Peterborough Petes Protect Lead After Hot Start and Defeat the Sudbury Wolves 5-3

The Peterborough Petes had a hot start to the game, never looked back and earned themselves a 5-3 win over the visiting Sudbury Wolves, 5-3, at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Monday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

The home team wasted no time getting on the board as the Petes dumped the puck in the corner. Johnathan Melee retrieved the puck and centred it for Jax Dubois, who spun and fired it in for a 1-0 lead just 23 seconds into the game. Peterborough went on the attack 3:24 later as Owen Beck raced along the wing and took a shot. Nate Krawchuk saved it but the puck was loose for a rebound. Tommy Purdeller tried to jam it in but was saved. Chase Lefebvre had a chance on a second rebound and buried it for a 2-0 lead.

The Wolves countered off their rush under a minute later as Evan Konyen and Kocha Delic had a give-and-go that saw the latter beat Petes goalie Zach Bowen — making his first start at home —through the five-hole and made it 2-1 after the first period.

The Petes won an offensive zone draw and Konnor Smith immediately tried to rifle it through traffic. Krawchuk made the glove save but did not corral the puck. It pinballed around a few players but wound up on Melee’s stick, who buried it home for a 3-1 lead. Near the end of the period, Braydon McCallum got a five-minute major penalty with a check to the head in the final ten seconds to give a massive power play for Sudbury to open the third.

The Wolves capitalized on their huge opportunity as Kieron Walton took a low shot but took a huge hop, hitting Smith’s stick and went over Bowen’s glove for a power play goal and a 3-2 game. Peterborough got some fortune during the same power play, as Melee cleared the zone and the puck bounds off the half-wall towards Krawchuk. The goalie’s stick redirected the puck but went away from the defender and into Beck’s stick. The Montréal Canadiens’ prospect capitalized and scored shorthanded for a 4-2 lead.

Late in the period, Melee was given an interference penalty that was questionable according to the fans’ reaction which gave a power play to Sudbury. The Wolves took advantage seven seconds later as Nick DeAngelis took a point shot and Quentin Musty deflected it for a 4-3 score.

The Wolves pulled their goalie in the final few minutes of the period but Bowen stood tall. Smith got possession and fired across the rink and in for an empty-net goal and a 5-3 win for the Petes.

The Petes continue their home stretch as the Flint Firebirds come to town for Country Night Thursday.

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