Niagara back in the Lead: 4 - 3 over Ottawa

Series tied at 2 and both teams looking to return to Ottawa with the lead. It was Logan Couture's 20th birthday and he probably was looking for a pretty good birthday present.

Forward Combos:
Cowick, Couture, Nigro,
Lindsay, Kiriakou, Toffoli
Blunden, Martindale, Nesbitt
Hanes, Smith, Carnevale

D-Pairs:
Demers, Gibbons,
Birkhoff, Paryzek,
Hartwick, Zanetti

Goal: Courchaine
Scratches: Schinkelshoek, Sonnenburg, Anderson, Cuma (knee)

The 67s started the game with purpose and energy and it was Ottawa that again got on the scoreboard first and early. Ryan Martindale scored his second goal of the playoffs when he picked up a rebound off of Tyler Toffoli's and put it into an open cage. Hartwick had the other assist.

Niagara's Alex Friesen evened it up 4 1/2 minutes later. Then Niagara went up two on a beautiful spin-o-rama move around Kiriakou in the neutral zone by Sisca He passed it to Lee who slipped it back to Sisca who was streaking to the net and tipped it past Courchaine on play where he didn't stand a chance.

Good up and down hockey with fast transitions and good scoring chances. A good playoff game.

Marco Insam put the Dogs up by two on a power play just over half-way through the second period.

Cue Anthony Nigro to score two goals to bring Ottawa within one and then tied up the game in the third.

Ottawa limited Niagara's shots in the third but it was Marco Insam that put the Dogs up again with just over 3 minutes left in the game. A big save by Jeremy Smith preserved the lead for Niagara and they come to Ottawa once again ahead in the series.

With Niagara winning all the odd-numbered games, this does not look good for Ottawa.

The game sheet is here.

Three Stars as selected by the Team1200:
1. Jeremy Smith (33 or 38 saves)
2. Marco Insam (two goals)
3. Anthony Nigro (two goals)

Hardest Working 67 as selected by the Team1200: Logan Couture (for hitting the post twice (!?)

Random Thoughts:

• ugh!!
  
• belated happy birthday to Martin Paryzek (last Monday)
  
• not the birthday that Logan imagined.
  
• Adam Courchaine had a good game but Jeremy Smith is keeping his team in the series.
  
• The Ottawa snipers are being held off the board. The PP is cold - stone cold. Spring was last week fellahs! Thaw that pp and get on with it!
  

Not feeling too confident. Maybe the bigger ice will make a difference.