The Oakville Blades finished off a perfect two-game weekend with an easy 6-2 win over the Mississauga Chargers on Saturday at Port Credit Arena.
With Mississauga heading into the game without a win since November 21st, the Blades expected to have a very strong game on Saturday. The team did a splendid job of dominating the scoring chances early in the game, but Tyler Richardson did a tremendous job of keeping the Chargers in the game early. Unfortunately for the home team, Richardson couldn't save the day for forever. At the 9:37 point in the game, Josh Kosack passed the puck in front of the crease to recent University of Vermont recruit Bryce Misley, who tapped in the pass to make it 1-0 Blades.
It took less than a minute into the second for the Chargers to tie the game at one apiece. Desperate for just one good chance, Scott Docherty got his team-leading 15th goal of the season after taking a pass in front of the crease, beating Brendan McGlynn glove side.
Good thing for the Blades, they wouldn't allow the Chargers to take the lead. With just over eight minutes remaining in the second period, Oliver Benwell found Ryan Garvey around the net, only t
After two periods of play, the Blades held the three-goal advantage. Garvey was back on the board late in the frame after using a quick move to deke around Richardson in front of the crease, roofing it up high for the 3-1 lead heading into the final few minutes.
Then, with just seconds remaining in the period, a momentous part of the season took place. With Jackson Bales making it 4-1 before the end of the period, Patrick Kudla got credit for his 50th point of the season, far and away dominating all defenseman in the league in that regard. Formerly a forward in Junior B, Kudla has made his mark known in his first full season in the OJHL and will look for similar success in his final year of junior next year before heading off to Arizona State of the NCAA.
Oakville was beginning to skate away with the contest. Two minutes into the third, Benwell got another point after making a great backhand pass beside the Mississauga net, finding Ryan Foss near the crease for the easy tap-in goal to make it 5-1.
With 13 minutes left, the Blades made it 6-1. Kudla's 51st point of the season would be a goal, tapping in the rebound to give his team the five-goal advantage. Mississauga would score another one before the game was over, but a comeback was nowhere in sight as Oakville held on for the big 6-2 victory.
With the win, the Blades will host the Chargers for their second meeting of the month at home next Friday, a 7:30 pm start at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. Oakville will then play host to the Milton Icehawks for the annual “Pink in the Rink” event on Saturday, January 16th, with all proceeds going to cancer research. Hope to see you there!