Right now, in Canadian junior, we’re at the stage of seeing which teams will win their respective league finals to earn a ticket to Kamloops for the Memorial Cup.
For the moment, only the host Kamloops Blazers have qualified. And as the club is not in the WHL final, any Western team wishing to join them will have to win its series.
Speaking of which, out West, the Seattle Thunderbirds (the club of CH prospect Jared Davidson) will try to take a 2-1 lead tonight in Game 3 of the series against the Winnipeg ICE. So yes, the series is tied 1-1.
It’s the same story in the QMJHL, as the Quebec Remparts and Halifax Mooseheads cross swords tonight in the Maritimes in a series tied 1-1.
But in Ontario, game #3 took place yesterday. It’s a series that’s being closely watched by Canadiens fans, as London’s Logan Mailloux and Peterborough’s Owen Beck are both involved and looking to book their place in the next round.
In the end, it was Beck who came out on top in a 6-5 overtime win. The Petes now lead the series 2-1 and are just two games away from an appearance at the tournament in Kamloops.
Owen Beck and the Petes attack come alivehttps://t.co/eiqGF1x2Cb
– RDS (@RDSca) May 16, 2023
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The Petes are officially the closest (aside from the host Blazers), as the other five teams currently have just one win on the books.
It’s interesting to note that Beck, in yesterday’s game, scored from an impossible angle.
Owen Beck gets the @PetesOHLhockey on the board! 😳@CanadiensMTL prospect @owenbeck92 starts and finishes off the play, sneaking one past Bowen to cut the lead in half 🎥#OHLChampionship | #LDNvsPBO pic.twitter.com/RlVhRjmgeF
– Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) May 15, 2023
As Stéphane Leroux mentions, the Petes are currently playing the role of a Cinderella team, as they were not among the CHL favourites at the start of the playoffs.
It also doesn’t help that the Knights are without their #1 goaltender. And when you see replays of yesterday’s game, you get a better idea of what he means.
In Ontario last night, the Cinderella team of the #LCH series, the Peterborough Petes (27th in the Canadian standings), took a 2-1 lead in the #OHL series with a (P) win over the #Knights, who are missing their injured #1 goaltender Brett Brochu #VersLaCoupeMemorial https://t.co/aum6C2lggH
– Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) May 16, 2023
Yesterday, Beck also picked up an assist – in addition to his goal. He had been blanked in the first two games of the series and now has 15 points, including seven goals, in 20 playoff games.
As for Mailloux, he picked up an assist in yesterday’s loss. He had scored in Game #2, bringing his total to 19 points, including seven goals, in 18 playoff games.
In bursts
– Indeed.
“I like this group. There’s potential in Seattle” 👌🏒 https://t.co/tFNiULVs1s
– TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 16, 2023
– The Flyers want to do things the right way. [98.5 Sports]
– Hors Jeu 2.0 is no more. [Fanadiens]
– We can hear each other.
Should the @CanadiensMTL draft a goalie? @MarcDenis_RDS thinks so! He joined @mckennaconor and @ShaunStarr78 with more: https://t.co/7Rb67I6pVf
– TSN 690 Radio (@TSN690) May 16, 2023
– A name to watch.
Good luck to our Quebecer Olivier-Maxence Prosper at the #NBA Combine in Chicago. League officials tell me OMAX should be a 1st round pick. An incredible young man! #YesPapa @RDSca pic.twitter.com/w5wcYSfTNl
– Peter Yannopoulos (@PeteYannopoulos) May 16, 2023