The Leamington Flyers are the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s hottest team going into the playoffs after reeling off 10 straight wins to finish the season and find themselves vaulted into the third seed entering the run for the Buckland Cup.
The Flyers finished the season this past weekend with a trio of victories over formidable opponents. On Thursday, February 26 they beat the Wellington Dukes 7-0 at home and then finished the season on the road, beating the Menace 3-1 in Milton on Friday, February 27. They followed that with a 4-3 overtime win in Buffalo to close out the season.
On Thursday, the Flyers played their final regular season home game and blanked the visiting Wellington Dukes 7-0 in front of 1,182 fans.
It was also a night when the club paid tribute to their eight overage players in pre-game ceremonies: Vincent Gasquez, Matthew Thomas, Landon Bernard, Ethan Walker, Spencer Vandenberg, Adrian Bosev, Brayden Degelas and Tre Altiman.
The Flyers took a 2-0 first-period lead and expanded it to 6-0 in the second, adding one last tally in the third, while Tre Altiman made 29 saves to keep his slate clean and earn his seventh shutout of the campaign.
The Flyers blasted 19 shots at Dukes’ starter Royden Smith in the first period. Brayden Lappalainen and Spencer Vandenberg laid the groundwork for Erik Muxlow’s top of slot blast, which sailed past Smith at 11:46. Two minutes later, Jak Thiessen’s bullet shot was deflected past Smith by Reid Hayes, who was at the right side of the net.
Leamington wasted little time in the middle stanza as Tyler McGuire and Ashton Darocy combined with Joshua Cleary who danced around the Dukes’ defense, moving right to left and gunnning the third marker.
At 3:55 while on a powerplay, Matthew Thomas’ shot from inside the blueline was redirected into the net by Ethan Walker. That tally spelled the end of the night for Smith, who made 18 saves in his 23 minute stint. Back-up tender Dryden Riley relieved him and played the remainder of the contest. Riley made several saves before Flyer Tyler McGuire raced out of the penalty box and scooped up a Thomas pass to go on a breakaway and made no mistake for the 5-0 lead.
Before the frame concluded, Darocy sent Brendan Cooke into the Dukes’ zone, while Landon Pickersgill drove to the left side. Cooke’s shot was like an arrow as it found the upper corner.
The third period was rather quiet, although the Flyers did add one last tally 90 seconds into the stanza off the stick of Josh Cleary.
In Milton on Friday, the Flyers went in with a one-point advantage over the Menace, hoping to hang on to third place. They came away with a 3-1 win and sole possession of that third seed. Hayes and Thomas scored the Leamington goals, while Altiman stopped 26 of 27 shots for the win in goal.
On Sunday the Flyers closed out their regular season in Buffalo with an exciting 4-3 win over the Junior Sabres.
Brendan Cooke’s goal just 55 seconds into overtime finished off the season on a high note, as the Flyers scored their 10th straight win.
It was Cooke’s second goal of the game, while singles went to call-up Graiden Dale and Brayden Lappalainen. Gannon Hunter got the win in goal.
The Flyers first-round opponent is unknown at press time.
Above are graduated Flyers Tre Altiman, Matthew Thomas and Spencer Vandenberg.
Above is Vincent Gasquez, accepting congratulations from Head Coach and General Manager Dale Mitchell, left.
