1-goal lead not enough to keep Wolves in the win column

A one-goal lead in the second period wasn't enough to secure victory for the Sudbury Wolves Sunday when they faced off against the Barrie Colts.

A third-period barrage of goals lifted the Colts to a 7-4 win over the Wolves. Head coach David Matsos said the Wolves weathered the high offence of the Barrie Colts as best they could.

“We were leaning on (goalie ) Sam (Tanguay) heavy for the first two periods, he did what he had to, and I think the score could have been either way after the first two periods. We generated a lot, the guys were working, and it's probably the most creative our guys have been in the offensive zone.

“It was a disastrous third period, and we couldn't come back after that. With a team like Barrie, you can't fall asleep for any time in the game.”

After taking a 1-0 lead in the first, the Colts found themselves in some penalty trouble about halfway through the second period. Colts forward Garrett Hooey drew a five-minute major for checking to the head.

That's all the Wolves needed to tie up the game at 10:30 of the frame with a goal from Kyle Capobianco. Just over a minute and 10 second later, Jeff Corbett put the Wolves up by one at 2-1.

Michael Pezzetta, Brody Silk and Capobianco were all credited with assists.

It was a short-lived lead, however, as the Colts tied up the game at 2-2 heading into the third period.

Then, in the first seven minutes of the third period, the Colts came out charging, scoring three goals to bring the game to 5-3.

“Barrie is second in the conference, they score a lot of goals, and we weathered as best we could,” said Matsos. “Unfortunately, the first five or seven minutes of the third period was not a reflection of how the game was playing out.

Barrie added two more goals to bring their total for the day to seven.

The Wolves weren't about to roll over and die, though. Ivan Kashtanov and Silk both found the back of the net, proving they weren't about to quit. Pavel Jenys, Cole Mayo and David Zeppieri provided assists.

“Apart from a pocket full of minutes today, I think we played a pretty good game against Barrie.

And, while Tanguay may have let in five goals on 13 shots in the third period, Matsos said the goalie played a “real good six periods for us,” including at 2-1 victory over the Kitchener Rangers Friday night.

Now the Wolves gear up to face Peterborough on the road Feb. 26.