Last second goal prevents Wolves from snapping losing streak.

The Sudbury Wolves players were hanging on the edge of the bench ready to celebrate a win that would snap an eight game losing streak, when it all came crashing down.

Peterborough scored with 1.8 seconds left in the third to force overtime.

Then with a minute left in overtime the Petes iced the game and left Sudbury with a 6-5 win.

Sure the Wolves pick up a point, but a win could have easily been had with a simple play.

Chad Heffernan held the puck with ten seconds left in the game when he shot for the empty Petes net.

The problem, he was behind the centre line and when the puck missed it was an icing call forcing the play back into the Sudbury zone.

The face-off was won by the Wolves but the Petes scrambled and the puck came out front to Matthew Spencer who lifted it over a diving Zack Bowman to tie the game 5-5.

“I don’t have to say anything, I think the minute it came of Hef’s stick he knew it was one of those things I think he immediately wished he would have had back. They’re young men and they’re human and they make mistakes, obviously its one of those things you wished never happened and Hef wished it never happened but he was also on the top side of a lot of good things tonight too,” said Wolves Head Coach David Matsos.

“Immediately he looked at the bench, I think he realized the mistake was made, but he’s out there, he’s a shot blocker, he’s an older guy who will put his body on the line. It seems like those little mind cramps or mistakes are the costly ones. He’s human, it is what it is,” said Matsos.

The Wolves trailed by two goals twice in the game and battled back so there are positives to be had from a game like this, that was probably the most exciting game of hockey played at the Sudbury arena this year.

“I thought we had a bit of a slow start to be honest, but then I thought our guys battled back from down two to come back, it’s a tough situation for guys to be in but they had that never quit attitude and ended up making a game out of it,” said Matsos.

Matsos said his team was taking the loss pretty hard but it’s something to keep building on.

“The state of the union is not great as far as the win column right now, but we asked for goals, we got goals and every mistake or little thing that happened on the way in is a learning curve for all of us. The next time it happens I can assure you there won’t be any icing the puck,” said Matsos.

Prior to the final seconds the game was a tale of different periods.

The first period featured some back and forth action, not a lot of great scoring chances but the Petes found the net once off a goal from Greg Betzold and Peterborough led 1-0 after one.

The second began with a quick goal for Peterborough, Eric Cornel’s seventh of the season.

It was the beginning of a wave of goals, six in total in the second period.

The Wolves responded and transformed into a completely different team.

On the power play the Wolves put the pressure on and a point shot from Kyle Capobianco beat Petes goalie Dylan Wells five-hole for Capobianco’s second on the year.

Assists on the first marker went to Michael Pezzetta and Dmitry Sokolov.

Then around six minutes later David Levin flipped a beautiful saucer pass from his blue-line right onto the stick of Matt Schmalz on the Petes blue-line, and Schmalz walked in went forehand, backhand and slid the puck five-hole on Wells.

Matsos has been more than impressed with the passing ability of Levin.

“He’s got the ability to bait guys into thinking he’s going one way and hinge it back the another way, it’s a skill and art he has mastered and the skill set of the young guys shown tonight.”

Now it was Peterborough’s turn to net two straight goals, they got a second from Betzold his 17th and one from Kyle Jenkins, his second of the year.

Before the third ended Dmitry Sokolov got on the score sheet, with a wrist shot from the slot, assists to Levin and Capobianco.

The beginning of the third was all Sokolov, first he took a drop pass from Levin and fired a wrist shot from the right side under the arm of Dylan Wells.

Then crashing the net Sokolov received a pass from Michael Pezzetta and flipped the puck over the glove of Wells for his first career hat-trick.

The goals give Sokolov nine on the year and is his second multi-goal game of the season, the first came in Sault Ste. Marie on Oct. 28.

He now has 18 points on the year after his four point game and Levin is up to 13 points with his three assist game.

For Levin the points didn’t matter

“I had one of my best games maybe, I helped my teammates, but it doesn’t matter we lost,” said Levin.

“Me and Dmirty on the bench we were ready to jump for a win and last second it was going in, not a good feeling after that hard game we came back so hard and they scored last second so I feel bad,” said Levin.

The Wolves now have to regroup, they play the best team in the East, the Kingston Frontenacs on Sunday.

“Tomorrow morning we have practice we will see what happens there, I hope coaches will see the mistakes and working for the next game. Hard loss today so it will be hard to refresh,” said Levin.

Sudbury moves to 5-16-2-0 on the year and Peterborough climbs above .500 with the win at 10-9-2-2.