After losing another game on the road in Humboldt by a narrow margin on Tuesday in Game Three the Terriers needed a win on Thursday night in Game Four to keep pace in the Canalta Cup Finals. With the first three games of the series all ending with 3-2 scores both teams expected a tight affair, but Dawson MacAuley's timely goaltending and scoring contributions from Terrier veterans led Yorkton to a 4-1 win in the first commanding win of the series from either team.
Period one saw the same back and forth action that we have seen for most of the series, with Dawson MacAuley needing to make some spectacular saves to keep the Terriers level. A John Neibrandt turnover in his own zone gave Alex Forsberg the Broncos best chance of the game, but MacAuley held his ground and denied the opportunity. Matt Hrynkiw began what would be a long night of action on the other side of the ice, stopping 14 shots as both teams went to the dressing rooms scoreless after twenty minutes.
Penalties also almost cost the Terriers in the opening frame as some rather questionable calls on an off night for officials gave the Broncos a two man advantage to end the period. A Dylan Baer tripping penalty after making a last ditch attempt to stop a Broncos rush and another tripping penalty to McMullen after battling along the end boards gave Humboldt a huge opportunity to pounce with the man advantage but MacAuley and the penalty kill held ground.
The second period had been a turning point in Games Two and Three with powerplay goals by the home team in each game proving the difference and last night was no exception as Tyler Giebel scored his fourth of the playoffs off of a rebound in front of the net to give the Terriers a one goal lead. Giebel's goal came four minutes into the period and Hrynkiw and Humboldt settled down from there, keeping the game tight going into the final period.
In the third captain Devon McMullen got his first goal of the finals ripping one high on Hrynkiw and giving the Terriers a 2-0 lead, a moment of sloppy play right after the goal from Yorkton led to a David Miazga goal just 17 seconds after to negate McMullen's insurance tally. Jeremy Johnson made up for his team's short mental lapse, intercepting a puck on the backcheck, moving around the Humboldt defense and scoring high on Hrynkiw for the second time in the period to give the Terriers the insurance right back.
Johnson's goal would prove to be enough as Giebel added an empty net goal to give the Terriers a 4-1 lead it was closer than the game indicated, but the Terriers once again outplayed the Broncos at home. Playing at a much faster pace and with much more physicality, the Terriers showed why they only have two losses at home this season. Both McMullen and Tyler Giebel pointed out after the game that their play at home has been something that has given them confidence that they can win this series. "We have been great at home all year and it is something that has given us confidence throughout the playoffs, but we know we are going to have to go up there and get one in Humboldt so we can't just sit and rely on winning here" said McMullen post game.
Giebel was a little more blunt in talking about the situation of needing to win in Humboldt saying "We know we can beat these guys up there now after two very tight games in Games One and Three and with the way we play at home we feel that we just need one up there to win the series, but now it is just a matter of going up there and getting it and knowing that we will have to push no matter what happens because we have to." Giebel also mentioned that his first goal came from watching film and knowing where the goals are going to come from.
"We have had to watch a lot of film to prepare for Wakaluk and Hrynkiw in the past two series' but we know that most of our goals are going to come from the front of the net so it was nice to be rewarded for being in the goal pit" said Giebel.
With a chance to take Game Five on Saturday and end the series at home in Game Six on Sunday head coach Trent Cassan did not have much new to say when it came to what it will take to beat the Broncos. "I feel that everyone on the team is confident that we can do it, but thinking you can do it or being close to doing it isn't really going to matter anymore soon so it is now something we have to get done and we will try our hardest to do so Saturday." said Cassan.
Cassan also praised Dawson MacAuley's performance in the series saying, "Dawson has been incredible for us this series and has kept us in every game so far which is what you ask of your goaltenders so it has been huge for us having him play so well in the playoffs." As for what happened after the quick Humboldt goal in the third Cassan had no worries about how his team reacted to the sudden 2-1 score saying, "We didn't really panic, we knew we were playing well and Johnson got a goal pretty quick right after so keeping calm really helped us."
As for lineup changes Cassan pointed out that Josh Ellis, Kailum Gervais and Derek Falloon all had very productive games after being given a rest in Game Three in Humboldt, meaning that we can all probably expect to see some of the players who sat last night in action on Saturday, especially with the quick turnaround in Games Five and Six going on back to back nights. John Odgers is a player that Terrier fans can hope to see return to the lineup as even though he picked up a game misconduct in Game Three the oldest Odgers brother has been using his physicality to provide the Terriers a spark in the games he has played so far in the Canalta Cup.
Game Five will take place Saturday night in Humboldt and will be the turning point in a series that is now a best of three with both teams getting the job done at home so far. The Terriers will need to change that if they want take the SJHL title away from the defending champs, with a chance to lift the Canalta Cup at home on Sunday with a win, Game Five just might be the time to do it.
