A 3-2 overtime loss to the Niagara IceDogs in the regular season finale on Saturday night at Sadlon Arena had little importance in the final standings, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t come at a steep price for the Barrie Colts.
When Barrie opens its OHL best-of-seven first-round series at home against the same IceDogs on Thursday, they’ll find themselves without the services of their record-setting star defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson.
Aitcheson, who got into a late first-period fight with Niagara’s Hayden Reid, will have to serve an automatic two-game suspension for exceeding the league’s fighting threshold.
“Yeah, that’s tough,” said Colts’ head coach Dylan Smoskowitz. “You go into a game with a game plan, and knowing what’s at stake, and then what you can, and what you can’t do.
“Emotions sometimes get the best of you, so it’s something that he’ll have to learn from, and I’m sure he’ll carry that into the rest of his career.
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While neither player dropped their gloves, the New York Islanders’ top prospect was handed a fighting major, an instigation minor, and instigating misconduct in the altercation.
Reid went after Aitcheson later in the third, but the rugged blueliner pulled away to avoid any further discipline.
The costly decision to engage with Reid came in a contest that meant little, and now Aitcheson will have to sit out both Thursday and Game 2.
“Maybe just understanding time and place a little bit better, but again, you really can’t blame the kid,” added Smoskowitz. “He plays with the heart on his sleeve, and that’s what makes him great.
“It’s just something we’ll have to deal with for the first two games.”
With nearly their complete roster available, the Colts (45-14-5-4) dominated the IceDogs (31-30-4-2), who had rested several veteran players, for most of the game.
Despite outshooting Niagara 50-24, including 22-3 in a lopsided third period where Vladislav Yermolenko made some huge saves, the game headed to overtime.
The winner came just 25 seconds off the stick of Ryerson Edgar. The IceDogs rookie turned just inside the blueline and, with Ben Wilmott in hot pursuit, raced to the right side.
Haoxi Wang, who made it 2-2 on the power play at 8:47 of the second, ran a perfect pick to block Wilmott, allowing Edgar to move in and fire one from the faceoff dot over the glove of Colts’ goalie Ben Hrebik.
It was one of those nights for the Colts, who had goals by William Schneid in the first period and Ben Wilmott, in the third, called back after video review for offside.
“It wasn’t meant to be tonight,” said Smoskowitz. “Everything happens for a reason. A couple of goals called back, so I don’t know if it was better to smoke these guys going into Game 1, or to light a fire under our own butts going into Game 1.
“So, we’ll use this as motivation for sure and look to start fresh on Thursday night.”
The loss put a damper on a special evening for overagers Brad Gardiner, Calvin Crombie, and Mason Zebeski, who were playing their final OHL regular-season game.
The club held a special tribute to the trio before the game, bringing the family of the players to centre ice, where they posed with the framed jerseys of the three forwards.
“I was super happy,” said Gardiner of having his mom, dad and two sisters with him. “They supported me my whole career, and it was awesome to have them out there.”
Gardiner, who spent his first three years in the league with the Ottawa 67’s before being acquired by Barrie before the start of last season, called it “crazy” just how fast his junior career has passed.
“One of my first memories in the OHL was the overagers in the past saying, ‘take it all in, because before you know it, you’re graduating and you’re looking back and it’s memories,” said the Aurora native, who posted a career-high 31 goals and 65 points in 67 games this season. “Obviously, (with playoffs) things are going to get a little more serious from here on out. I was soaking it all in tonight.
“We got a great group. I love playing with Crombie and Zebeski. It’s crazy that we’re going into our last postseason, but we’re all pretty motivated and excited to get it going.”
Smoskowitz was happy to see the trio of overagers rewarded for their efforts.
“I thought the organization did a really good job with the tribute,” he said. “All three of those guys have just been soldiers and rock stars for us, whether it be in the room, on the ice, or in the community. They’ve been leaders and guys who exemplify what the Barrie Colts are all about on a daily basis.
“I couldn’t be prouder of those guys. I’m very excited for them to get this opportunity for a nice playoff run here.”
After former Colt Grayson Tiller put Niagara on top just 25 seconds into the second, Gardiner answered right back a little more than two minutes later on the power play when Joseph Salandra slid it across the slot to the veteran, who fired a one-timer past Yermolenko.
“Sal makes my life pretty easy, making that great slip pass that he always does,” said Gardiner. “It’s been great playing with him. I can’t take much credit for that one. A lot of it goes to Sal. Right place at the right time.”
“Obviously, it feels good,” he said of scoring in his final game. “Lots of family and friends in the arena for my last regular season game, so it’s fun to put one in the back of the net. At the end of the day, you’d rather get the two points.”
Wilmott put Barrie on top less than three minutes later, but Yermolenko slammed the door shut from there, eventually totaling 48 saves.
“He played pretty well tonight, obviously,” said Gardiner. “I think Hrebik did as well. It’s just different looks. We had a lot of perimeter shots and stuff like that. He made some great saves, and credit to him, but I think come playoff time, it’s just going to be about making his life hard every night, and us crashing the net and getting greasy goals.”
UP NEXT
The Colts will turn their full attention now to preparing for Thursday night’s series opener. While players will have the day off on Sunday, Smoskowitz and his coaching staff will be putting the final touches on the week ahead.
“Every day is going to have a different theme on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday,” he said. “Making sure we win every day going into Game 1 on Thursday. Making sure our guys are as prepared as possible.”
Meanwhile, Niagara finishes its regular season at home Sunday afternoon against Erie.
ICE CHIPS
Cole Emerton was the lone regular scratched for the Colts. The IceDogs sat former Colt and leading scorer Riley Patterson, Ethan Czata, Ryan Roobroeck (inj.), Jakub Chromiak, Noah Read and Liam Spencer.
With the lone point for the overtime loss, the Colts finished the season with 99 points, just shy of the 100-point mark.
Aitcheson drew a roar from the crowd when he sent Niagara’s Judd Knauft flying with an open-ice hit just inside the blueline in the third period.
Forwards Jaden Flora and Vladyslav Drahun made their official IceDogs debut.
ADD. OHL
Ottawa 6 Kingston 1
Erie 4 Guelph 3
Flint 5 London 4
Owen Sound 8 Kitchener 7 (OT)
Sarnia 4 Saginaw 4 (OT)
