Cobourg Cougars put it all together in thrilling OT win over Newmarket

Cobourg Cougars’ defenceman Alexis Boily prepared to move the puck up the ice as Newmarket Hurricanes’ Georgi Garimov and Cougars’ captain Isaac Larmand headed out of the zone during OJHL regular-season play at the CCC on Monday. /Alan Rivett photo

By sports correspondent Alan Rivett

Since the start of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) regular season, Cobourg Cougars’ head coach Derek Smith has been preaching, cajoling and perhaps behind closed dressing room doors, flat-out demanding that his players pay closer attention to detail on the defensive end of the rink.

Crisp play in the defensive zone, said Smith, would be the chef’s kiss for a Cougars’ team that’s already blessed with offensive firepower. And as of late, a blend of these facets of the game has aligned to produce winning hockey for the home side to the tune of a seven-game winning streak.

“We’ve talked a lot this year, and early in the year, there were a lot of positives offensively, but we needed to work on, you know, the defensive side of the puck,” explained coach Smith. “And you know, the last couple weeks, guys are really trying to figure out what makes us successful as a team, and that is, it is being hard to play against.

“It’s good-checking hockey. It’s paying attention to the details defensively, and it’s really helped our transition game, it’s helped our goaltending – it’s helped everything,” he added.

The latest evidence of solid two-way play emerged for Cobourg in a thriller of a game as the Cougars eked out a well-deserved 3-2 overtime victory over the visiting Newmarket Hurricanes in OJHL regular-season action at the Cobourg Community Centre on Monday, Nov. 2.

Cobourg Cougars’ forward Chase Del Colombo is followed closely by Newmarket Hurricanes’ Rowan Eaton during OJHL regular-season play at the Cobourg Community Centre on Monday, Nov. 2. The Cougars needed overtime to vanquish the visiting Hurricanes 3-2 for their seventh consecutive win. /Alan Rivett photo

Playing less than 24 hours previous where they produced an important 3-2 victory on the road against the first-place Markham Royals on Sunday, Nov. 1, the Cougars’ juggernaut nonetheless continued to roll against Newmarket in producing the tight-checking extra-time victory.

Chase Del Colombo – the third star of the contest – potted the game-winning goal in the three-on-three, five-minute overtime frame after finding the top left corner of the net with a mere 8.4 seconds remaining in extra time against Newmarket.

For Smith it was nice to come out on the winning end of a game that contained plenty of excitement from beginning to end.

“I thought we had a really good first period. Their goalie played really well in the first and it kind of allowed Newmarket to get their legs.

“And, as the game went on, it was tight. It was a good hockey game. Obviously, I think looking back at our game and their game, there was parts of the game where I’m sure that we want to tighten things up, but it was exciting.”

And over the past three wins, the Cougars have done without top scorer Briir Long who’s been out of the lineup. Smith said Long’s absences were for “maintenance” and expects the forward to return soon.

“Just maintenance. Everybody goes through it, and you know, the guys have done really well the last week-and-a-half without him, but we’re definitely excited (for Long) to come back,” he said.

And Smith wasn’t aware following the game that his club had put up seven wins in a row, with the winning streak starting back on Oct. 12 where the Cougars defeated the Stouffville Spirit 4-3 at the CCC. 

“Is that what it is? Oh nice,” said Smith, who was genuinely surprised by the length of the winning streak. “That number seven, though. Yeah, I mean, it’s coming together.”

The seven-game winning streak has propelled the Cougars (14-3 with an overtime win, an overtime loss and a shoot-out win) into second place in the OJHL’s East Conference with 29 points, three points back of conference-leading Markham Royals who have 32.

Far from believing his Cougars have peaked, Smith is not prepared to have his club rest on its laurels, convinced there’s more work to do in improving the play of his club.

“So we still got a (way) to go, but for right now, where we are, we’re happy.”

Meanwhile, Cayden Smith and Jonny Brooks were the Cougars’ goal scorers during regulation time against Newmarket. Brant Romaniuk recorded two assists, with single helpers to Brooks, Smith, Del Colombo and Keegan Shirley.

Isaac Larmand, Garrett Jones and Romaniuk scored for Cobourg against the Markham Royals.

The Cougars play a back-to-back, home-and-home series against the Toronto Warriors, playing at Scotiabank Pond on Sunday, Nov. 8 and then return home to play the Warriors at the CCC on Monday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.