Chris Clegg
South Peace News
The tide has turned in the NPHL Final as the Falher Pirates attempt to win their fourth NPHL championship.
The Pirates scored a huge come-from behind 6-4 win in Game 3 of the series at Manning March 15 to win home ice advantage from the Comets.
How important was the win? After the Comets’ 4-0 win in Game 1, the home winning has won 49 NPHL Final series and lost only 19 for a win percentage of 72.06 per cent. However, after two Pirates’ wins, the win percentage shifts in favour of the Pirates. The team hosting Game 4 with a 2-1 series advantage is 18-10 (64.29 per cent).
It is always said a series never starts until the road team wins a game and that is exactly what the Pirates did at Manning. Jordan McTaggart opened the scoring in the first period but goals from Josh Peters and Kye Whillans gave the Comets a 2-1 lead.
In the second period, the Pirates again scored first as Cale Fox scored unassisted to tie the game 2-2.
But once again the Comets struck twice with Cam McAteer and Edge Lambert scoring and the Comets went to the dressing room with a 4-2 lead.
In the third period, the Pirates scored in the first minute again when Dallas Brochu scored. It seemed to turn the tide. Josh Sylvain tied the game just before the midway point of the period setting up an exciting finish.
Matts Maisonneuve scored with 4:28 remaining to give the Pirates the lead. In the last two minutes, the Comets took consecutive penalties putting the Pirates on the power play. Brochu’s empty-net power play goal with 34 seconds left sealed the win.
The Pirates were 1-for-7 on the power play while the Comets struck on two of four chances.
The Pirates were outshot 40-31. Goaltender Ryan Noble stopped 36 of 40 shots to record the win.
At Falher in Game 2 on March 12, the Pirates tied the series with a convincing 5-1 win.
Cruz Cote scored the first period’s only goal while Tyrell Boucher added a pair of second period goals to give the Pirates a commanding 3-0 lead. The first of Boucher’s two goals was a power play effort.
Brinson Pasichnuk scored Manning’s only goal early in the third period.
However, Brett Edwards’ power play goal before the midway point of the period restored the Pirates’ three-goal lead. Maisonneuve scored a last-minute goal to rub some salt into the wounds of the Comets.
The Pirates clicked on 2-of-7 power plays while the Comets were scoreless in seven chances.
The Pirates enjoyed a 43-35 shots on goal advantage.