The much anticipated playoffs got off to a real bang, as expected, as the most closely matched series of the opening round got underway. The game between the Pickering Panthers and host Markham Waxers met most of the hype as an intense, rough and tumble affair ensued that went right down to the wire in a 4-2 victory for the Waxers.  If the remaining games are as good, it will be a memorable series for fans from both towns.

Markham got off to an early start, controlling the play for the majority of the first period as they out shot the Panthers by a 20-5 count.  Striking first at the 8:14 mark, the Waxers held a short lived 1-0 lead before the Panthers tied the game 1-1, which is how the period ended.  On Markham's goal, Leiland Gauley headmanned the puck to Riley Hill near the red line and after he drew the remaining defenseman to him, he dropped the puck to  a streaking Brett Molnar who had a clear cut breakaway from the Markham side of centre. Molnar made no mistake roofing a hard wrist shot over the goaltender's glove hand, converting the only one of 5 breakaways for the Waxers on the evening.

The second period saw the game even out as the Panthers powerplay did its job, creating the majority of their 19 shots and producing their second goal, at the 6:53 mark.  It took just less than 4 minutes for the Waxers to tie the game while playing in a 4-on-4 situation.  Nathaniel Brooks would scoop up a loose puck, after Adam Taylor broke up a Pickering rush, and Brooks shovelled the puck to Daniel Torres in the Waxers end.  Torres took off up the left wing and after deking the Pickering defender just inside the blueline, walking in to a hard slapshot that beat the goalie clean to tie the game heading to the third period, 2-2.

The third period was back and forth with both teams having some good chances early on and both goaltenders standing tall in their nets. Markham would be able to break through for what became the game winning goal, with 13:40 left on the clock.  After Brooks would poke a loose puck off the draw towards the corner, Rainor Guminny went to work deep in the Pickering end and centered the puck to Torres who banged in his second of the night for a 3-2 lead.  Markham iced the game in the dying minutes of the third period when Derrell Levy and Shareef Labreche combined to get the puck to Josh Jacobs in the neutral zone and he beat the Panthers goalie with a high hard backhand for the final goal of the game.  Jeff Fischer stopped 33 shots for the victory as the Waxers out shot the Panthers by a 45-35 count.

G A M E   S T A T I S T I C S

No.

 G

A

PTS

PIM

PPG

SHG

GWG

TOTALS