Alright, let me tell ya! The Barrie Colts pulled a rabbit outta the hat Saturday night, didn’t they? After gettin’ shelled 9-4 on the road in Game 4 – a real stinker – they come back home to the Sadlon Arena and gut out a win in overtime. That’s hockey, kids! Now they’re up 3-2 on those Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL Eastern Conference semis, and they got a chance to put this thing to bed Sunday down in Kingston. No time to rest, gotta get right back at it!
So, who’s the hero? Young Kashawn Aitcheson, that’s who! A beauty of a kid, steps up midway through the first overtime. Takes a nice little drop pass there from Emil Hemming, moves left, finds a lane through all the bodies clutterin’ up the front – guys payin’ the price – and bang! Past the goalie Schenkel. A greasy goal, the kinda goal that wins playoff games when things get tight. You gotta love it! That’s the Barrie Colts spirit right there.
What happened before that? Well, the Frontenacs, they drew first blood in the first period, Cedric Guidon gettin’ one past the Colts’ netminder, Sam Hillebrandt. But Barrie didn’t fold. Dalyn Wakely, good Canadian kid, ties it up for the Colts in the second. The Colts came out flyin’ after that Game 4 embarrassment, really took it to Kingston in the first two periods, outshootin’ ’em somethin’ fierce, 31-16. Shows ya they got heart.
The game tightened right up in the third period, both teams tradin’ chances. Then came overtime, even more cautious, nobody wantin’ to make the big mistake. You gotta give credit where it’s due, though. That Kingston goalie, Charlie Schenkel, he was standin’ on his head, made 42 saves! Kept his team in it. And the Colts’ goalie, Hillebrandt, he wasn’t too shabby himself, eh? Made 27 stops, including a huge breakaway save on Tuomas Uronen late in the third. That coulda been the game right there! Hillebrandt stood tall.
So where does this leave us? Game 6 is Sunday night, Easter Sunday, down at the Slush Puppie Place in Kingston. A tough building to win in, that’s the Kingston Road Challenge right there. Barrie leads the best-of-seven series 3-2. They win, they move on. They lose? Uh oh. Back to Barrie for Game 7 on Tuesday night, and anything can happen in a Game 7. The pressure cooker’s on full blast.
Why is this Game 6 so huge? Because you don’t wanna give a team like Kingston life. You got ’em down, you gotta finish ’em off. Especially on the road. It’s like they say, do you wanna ‘Kill it in Kingston or Bury it in Barrie?’ The Colts gotta choose the first one. They need that OHL Playoff Clinch now. Bring the same energy they had early in Game 5, play smart, stay outta the box, and get pucks on net. Goaltending’s key, Hillebrandt needs another big one. Find those greasy goals. That’s the Barrie Colts strategy, or it should be. Go get ’em, boys!
References:
Aitcheson scores in OT to lift Colts over Frontenacs in Game 5
