from the Vees website ;

Predators Draw Even with Three Goal Flury
February 24th 2008



The Port Hope Predators scored three goals in a span of two minutes and two seconds midway through the second period and added an empty netter, en route to a 5-2 victory, to pull even in the best of seven Eastern Conference Semi-Final series with the Kingston KIMCO Voyageurs.

“I thought we played well tonight, outside for a sluggish first few minutes and about five minutes in the second period, but that just shows the value of working hard for a full 60 minutes,” said Vees Head Coach Evan Robinson.

The Predators opened the scoring for the second straight game, when Jessie Chidwick beat Matt Hache six minutes into the opening period for the loan goal of the period.

For the second game in a row, the majority of the scoring came in the second period, as Vees defenseman Sean McAllister jumped in on a short-handed rush and chipped a puck over Predators goaltender Bill Stone five minutes into the period.

Jeremy McCarty started the wave of momentum that would prove to be too much for the Vees to overcome on this night, as his shot off the rush was deflected and found its way through Hache.

Predators Captain Kevin Parker then scored two goals in fifteen seconds, just a minute and forty seven seconds after McCarty’s goal.

Parker’s second goal was disputed by the Vees as goaltender Matt Hache displayed the puck in his catching glove, but the play which was initially signaled a goal, was unable to be overturned without sufficient evidence to prove otherwise, despite the pleading from the Vees and Hache, that he had made the save and that the puck never crossed the goal-line.

Phil McIlhone added a power play marker for the Vees, to cut the lead in half after 40 minutes of play.

The Vees poured on the pressure in the third period, but couldn’t solve Stone in the Predators net. The Vees best chance, came on a beautiful pass from the point by Anthony Babic to Andrew Marcoux, who wired a shot square off the goal post, but that was as close as the Vees could come and Chad Dunlop added an empty netter with 48 seconds left to seal the game and make the series a best three out of five moving forward.

Sean McAllister was the Vees first star with a goal and an assist.

Anthony Geldart was the second star with a very strong performance defensively.

Vick Schlueter was the third star, putting fourth his second straight strong hard working performance for the Vees.

Game Three of the series goes Thursday evening in Kingston at 7:30PM from the Cataraqui Arena, with Game Four back in Port Hope on Friday night.

If there were any thoughts of this series being an easy one for either of these teams, that notion should now be gone.

This one is going to be a long hard-fought series.

This game had its' moments that typify all playoff games and often leave observers wondering. Wondering if this or that play could be definitive turning points.

It isn't often when the team that scores a shortie doesn't go on to win, but that the case this afternoon.

When Sean McAllister scored a short-handed marker to draw the Vees even at 1-1 early in the 2nd, Preds spark plug Jeremy McCarty used the same McAllister as a screen to rip a shot to Hache's right and low to restore Port Hope's lead.

The momentum went from Vees to preds with that timely goal.

It was a pair of Parker goals inside a two minute span sealed the fate of the Vees. One of which was controversial as Hache thought he had it but the officials ruled it was a goal.

Then a goalpost by Marcoux in the third that clearly had Stone beaten. A moment that looked like the Vees had drawn to within a goal. But it stayed out and the Preds brought it home with an empty netter by Dunlop who outmuscled Vees' McAllister to the puck.

This one was clearly not the defensive gem the Vees had demonstrated when they had their 2 goal 4-2 lead in game one. The Preds wobbled under the Vees' pressure but Stone really made the difference, when the chips were down, to tie the series.

The Vees' offensive game seemed to be pretty well according to script. They generated some good chances to score. But, it was their defensive game that really let them down. They did not back check,clear their zone nor finish their checks like they did in the 1st game.

Their powerplay production was not there. They had plenty of opportunities with the man advantage they failed to take advantage of. Had they done so, they could have stolen a game they clearly did not deserve to win.

As so often happens in a best of seven series, that game that got away (in this case, this one), could come back to haunt you later in the series.

The physical department was the domain of the Preds who were on the right end of many of the bodychecks on this afternoon.

If the Preds manage to dominate in the physical department as they did today, it is their best chance for victory.

On to a much anticipated 3rd game Thursday night in Kingston.

You got to see some of this good stuff Northies, Westies and Southies. There really is some good hockey outside the enclaves of the North,West and South divisions.

Come to Kingston and check it out Thursday. Or in Port Hope Friday. Let us know you are coming on this forum. I can't promise you anything but some good conversation before the game and possibly a coffee.

Stay tuned.

Wayjoy

I am sure that Evan and his staff never thought for one minute that this series would be a walk in the park. The Preds played with the sort of urgency needed down the stretch and carried that into their first round series. The fact that they split the first two games is not surprising however I thought that the Preds might take the first and the Vees the second.

It certainly will be a hard fought series that could go the distance but I feel that the more games the Vees play the more consistent they will become. I look for them to take it in 7.