Following an exciting, yet unsuccessful 3-1 loss to Orangeville on Tuesday, Oakville took on the Hamilton Red Wings for the second time this pre-season in an attempt to finalize a roster for the real test beginning next month. Their first meeting was an incredible one for the Blades, as an incredible third period saw them take the 7-2 victory over a winless Hamilton club. Thursday’s game saw much of the same, as the same team came out on top following a huge 7-3 victory.
Unlike in their first two pre-season games, the Blades would allow the first goal of the contest. After a defensive miscue in front of goaltender Brendan McGlynn, Lain McKay gave Hamilton a 1-0 lead after lifting the loose puck into the net. The lead wouldn’t last for long, as newcomer Josh Kosack jammed the puck in at the other end of the ice for Oakville, tying the game up at one. It was an unfortunate bounce against Hamilton goaltender Mark Sinclair, who looked like he was originally going to get a good grasp of the puck.
With three minutes to go, Oakville took over the lead. After forcing a Hamilton defender to cough up the puck, Joe Mitchell sent the bouncing disk over to Sean Kohler, who fed an open Brandon Hughes for the pretty play in front of the net. With a minute left in the period, Ryan Burns gave his team the two goal advantage after absolutely stepping into a shot from just outside the faceoff dot and blowing past Sinclair.
The second period saw the Blades get their first goal of the season. With the Hamilton defense confused on who to cover, Ross Sloan made a beautiful pass in front of the net to an open Jackson Bales, who made no mistake in potting one home. Before the shift was even over, Sloan deked Sinclair before sending the puck off to Kamil Tkaczuk, who had an empty net all to himself for the 5-1 goal.
With yet another loss on the horizon, Hamilton had to do something quick. Following a time-out call after the fifth Oakville goal, Hamilton began to show better puck control in the offensive zone. The pressure paid off for the club, as two straight power-play goals pulled them within two with six minutes remaining in the period. First, Joel Knight’s tip in front of the crease found its way past McGlynn, who unfortunately couldn’t see the shot. A minute later, Luke Sinclair took advantage of the 5-on-3 opportunity to give his team some hope.
Oakville’s three goal lead would be restored with four minutes to go in the period, as Ryan Burns, who has been absolutely explosive throughout the entire pre-season, chopped at the bouncing puck and got in while laying down on his back.
Oakville got the third period rolling with a power-play goal. Originally started by a Tyler Burns' slap shot from the point, his brother, Ryan, tipped the puck past Sinclair for his third goal of the game. The hat trick marked his fifth goal of the pre-season, an impressive feat considering he has been juggled around throughout the line-up in the attempt to find a perfect combination for his first season with the team. His brilliant performance was a standout of the night, as a fantastic second half resulted in Oakville taking their second win against Hamilton during the pre-season, a 7-3 effort to improve to 2-1 in exhibition play.