Wolves take 2-0 lead in Valley semifinal

Peter Clark, Renfrew Mercury

February 20, 2013

If the Renfrew Timberwolves can continue to plug more than 50 shots a game on a beleaguered Kyle Lamothe in the Arnprior Packers goalcrease, this Valley Division quarterfinal series will be over quickly.
The Wolves sent 53 more pucks Lamothe’s way Wednesday night – actually one or two pucks numerous times – en route to a comfortable 7-2 triumph at the Nick Smith Centre.
The win gives Renfrew a 2-0 edge as the series returns to the Ma-Te-Way Activity Centre Friday night for game three. Game time is 8 p.m.

Wolves 7, Packers 2
The Wolves outshot Arnprior 23-11 in the opening stanza and built up a 4-2 lead.
Colin Bradbury – who bagged the second Renfrew hat trick in the series – had two of the first-period markers on breakaways.
Tanner Smith, from off the lip of the crease, and defenceman Dylan Zavitske on a high point dart, added singles.
Jared Steege and Derrin Lehoux clicked for the Packers, both on powerplays. Ethan Allard added two helpers.
The second period was scoreless before the Wolves put the game on ice with three more goals in the final period.
Casey Doner and Scott Conroy upped the ante to 6-2, and Bradbury completed his hat trick with 54 seconds showing.
While the Packers went 2-for-7 on the powerplay ledger, they didn’t do themselves any favours on the penalty killing side.
The Wolves counted six times on 11 powerplay opportunities.
Allard received the first major and game misconduct of the series when he tried to provoke Doner into a scrap with 12:11 left in the third period.
With an instigator minor tacked on, Allard left his teammates with a three-goal deficit and seven minutes of penalty time to kill.
While Lamothe was attempting to hold Renfrew shooters at bay at one end of the rink, Wolves netminder Matt Gagne made the saves he had to at the other, blocking 20 of 22 Packer shots.

Elsewhere
A 3-1 lead is known as the worst lead in hockey, and so it was Wednesday night for the Stittsville Royals.
The Perth Blue Wings rescued a 5-3 game one triumph over the visiting Royals with four unanswered third-period goals in the other Valley Division semifinal series.
The Clarence Creek Castors topped the Gatineau Mustangs 3-1 to take a two games to nil lead in their Metro Division semifinal.
In Rideau-St. Lawrence Conference Wednesday-night action, the Gananoque Islanders doubled the Westport Rideaus 4-2 and the Athens Aeros blanked the Brockville Tikis 4-0. Both series are tied 2-2.