On a night where he reached a career milestone, Beau Jelsma celebrated in style.
Playing in his 200th OHL game Tuesday night at Sadlon Arena, the Barrie captain put a bow on his special achievement with an impressive shootout goal to lead the Colts to a 5-4 win over the Niagara IceDogs.
Jelsma’s highlight reel goal helped Barrie (27-34-4-0) snap a five-game losing streak and cap off a comeback in a game they never led until the end.
“We had a tough first period there, and we battled all night, and I’m happy we got her up to a tie,” said the veteran, who helped the Colts avenge a 3-0 loss to the same IceDogs Sunday on the road. “To end it like that, on my 200th game, it’s pretty awesome.”
Jelsma’s shootout winner was “awesome” and then some. With both teams failing to score on their first shootout attempt, the veteran stepped to centre ice and raced down the right side before cutting to the middle.
The 19-year-old’s move would see him go forehand before pulling it to his backhand and lifting it over the outstretched pads of Niagara goalie Charlie Robertson.
Jelsma learned the deke from former linemate and Seattle Kraken prospect Eduard Sale before he was traded to the Kitchener Rangers at the trade deadline.
“When he came here, even in practice and a couple of shootout goals he scored, I watched him,” Jelsma said of the offensively gifted Sale. “I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a pretty cool move.’ I asked him how to do it and worked on it a bit, so yeah, I kind of copied it and I’m starting to use it now. It’s working out.”
Colts head coach Marty Williamson was beaming when asked about the shootout winner. Jelsma’s highlight move was a nice way to cap off his special night.
“It sure was,” said the bench boss. “Beau was a powerhouse all night. I thought he had his legs and five-on-five we seemed to be a little dumbfounded in scoring, but in the shootout two of the guys did really well.”
Goaltender Sam Hillebrandt, who made several huge saves to get the Colts to the shootout, would then stop Ryan Roobroeck on Niagara’s second attempt, before Cole Beaudoin, who tied the game at 4-4 at 6:58 of third, sealed the shootout and gave his team a much-needed win.
“We’re kind of setting ourselves up for playoffs here,” said Jelsma, who along with his teammates travel Wednesday night to North Bay and Friday night to Sudbury, before wrapping up the OHL regular season schedule Saturday night at home against Peterborough. “We know we’re going to be playing a tough team and there’s going to be times we’re going to be going down and with a young group like us we just got to stick with it and don’t give up.
“I know we’re going through a lot of injuries right now. They had a good team over there tonight and we stuck with it, and I’m super happy for the boys.”
Niagara (17-40-6-2), which has been eliminated from the playoff contention, got off to a strong start with goals by William Stewart and Mathieu Paris a little more than five minutes apart in the first period, before Riley Patterson scored his 28th of the season with 1:11 remaining in the frame to move one goal ahead of Roobroeck in scoring among OHL rookies.
Ivan Galiyanov deflected a Paris shot past Hillebrandt to put the IceDogs back on top by two early in the second, but just over five minutes later Bode Stewart finished off a two-on-none on a feed by Thomas Stewart to make it 3-2.
Grayson Tiller would tie it up with just 38 seconds left in the second when his point shot found its way past Robertson.
“I wasn’t really happy with our first period,” said Williamson, whose club would outshoot Niagara 51-29. “I thought we then settled a little bit and played better. We were missing a lot of guys out of our lineup and piecing guys in, and it was hard for some of our guys, but the leaders took charge and played well.”
Mason Wray would put Niagara back on top, 4-3, just 1:26 into the third, but Beaudoin would tie it once again on a beauty individual effort.
The second-year centre raced a lap around the Niagara end before turning in again back at the blue line and this time walking in and wiring a drive top short side over the blocker of Robertson.
In a game filled with hit posts and crossbars, a thrilling overtime was no different with both teams getting a couple of really good scoring chances.
“Wasn’t even just in overtime,” said Jelsma. “It was the whole game. I rung one off the bar a couple of times and that’s just the way it goes. The hockey Gods weren’t too much on our side tonight, but we found a way and I couldn’t be happier.”
The Colts will face a Battalion team tonight still with an opportunity to earn top spot in both the Eastern Conference and Central Division standings and then a Sudbury team Friday that beat them 6-1 last Saturday and still has a chance to win the Central.
“We got two tough games on the road that mean a lot to those teams and I wanted to get this win tonight just to get our guys feeling good,” said Williamson.
Game time Wednesday night at North Bay Memorial Gardens is 7 p.m.
ICE CHIPS: After tonight in North Bay, the Colts will have played four games in five nights. . . Rookie Ben Hrebik will get the start in goal in North Bay. “Then we’re going to change our lineup in Sudbury and comeback against Peterborough here and hope we finish on a winning note,” said Williamson. . . Zach Wigle will join Roenick Jodoin in missing the remaining regular season schedule. The veteran left the game Sunday after a hit at centre ice by Niagara’s Kevin He. “We hope he’ll go on concussion protocol and if everything goes well, he’ll be ready for the following week,” said Williamson. He was suspended indefinitely for the hit. . . Jelsma, Beaudoin also each had an assist. Thomas Stewart had a pair of helpers and now has five goals and 16 points in 30 games since coming to Barrie after recording three goals and seven points in 36 games with Oshawa.
banner image: Terry Wilson, OHL Images
