Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
If Friday’s meeting between the top ranked Napanee Raiders and second place Picton Pirates was a Tod Division finals preview, what a fun series it’s going to be.
The visiting Pirates emerged victorious, escaping with a 4-3 win and handing the Raiders just their third loss in 35 games this season.
Granted, a lot could happen over the next few weeks before the league finals but until then a crowd of nearly 400 were treated to a game that certainly had a finals feel to it.
Jacob Gilbert opened the scoring for Napanee just passed the halfway mark of the first period, with help from Justynn Steven and Bailey Matthews.
The lead was short-lived however as Kurtis Wood responded for the visitors just over a minute later and Jack Dow put them ahead at 15:03.
Steven evened the score just shy of two minutes into the second, only to see Picton’s Nate Boomhower put the Pirates back in front at 10:51.
Napanee goalie Nicholas Nabuurs reaches just a little too late as Picton’s Nate Boomhower scores a go ahead goal. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
That 3-2 score held until former Raider Griffen Conger notched a power-play goal at the 9:36 mark of the third period, a goal that would stand as the game winner. Austin Labelle cut Napanee’s deficit to 4-3 with just under four minutes to go, but even with an extra attacker in the final minutes, that’s as close as they’d get.
Napanee wasn’t without its offensive chances, outshooting Picton 42-25 on the night. The difference came down to special teams as Picton converted on one of their two power-plays while Napanee went 0-2 with the man-advantage.
Picton goalie Kyle Renaud earned the win, stopping 39 shots. Nicholas Nabuurs took the loss, stopping 21.
The loss was Napanee’s first setback since a 3-1 defeat to the Amherstview Jets on Dec. 14, a stretch of eight games.
Napanee wasted little time ending the one-game losing streak, bouncing back with a 6-1 victory over the Port Hope Panthers on Sunday afternoon-a team that would represent their first round opponent were the season to end today.
Former Panther Evan Foley got the Raiders on the board 12:40 into the game, the only goal scored in the opening frame.
Reid Humphrey tallied a power-play goal just 34 seconds into the second. Port Hope’s Iain Brown answered late in the period to cut the Raider lead to 2-1 heading into the final intermission.
The Raiders put it away in the third however as Humphrey, Gilbert, Jaxon Boyer and Cullen Hinds each had a goal in the final 20 minutes. Bailey Maracle earned the win, turning away 18 shots. Ethan Robertson took the loss with 31 saves.
With the win Napanee is now 31-3-1 on the year, giving them 65 points. Friday’s loss did mean the Raiders will be unable to surpass their club record of 75 points accumulated in 40 games, which they set last season. They could very well still surpass that total this year, as for the first time in their 30 year history the team will play 44 regular season games instead of the previous high of 40.
Franchise record or not, the Raiders still hold a very healthy lead over second place Picton, who checks in at 23-12-0-1 (47 points). Amherstview is third at 20-13-2 (42) while Port Hope, 12-20-0-2 (26), holds a slight edge over the Gananoque Islanders, 11-21-1-1 (24), for the fourth and final playoff spot. Campbellford is last at 1-35-0-1 (three).
The Raiders will have a major impact on the race for the final playoff seed as they host the Islanders Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop at the SPC. On Saturday they’re back in Port Hope for a 7:30 p.m. start time.