Tuesday night's game was the most important game of the season for the Oakville Blades: with their 4-3 over Collingwood, they've secured their spot in the 2022 playoffs.
After a surprising overtime win against Pickering and a Brantford loss to Georgetown, all the Blades needed to do was win this game to secure the final playoff spot in the west.
The Blades had their work cut out for them as they faced off against the North Division powerhouse Collingwood Blues at the Sixteen-Mile Sports Complex.
The scoring started just after the 10-minute mark when Collingwood struck first. Jake LaVille tipped in a Taylor Barnett shot past the Oakville goaltender giving the Collingwood Blues the 1-0 lead.
Shortly after Collingwood’s goal, the Blades capitalized on a powerplay when Callum Arnott gave Yanni Kaidonis a pass. Kaidonis squeaked the puck past the Collingwood goalie to tie the game 1-1.
Collingwood took the lead back after Mark McIntosh made a beautiful drag move and sent the puck to Dylan Hudson. Hudson made no mistake, making the score 2-1 Collingwood.
The Blades answered back with a goal of their own when Callum Arnott set up Evan Pringle for a one-timer, tying the game at 2-2 and ending the period at a deadlock.
The second period saw no scoring for the first 18 minutes but great goaltending from Tristan Malbeouf and Noah Pak.
But with a minute and a half left in the period, the Blades broke out on a 3 on 2. Josh Kudo passed the puck over to Owen Wilson, and the defender shot the puck. The rebound came to Zach Wigle with a wide-open net, who finished off the play, giving Oakville the 3-2 lead near the end of the second. The Blades went into intermission with a 3-2 lead.
At the start of the third period, Collingwood tied the game after Dylan Hudson pounced on a rebound to tie the game 3-3.
The Blades did not want this game to go to overtime. They wanted to finish this game in regulation and not take their chances in the extra period.
The Blades were given a power play. This was a golden opportunity for them to take the lead.
Near the end of the power play, Andrew Brown circled down below the crease and found Mason Zebeski wide open in the slot. Zebeski put the puck between Pak’s legs, giving Oakville a 4-3 lead.
The Blades now had a major task in front of them, and they shut down the Blues for the next 13 minutes.
After a tough and stressful time for both the Blades and their fans, the team hung on for a big 4-3 victory and a spot in the OJHL playoffs.
After the game, Mason Zebeski talked about how special it was to score the game-winning goal for his hometown team, saying, "It’s a dream come true. I’m a hometown boy, and to score a hero a goal like that is great."
If the playoffs started today, the Blades would play the Burlington Cougars in a three-game series. There is, however, a slight chance that they will play Milton Menace in the first round.
The Blades have not done well against either team in 2022, but the playoffs are a different beast, and anything can happen.