The Oakville Blades will live to see another day thanks to a huge 5-3 victory against Orangeville in game five on Friday.
Fans at Sixteen Mile were treated to one of the most exciting periods of action in the playoffs. The Blades peppered Wyatt Pickrell throughout the entire first period, forcing the star goaltender to make numerous tough saves early on.
Pickrell wouldn’t end the period with the shutout. With time winding down in the first, Kamil Tkaczuk and Brandon Hughes both had great scoring chances of their own in front. However, it was Tkaczuk who sent the puck behind the net to Matt Lippa, who did a wraparound before beating Pickrell just in front. The goal gave the Blades the 1-0 goal. This lead gave the Blades a ton of momentum heading into the second, as the team that has scored first has won every single game so far in this series.
The second period was absolutely dominated by the Blades. In fact, the team had already recorded 34 shots by the halfway point in the contest. The ball really got rolling seven minutes into the second when Daniel Jelic ripped the puck from the point and beat a screened Pickrell. It was a huge moment for Jelic, as the goal proved to be his first all season at home, and just his second of the season.
Minutes later, the excitement level hit an all-time high. With the Blades buzzing for a third goal, Lippa was able to take the puck into the slot from the corner and fired it into the bottom left corner, giving the Blades the big 3-0 lead with a lot of time left in the period.
Orangeville was able to score one of their own before the middle frame was all said and done. With under four minutes left, a mad scramble in front left Daniel Mannella searching for the puck. It allowed Colin Rigney to tap the puck from the post area for the 3-1 goal.
The third period saw Pickrell lured from the net. The Blades were very lucky to get one past the cold goaltender, as Greg Campbell stepped into a shot from just inside centre, beating Pickrell glove side for the 4-1 goal. Coming in his place would be Nicholas Latinovich, who would see action between the pipes for the second time in the series.
The Flyers weren’t completely out of it. With 7:31 off the clock, Connor Stack picked up the puck in front of the net, scoring on the doorstep after receiving a solid pass in front from Ian Nichols. Minutes later, defenseman John DiLorenzo brought the Flyers within one with a hard slap shot from the point, beating Mannella through the five-hole for the 4-3 goal.
Oakville responded shortly after. On the very next shift, Max Lindsay managed to get a high one off of a deflection, sailing over Latinovich before crossing over the line for the 5-3 goal. It was a big one for the Blades, as the team had begun to lose momentum late in the frame. Luckily for the Blades, the team was able to hold on to the victory, forcing game six thanks to this huge 5-3 victory on Friday.
Oakville has forced game six, which is set for tomorrow at 7:00pm at Alder Street Arena in Orangeville. Another win on Saturday would mean the series would go seven games, with the deciding contest to take place at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex on Monday night.