PJHL Roundup: Braves take over sole possession of second place

Tavistock Braves' forward Nicholas Hambly battles for the puck at the side of Wellesley Applejacks' goaltender Xavier Bussiere's net during the Braves' 4-2 win on Jan. 30 over the Applejacks. Alec Richard photo

By Lee Griffi

The Tavistock Braves extended their win streak to six games following a perfect weekend with three victories in three days.

They now sit five points behind first-place Woodstock and two points ahead of third-place Wellesley in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s (PJHL) Doherty Division.

The Braves hosted Wellesley on Friday and came away with a 4-2 win as they outshot the Applejacks 48-29. Tavistock led 4-0 after 40 minutes as Jackson Andrews scored twice to lead the attack. Ethan Stover and Evan Palubeski added singles while Jack Hodge had two assists. Hudson Parker and Rhys McCloskey scored third-period goals for the visitors.

Tavistock travelled to Dorchester on Saturday and came away with a narrow 3-2 overtime win. The Dolphins forced the extra period with a goal at the 19-minute mark, just 16 seconds after Ryan McKellar gave the Braves a 2-1 lead. The teams traded goals in the second period following a scoreless first, with Palubeski finding the back of the net for Tavistock.

The Braves skated into Paris on Sunday and earned a 4-2 victory. The Titans led 1-0 just 19 seconds into the game, but Tavistock scored the next four goals to take a 4-1 lead early in the third period. Hodge, Stover, Palubeski and Yann Raskin, with his team-leading 33rd, scored for the Braves.

The game wasn’t as close as the score would indicate, as the Braves outshot the Titans 59-23. Tavistock went zero for seven on the powerplay while Paris was zero for five. Also of note, Jacob Reid-Brant played in his 100th game as a member of the Braves.

Tavistock finished in seventh place last season, and while Lange is pleased with his team’s position with five games remaining, he is well aware things can change in a hurry.

“Winning all three games this past weekend was a big help with that, and we just want to keep it going. We have brought in a few new guys along the way over the last two months. They have made great impacts for us and fit right in to make us more successful.”

He added the team can’t take a shift or game off down the stretch since each team on any given night in the division can come away with a point or two.

“We just want to play our game and have our team playing the way we have been and get better each game down the stretch before the playoffs. Our coaches have the guys locked in and playing at a high pace. We are hard to play against every shift, which is hard for some teams to match.”

Lange said he has been pleased with the combination of young talent and veterans, some of whom have been healthy scratches at times.

“It's tough to do, but everyone is buying in and we all have the same goal in mind here. If someone goes down with an injury, it is the next man up here, and it works. I'm very proud of the team and staff right now.”

Tavistock now leads the division in scoring with 159 goals in 37 games, yet Lange said there is still room for improvement, especially considering they pelted opposition goalies with 150 shots on goal over the weekend. The six-game win streak can also be attributed to stellar play in their own end.

“What I'm happier with is our defence and goaltending of late. Over our last nine games, we’ve been able to shut teams down and hold them to two goals or fewer each game. Just one game at a time is how we go about our business, and we don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We look forward to the next five games and being ready for a good playoff run no matter where we finish in the standings.”

Lange said finishing first isn’t a priority, citing the division’s history and what could be described as a curse similar to winning the NHL’s President’s Trophy.

“We honestly don't care if we finish first, second or third, as long as we are playing as a team and we stay healthy going into the playoffs. If history shows anything, teams that finish first don't tend to have luck on their side in the playoffs. I think only one team in the last 10-15 years has overcome that obstacle in moving on.”

Wellesley also lost its second game of the weekend, a 3-2 defeat at home to New Hamburg on Saturday. McCloskey gave the Applejacks a 2-0 lead with a pair of goals in the first period, but Josh Soulliere, Owen Sculthorp and Owen Bruder replied for the Firebirds. Bruder now has 200 career points with New Hamburg. Tyler Randerson remains the team’s all-time leader with 290 points in 260 games, followed by Owen Fischer with 226 points in 205 games.

The Firebirds downed Woodstock 5-4 in overtime on Sunday as Bruder scored the game-winner nearly four minutes into the extra period. Ben Oliver scored twice and added two assists for the winners, while Sculthorp added two helpers.