BRANTFORD/STONEY CREEK ‑ The Stoney Creek Generals were in no mood for niceties Saturday night in Stoney Creek after having Friday night’s game at the Brantford and District Civic Centre slip between their fingers, 6-5.
The first period was a stinker for the Blast as the Generals struck early and often developing a 6-1 first period lead, outshooting the Blast 17-9.
In goal Saturday night was Ryan Gibb, with Brett Leggat given a rest after facing 52 shots in Friday night’s come from behind Brantford win.
Brantford put a tourniquet on the wound in the second, and temporarily slowed the bleeding for an 8-2 second period score, but two more Stoney Creek goals made the bus ride home a lot quieter for the Blast.
It was a different story Friday night at the Brantford and District Civic Centre. Down 4-0 at the end of the first period, many thought it just was not Brantford Blast’s night and they would get another crack at the Stoney Creek Generals Saturday, in the Creek. They were wrong. As it turned out, the Blast came back to defeat the shocked Generals 6-5, in regulation time.
Chris Rebernik broke the Generals’ momentum at 4:51 of the second period assisted by Jamie Wright. Although the Generals got that one back less than a minute later, Jeff Caister would not let the Generals get back in the saddle, assisted by Cam Sault and Joel Prpic at 12:38. Derek Mederios ended the second period in a little better shape than they did the first period, trailing 5-3.
Brett Leggat may have been accused on one or two of the first period goals against him, but he regrouped, and he needed to because of what was coming. By the end of the game, the Generals outshot the Blast 54-24. Leggat was sensational throughout the second period, when he faced 21 shots allowing one, and 16 shots in the third, stopping every one.
Meanwhile at the other end of the ice, the Blast were not creating a lot of shots on goal but those that got through were of high quality, with only 9 shots in the second and third periods.
Once the Blast started connecting and after Leggat got back on his game and shut out the Generals in the third, Medeiros, Ryan McCarthy and Prpic stole the game. The last two goals were scored shorthanded.
