On Thursday, February 20, the visiting North York Rangers may have wished they had stayed home and watched the Canada vs US contest rather than come to Leamington and play the Flyers. It was a total domination by the Flyers as they overpowered the Rangers 14-1.
The Flyers followed that victory with a 4-1 win over the Blades in Oakville on Saturday and then a rescheduled game with Milton at home on Monday, February 24, which they won 1-0 in double overtime.
For Thursday’s decisive win in front of 487 fans, the Flyers jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one and led 8-0 after two, scoring six more in the third.
About half of the Flyers’ lineup tabbed goals and 14 players shared in a total of 39 scoring points.
It was the most goals scored by the Flyers in a Jr. A game, and Leamington starting goalie Connor Davis set a team record for fewest saves in a single game with 10.
The fireworks began at the 56-second mark of the first as Michael Denney and Brody Cook set up Cade Bell’s backhand shot from the right side that eluded Rangers’ goalie Dylan Dewatcher.
Dewatcher would have a long night between the pipes facing 60 Flyers shots.
A highlight reel goal by Cook came at 14:26 while he was on the doorstep just to the right of Dewatcher. He flipped the puck between his legs, then lofted a backhand over Dewatcher who had fallen to the ice. Cook’s tally certainly has to stand as a strong contender for goal of the year.
At 16:17, Gavin Grundner hooked a pass to Griffin Grundner, who wheeled the puck into the open right side of the net and it was 3-0 Leamington.
The Flyers outshot the Rangers 21-3 in the first.
The scoring parade continued in the second with goals by Adrian Bosev, Gavin Grundner, Cade Bell (2) and Brayden Deleglas.
Flyers goalie Connor Davis lost his shutout bid 90 seconds into the third.
His teammates rebounded and showed no mercy on the Rangers with goals from Owen Fergusson, Degelas, Ashton Darocy (2), Colton Smith and Anthony Ciaramitaro.
Saturday night at Oakville, it was a battle for two frames before the Flyers’ offense came to life. After a scoreless first, the Blades grabbed a 1-0 lead.
In the third, Cade Bell knotted the game before Colton Smith tabbed the first of his two.
Griffin Grundner and Smith fired empty-net markers in the final minute for a 4-1 result. Marcus Vandenberg halted 22 of 23 shots for his 30th win.
In a rescheduled game versus Milton on Monday here, goalie Marcus Vandenberg stopped 31 Milton shots as the Flyers won 1-0 in double OT. A two-on-one play ended the scoreless draw at 38 seconds of the second OT when Anthony Ciaramitaro’s pass went to Brody Cook, who slipped in the winner while at the open left side of the Menace net.
The Flyers end the home portion of their regular season schedule this Thursday February, 27 vs Markham Royals at 7:10 pm.
