Goals at a premium in Golden Horseshoe finals
The Niagara Falls Canucks and St. Catharines Falcons are tied 1-1 in the Golden Horseshoe finals. Photos by PETE METHNER
Defence has ruled through the first two games of the Golden Horseshoe finals.
The Niagara Falls Canucks and St. Catharines Falcons combined for a whopping 541 goals in the regular season — 283 for Niagara and 259 for St. Catharines — but goals have been much harder to come by with a league title on the line.
The Canucks took Game 1 4-3 in overtime while the Falcons bounced back for a 3-1 win in Game 2.
Niagara Falls coach Frank Pietrangelo said he’s not overly concerned with his club’s relative lack of offence.
“You can’t get frustrated,” he said. “We’re playing a good hockey team.
“You look at St. Catharines and our offence in the regular season, the numbers are almost the same and we’ve scored the same amount of goals in the series, take away the open-net goal.”
Falcons coach/general manager Frank Girhiny has no problem playing it close to the vest against the high-powered Canucks.
“It’s playoff hockey so everyone is playing more responsible,” he said. “At this time of the year, our players have gotten relatively accustomed and comfortable with systems and the attention to detail is even more prevalent in the playoffs.
“I wish we were scoring more goals, but that will come.”
Niagara Falls netminder Zach Moore and St. Catharines backstop Noah Battaglia have also performed well.
“Give credit to both goaltenders, they’re making the saves they have to be making,” Girhiny said.
Pietrangelo is well aware the bigger the stakes, the harder it is to score.
“It’s not easy in playoff hockey to score goals. You have to get to the ugly areas and get some bounces and power plays are always big. You get to the finals and it’s two good teams.”
The Canucks breezed through the first two rounds of the playoffs, but were well aware they would be in for much more difficult task against the Falcons.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be like the other two series so I think we were prepared for this,” Pietrangelo said. “I don’t think it was ever a thought to come in here and win four straight.
“The whole idea was to win the series. I’m sure St. Catharines has the same mentality we do. Do what you can do to win the series.”
Pietrangelo has been on record saying he hasn’t been overly happy with his club’s performance to date, but none of that matters heading into Game 3 Tuesday in Niagara Falls.
“Yesterday is over and we’re already into tomorrow mode. It’s a new game. It could be 8-7 for all we know. It’s game to game and situational play.
“The first two are over and our focus is strictly on Game 3 and then we’ll turn the page again and go on to Game 4. It’s a very fine line between the two clubs.”
Junior B jottings: The Welland Junior Canadians are looking for a new head coach after the resignation of Keith Osborne after eight years . . . In the Midwest Conference final Waterloo and Listowel are tied 1-1 while London leads Leamington 3-0 in the Western Conference final.
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