10-1 and he made some really good saves. We’re just going to put our nose to the grindstone and keep going.”

The Colts will look to hang on to home-ice advantage on Monday night before the series switches to Niagara on Tuesday for Game 3.

 “It’s one game at a time,” said Romani. “That’s our mentality, just not getting too far ahead of ourselves. Just taking it one-by-one. The games at home are always big, like the old saying, ‘You’re never in trouble until you lose one at home,’ so they’re going to be coming in just to get one at our barn.

“We got to be ready for that.”

Williamson expects the IceDogs to come at them harder on Monday.

“Every game is going to be a war,” he said. “Every game is going to be a little bit different, so you just have to come and play. We’ll enjoy this, have a good little skate (Friday), and we’re going to skate on Saturday and get prepared for Game 2.

“I think they’re going to be an energized team and the old saying ‘if they steal one in our building it’s a good thing,’ so we’re going to have to answer the bell. I like the way we’re looking.”

Game time Monday night is 7 p.m.

ICE CHIPS: Game 3 is Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Meridian Centre. . . Thursday’s opener was playoff game No. 50 for both Van Steensel and Wakely. . . Like Game 1, Williamson wasn’t disclosing information on who would get the start in goal between Ben Hrebik and Hillebrandt for Game 2. “I have an idea what we’re going to do,” he said. “We’ll talk it over (Friday) and then we’ll make the call for the back-to-back games.” . . . Beau Akey had a strong game on the blueline for the Colts, finishing with plus 2 and an assist. Carter Lowe, Grayson Tiller, and Jelsma also had assists for Barrie. . .  Attendance was 3,676. . . Barrie was 0-for-2 on the power play, while Niagara was 1-for-2.