The Newmarket Hurricanes (31-14-5-1) were in action on Monday afternoon as they hit the road for the final time this regular season. It was a ‘Family Day’ rematch from a year ago in Stouffville against the Spirit (8-42-1-1) who came out on top in the game from 2017. The 2018 edition has both teams entering at opposite ends of the North East Conference. Newmarket sits in third place in the conference and has won four of their last five games overall. The Spirit are in last place in the North East and they have struggled; they are winless in their last 19 games however they picked up a point over that stretch in a 1-1 tie against the Hurricanes from when the teams last played. The Hurricanes won the three meetings prior to the tie and have outscored Stouffville in the season series, 15-4. Owen Ramsay (Toronto, ON) has seven points in those four games while Christian Dedonato (Newmarket, ON) and Alex Ierullo (Woodbridge, ON) have put up six points each. The starting goalies for the matinee would be Andrew Albano and Fraser Kirk (Burlington, ON).

   The Canes were dominant in the opening frame. The Spirit came into the contest playing their third game in three days with a severely undermanned team. Newmarket had the advantage in puck possession and their team speed created a high amount of quality scoring chances. Early on, Eric Eremita (Maple, ON) was stopped by the paddle of Albano from in close. On a later shift Xavier Drummond (Bradford, ON) made an excellent deflection on a shot from the point forcing Albano to make a tough save. Drummond got to the rebound and was stopped on the second chance. The Canes struggling power play had three opportunities in the first period but the best chance came off an Ierullo shot that hit the post and stayed out. Later, Ramsay thought he had scored a goal but it was deemed that Albano had knocked the net off prior to the puck going into the net. The shots were 21-4 for Newmarket and they did everything but score in the first 20 minutes.

   The second period was much more chaotic. At the 2:59 mark the visitors would finally get on the scoreboard. Ierullo made a nice centering pass to Cole Howran (Uxbridge, ON) who put it top corner for his 10th goal of the season. Stouffville responded shortly after. A lost faceoff in the defensive zone resulted in a shot on net from the point. Kirk made the initial save but as a scramble ensued it would be former Hurricanes forward Connor May who put home the loose puck. 1-1. Towards the latter stage of the frame Claudio De Gasperis (Woodbridge, ON) restored the Canes one goal lead with a quick shot from the slot that went off Albano and in. Twenty seconds later things got ugly. Spirit defenseman Darius Kondrotas caught Ierullo with his head down in open ice sparking scrums all over the ice. The vicious head shot forced Ierullo out of the game for precautionary reasons and sent Kondrotas packing as he received a five minute major and a game misconduct for his actions. Right before the period concluded Jackson Savery (Stouffvile, ON) caught a Spirit player with his head down and the massive hit resulted in a five minute major and game misconduct for Savery as well. It was a wild second stanza that saw the Hurricanes skate into the intermission with a 2-1 lead.

   While playing 4-on-4 May skated out from the corner in the Canes end of the ice and was not impeded with as he tied the game with a backhand goal. The tying goal came 48 seconds into the third. Once again Newmarket had a response. Quick passing on the rush from De Gasperis to Robert Cranston (Newmarket, ON) who connected with Christian Cella (Woodbridge, ON) who scored and put the Canes up 3-2. Less than a minute later Mathew Bazarin tied the game again and overtime would be required.

   In the extra session it was all Newmarket. Christian Cella would hit the post on a breakaway, and Ramsay was stopped from in front on a partial break just as the buzzer went to end the game. The crazy affair saw the Canes outshoot the Spirit 57-25 but the final score was 3-3. Newmarket did not allow a shot on net in the final ten minutes of play. The Hurricanes penalty kill went a perfect 4-for-4 but the man advantage went 0-for-6. The Hurricanes have two games left in the regular season and the second last contest goes down on Thursday, February 22nd against the Milton Icehawks.

FUN FACT:  Hurricanes forward Claudio De Gasperis has recorded a point in four of his last five games (six points in that span).