Beau Jelsma wasn't ready for the Barrie Colts season to come to an end Monday night at Sadlon Arena.
The feisty centre took things into his own hands to make sure that didn't happen.
With the score 2-2 late in the third period, Jelsma set up linemate Tyler Savard for the winner on a perfect feed with just 2:04 remaining and then iced the contest with an empty-netter seconds later to power the Colts past the North Bay Battalion, 4-2, and stave off playoff elimination in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series.
Jelsma, who had a goal and two assists and was a force all night, was determined this wouldn't be the end of the line for the Colts.
"No, definitely not," said the second-year forward. "We put in so much effort all year. We had a great effort from the coaching staff all year, and we won it for each other tonight. I'm so happy for the guys."
Jelsma showed great patience on the winner. With the puck on his stick in the North Bay end in the dying minutes, he walked out from behind the net and, with Savard parked in front, he put it right on the tape for the big winger who tipped it past North Bay goalie Dom DiVincentiis.
Jelsma then put the game on ice with 46 seconds remaining when he raced to the open net and shovelled home a McDonnell pass.
"I just went behind the net and I really didn't see too much," he said of the game-winner. "Just out of the corner of my eye, I saw Savy sitting back door there and I just threw it there, and it just worked out perfect."
The best-of-seven series is now tied at 3-3 and comes down to a winner-take-all Game 7 on Tuesday night at North Bay Memorial Gardens.
"It's great getting there, but now we have to do something with it (Tuesday) night," Jelsma said of getting to a seventh game. "I think just go in and give everything you got and leaving nothing behind out there and I think everything will work out for us."
The winner will advance to face the Peterborough Petes in the Eastern Conference Final. The Petes upset the first-place Ottawa 67s in six games, icing the series with a 5-4 win at home last night.
"I thought we battled hard," said Colts head coach Marty Williamson of the must-win. "We got to fix the penalty kill a little bit, but we played hard."
Jelsma and his linemates combined for all the scoring in the big win. Savard had two goals, while Declan McDonnell had a goal and assist.
And most importantly, they stepped up after Pasquale Zito, with the Battalion on the power play, scored just 1:47 into the third period to tie it.
"I thought Jelsma was just a driving force out there for us and those other two guys compliment real well," said Williamson. "They go to the net, they're both hard-nosed kids. They play in traffic and I thought the line, obviously, was real good for us tonight."
A promising season where Barrie had one of the OHL's top records in the second half was on the line. Injuries have plagued the Colts all playoffs, and they took a huge blow when a hit in Game 2 knocked top scorer Evan Vierling out of the lineup. He has yet to return.
Then Jelsma missed Game 4 after taking a hit late in the Game 3, meaning the Colts were down their top two centres.
Despite the adversity, the Colts have found a way to stay alive and kicking for at least another day.
"We didn't want this to be our last game," said Williamson. "We kind of said that for a day-and-a-half. It was led by (Brandt Clarke). Yeah, we seemed a little bit tentative early, and then the second half of the period was pretty good for us. We had much better momentum in the second."
The Colts looked nervous early in this one and the Troops took advantage. Dalyn Wakely, with the Battalion on the power play, ripped one upstairs past Anson Thornton to open the scoring a little more than seven minutes in.
"You always are," Williamson said of nervousness playing a part in a do-or-die game. "Your season is on the line, things run through your head. It takes you just a little bit to clear your head and realize that it's just a game and you got to do what you got to do."
The Colts did just that, picking things up in the last half of the first and tying things up when Jelsma won a battle for the puck behind the net. He raced around the net and found McDonnell in front, who ripped it over the right pad of DiVincentiis.
Savard put Barrie on top just 5:59 into the second when he walked into the faceoff dot to the right of DiVincentiis and ripped a shot past his glove side.
After Zito drew the Battalion even in the third, the Colts took another penalty but managed to kill it this time. Jelsma then took centre stage.
"I thought we had some good looks and took another penalty and that hurt us a little bit," said Williamson. "But that shift by Jelsma. Just dominating the puck and then found an open stick to Savard."
Thornton, especially early when the Battalion outshot them 17-11 in the opening period, had another huge effort between the pipes for Barrie.
The Arizona prospect stopped 32 of 34 shots, including a huge pad save in the third.
"Clarke is Clarke, but Thornton has been fantastic," said Williamson.
It's no surprise the series has gone the distance, but there's no room for error now.
"We've put the thought into their head now that this season can end," said Williamson. "We're going to see a desperate game from them. Game 7's are a lot of fun."
Game time Tuesday night is 7 p.m.
ICE CHIPS: Winger Tai York left the game for some time, but fortunately for the Colts returned to play in the third period. . . Vierling remains day-to-day. . . Jelsma though tonight may have been the best game his line has played. "I totally agree," he said. "The thing with our line is communication and we're always talking on the bench on what we can do better, what we can work on. They're not always great talks on the bench, but we seem to always figure it out." . . . The Colts had several of this weekend's OHL draft picks on hand, introducing them to fans before the game.
banner image: Terry Wilson/OHL Images
