Derek Falloon scored his second overtime goal in four days, netting the winner at 15:01 of the extra period to complete the Terriers’ comeback from a late two-goal deficit and give Yorkton its first-ever national Junior A championship on Sunday, May 18, 2014.
Image Credit: Hockey Canada Images/Andy Devlin
May 19, 2014 - 2:11 PM
VERNON - Derek Falloon's goal at 15:01 of sudden-death overtime sealed the Yorkton Terriers' first RBC Cup championship with a 4-3 comeback victory over the Carleton Place Canadians on Sunday.
Falloon jammed the puck in to cap Yorkton's comeback from a 3-1 deficit with less than three minutes in regulation time.
It was the Terriers' fifth trip to the Canadian Junior A championship tournament. Yorkton placed second to the Burnaby Express, led by current Ottawa Senators centre Kyle Turris, in their last trip to the RBC Cup in Streetsville, Ont., in 2006. The Terriers had finished no better than third in their three other trips, all in the 1990s.
It was the Canadians' first appearance at the RBC Cup tournament.
After trailing 3-1 at the end of the second period, the Terriers forced overtime by getting goals from Tanner Lishchynsky and Dylan Johnson only eight seconds apart in the last three minutes of the third period. Daylan Gatzke had Yorkton's other goal and Kale Thompson made 31 saves.
Anthony McVeigh, Stephen Baylis, Andy Sturtz scored for the Canadians while Guillaume Therien stopped 42 shots in the losing effort.
All goals came at even strength as Carleton Place could not score on four power plays. The Terriers were blanked on three chances with the man advantage.
McVeigh opened the scoring 9:26 into the game on a wrist shot from the high slot. The goal came from a face-off after Thomson gloved a shot by Evan Peterson and held the puck for a whistle.
Gatzke drew the Terriers even at 15:07 of the first period as he deflected a Chase Norrish wrist shot past a surprised Therien. Norrish raced to keep an errant puck in at the blue-line, and turned and shot, helping the Terriers catch a lucky break.
Image Credit: Hockey Canada Images/Andy Devlin
But the Terriers did not have much luck against Therien in the second period which saw Carleton Place build a 3-1 lead. Baylis put the Canadians ahead 2-1 at 4:12 as he fired in a shot from the slot after his teammates fought to keep the puck in at the blue-line along the boards with little space to work with.
The Terriers had a chance to draw even on a power play after Therien inadvertently cleared the puck over the glass and received a delay-of-game penalty. But the Canadians goaltender made up for his miscue by holding Yorkton off the scoresheet.
Sturtz increased the Carleton Place advantage midway through the second period. He stole the puck from a Terrier in one corner, skated to the opposite side and put in a backhand.
There was little emotion as the teams avoided scrums after whistles. Brady Norrish tried to stir things up by shoving a couple of Canadians after Therien stopped him on a rush, but the Carleton Place defenders remained stoic.
Both teams posted 19 shots apiece in the first two periods.
Just when it looked like the Canadians could begin to rest easy, Lishchynsky and Johnson sent the game to overtime.
Notes: The game marked the first time in 19 years that the Canadian Junior A final went to overtime. ... Los Angeles Kings centre Jarret Stoll sent a congralutory tweet to Yorkton for reaching the final. Stoll grew up in the Yorkton/Melville area. … Yorkton assistant coach John Odgers is the son of former NHLer Jeff Odgers. … Falloon is related to former NHLer Pat Falloon.
Image Credit: Hockey Canada Images/Andy Devlin
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014