The Toronto Lakeshore Patriots played host to the Oakville Blades on Saturday in the second contest of their home and home series. Lead by former Blade Evan Buitenhuis on Friday, the Patriots took home the 4-2 victory over an Oakville squad desperate to make the playoffs. Again on Saturday, the Patriots survived a determined comeback attempt by the Blades on their way to a 4-3 win.
The Patriots managed to get on the board first only four minutes into the contest. With Greg Allen in the box for Oakville, Doug Bonar caught a surprised Mark Manolescu by surprise with the glove side tip in beside the crease. The Blades managed to tie the game up at one four minutes later when defenseman Greg Campbell picked up the bouncing puck from a tough angle and sent it between the legs of Jeremy Helvig.
Oakville was dealt an unfortunate blow goal with seven minutes remaining in the first. After receiving a hit just seconds prior, Mark Bzowey was given a game misconduct after hitting an opposing forward from behind. The ejection came at a tough time for Oakville, as Kris Bennett, Daniel Jelic and Vince Palermo are all serving suspensions of their own.
The Patriots believed they had the go ahead goal with three minutes to go, but that wouldn't be the case. Despite Niko Kovachis believing he had his eighth of the season, it was waved off as Manolescu was checked in front of the net. As a result, Jacob Hayhurst was given a goalie interference penalty. Oakville took advantage of the extra man, as Kamil Tkaczuk scored on an absolute laser beam of a shot for the 2-1 lead with a second remaining on the power-play.
The Patriots began the second period with another heartbreak. Andreas Tsogkas, who scored last night in Oakville, managed to get the puck past Manolescu, but the Blades puckstopper somehow managed to keep it out with an incredible desperate diving stop.
Kovachis wouldn't leave the game with a zero in the goal column. After the puck was stopped by Manolescu with the left pad, the puck was deflected right to the defenseman who tied the game up at two. Lakeshore put a bullet in the arm of the Blades second period run when Bonar scored his second of the game with only nine seconds left in the period, a tough way to end the frame for Oakville.
Lakeshore made the score 4-2 on a goal by Marcus Roseat that just got under the bar with approximately ten minutes remaining in the third period. Oakville managed to get as close as 4-3 when Sean Kohler scored with twenty seconds remaining in the contest, but that's all the team would manage to do.
The loss was a tough one for the short term playoff picture. With only four games remaining in the season, the Blades sit two points behind the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and the Mississauga Chargers, who both pulled off wins on Saturday.