Series heading back to Carleton Place after Canadians win Game Four

By: Daniel Vazzoler

The Bogart Cup Final is heading back to the Carleton Place Arena thanks to the Carleton Place Canadians winning Game Four on Wednesday, beating the Ottawa Jr. Senators 2-1 to avoid the sweep.

It may not have been the prettiest of games for Carleton Place but in the situation it was in, there’s no time to complain about getting a victory. That said, Canadians coach Jason Clarke said there are a few areas where his team can improve for Game Five.

“It was a step in the right direction, we battled and competed [Wednesday]. It probably wasn’t our sharpest game but we had a lot of desperation in our game.”

When asked what needed to be cleaned up, Clarke was quick with his response – discipline, starting with the team leaders.

“Your three captains can’t take undisciplined penalties. Penalties cost us in Game Three, almost cost us in Game Four. I mean, that’s got to stop. If we don’t nip that in the bud, it’s going to come back and bite us sooner or later,” Clarke elaborated.

While they didn’t cost Carleton Place, penalties were the difference in the game as all three goals scored were power play markers.

Travis Broughman opened the scoring late in the first period by tipping the Tim Theocharidis point shot through the legs of Connor Hicks. Finn Evans tied the game with a 5-on-3 power play goal, getting the loose puck after a blocked shot and beat Michael Leach with a wrist shot. Carleton Place responded two minutes later with Sam Knoblauch jamming the puck into the goal from the side of the net.

The scores during the series have been low and each game has been a one-goal difference, in large part to the play of Hicks and Leach throughout the four games. Carleton Place didn’t make Hicks a busy goaltender on Wednesday as he faced 16 shots in the game. The same can’t be said about Leach as he made 37 saves, including a number of key saves to preserve the lead.

“It’s good to be busy, stay in the game and keep fresh,” the Canadians goaltender said. “You like (your team) to play a good 200-feet but it’s nice to have some shots.”

The series has been a goaltending battle between Hicks and Leach, something Leach said helps with his performance.

“It’s always good to feed off the other guy. When he makes a big save, you want to make a big save after that (but) it’s been two good teams just going at it.”

“Leach is the backbone of our team right now, he’s keeping us in tight games and that’s what you need in the playoffs,” Canadians assistant captain Cade Townend said.

The Canadians had a boisterous support group travel with them to the Jim Durrell Complex, and a louder crowd can be expected on Saturday when the series shifts to home ice.

“We’ve got a good crowd base here, they’ve always got our back no matter if we’re on the road or at home,” Townend said. “It’ll be good momentum, another energy boost for us going forward.”

“You fight for home ice all year long in the regular season and it’s obviously important we’re playing on home ice,” Clarke added. “We just need to be able to have the same mindset as we had [Wednesday night], which was being desperate. We need to play with desperation, and if we do that we’ll give ourselves a much better chance to win than we have all series long.”

Playoff Matchups Around the League

* = if necessary

BOLD = higher seed home game

Bogart Cup Finals

(1) CPC vs (2) OJS – OJS leads 3-1

GAME 1: CPC vs OJS – OJS 2-1

GAME 2: OJS vs CPC – OJS 3-2 (OT)

GAME 3: CPC vs OJS – OJS 2-1 (OT)

GAME 4: OJS vs CPC – CPC 2-1

GAME 5: CPC vs OJS – Sat., Apr. 21 – 7:45 p.m.

GAME 6: OJS vs CPC – Sun., Apr. 22 – 7:30 p.m. *

GAME 7: CPC vs OJS – Tues., Apr. 24 – 7:30 p.m. *

 

Semi-finals

(1) CPC vs (4) HAW – CPC wins 4-0

GAME 1: CPC vs HAW – CPC 4-2

GAME 2: HAW vs CPC – CPC 3-2

GAME 3: CPC vs HAW – CPC 4-1

GAME 4: HAW vs CPC – CPC 5-1

 

(2) OJS vs (3) BRO – OJS wins 4-3

GAME 1: OJS vs BRO – OJS 6-1

GAME 2: BRO vs OJS – OJS 5-1

GAME 3: OJS vs BRO – BRO 3-1

GAME 4: BRO vs OJS – OJS 5-1

GAME 5: OJS vs BRO – BRO 6-5 (OT)

GAME 6: BRO vs OJS – BRO 4-2

GAME 7: OJS vs BRO – OJS 5-1

 

Quarter-finals

(1) CPC vs (8) ROC – CPC wins 4-1

GAME 1: CPC vs ROC – CPC 6-2

GAME 2: ROC vs CPC – ROC 3-2 (OT)

GAME 3: CPC vs ROC – CPC 4-2

GAME 4: ROC vs CPC – CPC 3-0

GAME 5: CPC vs ROC – CPC 7-2

 

(2) OJS vs (7) PLK – OJS wins 4-2

GAME 1: OJS vs PLK – OJS 5-0

GAME 2: PLK vs OJS – OJS 6-2

GAME 3: OJS vs PLK – PLK 4-2

GAME 4: PLK vs OJS – OJS 4-0

GAME 5: OJS vs PLK – PLK 4-3

GAME 6: PLK vs OJS – OJS 6-1

 

(3) BRO vs (6) KAN – BRO wins 4-0

GAME 1: BRO vs KAN – BRO 5-3

GAME 2: KAN vs BRO – BRO 5-4 (OT)

GAME 3: BRO vs KAN – BRO 4-3

GAME 4: KAN vs BRO – BRO 4-2

 

(4) HAW vs (5) CRW – HAW wins 4-3

GAME 1: HAW vs CRW – HAW 4-3

GAME 2: CRW vs HAW – CRW 4-2

GAME 3: HAW vs CRW – HAW 4-3 (OT2)

GAME 4: CRW vs HAW – HAW 3-1

GAME 5: HAW vs CRW – CRW 3-2 (OT2)

GAME 6: CRW vs HAW – CRW 4-3 (OT)

GAME 7: HAW vs CRW – HAW 9-0