The St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres refused to lose while forcing Tuesday’s deciding playoff showdown in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
With the season hanging in the balance, the No. 1 team in league play rattled off consecutive victories last weekend against the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers to knot the best-of-five north regional final at two games apiece.
“It feels real great to be a Sabre right now,” said centre Mathieu Gautier of the playoff comeback. “Going into game five with all this energy we’re feeling good.”
Tuesday’s score from Akinsdale Arena was unavailable at press time.
The winner advances to the AMBHL provincial final against the Lethbridge Golden Hawks and the best-of-five series starts this weekend.
The Sabres pulled even with the Rangers in Sunday’s 4-1 decision in game four at Fort Saskatchewan.
“We all had confidence going into the game. We wanted to bring it back to Akinsdale on home ice and we’ll see what happens,” Gautier said.
With the Sabres on the brink of elimination, Gautier’s overtime winner Saturday prevented the Rangers from sweeping the series.
“We were all excited but it was also a relief that our season wasn’t over and we had another chance to bring it back to Akinsdale again,” Gautier said of the emotional 4-3 triumph in St. Albert.
Gautier beat netminder Sebastian Cossa on the blocker side in the extra period for his third playoff goal.
“It was a great forecheck by my linemates, Tyson Greenway and Ethan Whillans, and then Greenway made a great pass out to the slot. I was wide open and I just shot the puck. I was hoping it was going to go in and it went in,” Gautier said. “It was a really big relief. We were glad it was over.”
The Rangers scored the lone goal in the third period and in OT directed three shots at netminder Ethan Barwick before Gautier’s winner shook the Akinsdale rafters.
“We had all the pressure on us down two in the series,” Gautier said of the must-win scenario. “It was back and forth. They had their chances, we had our chances and we just capitalized on ours at the end.”
Austin Spiridakis put the Sabres on the board in the opening minute of game three with an unassisted effort and in the middle frame his team-high fifth playoff goal made it 2-1.
Spiridakis also assisted on Carter Savoie’s goal to give the Sabres the lead at 3-2 with under eight minutes left in the second.
Shots were 36-35 for the Sabres.
The next day, the Sabres led 2-0 after 40 minutes as Greenway and Marc Lajoie scored and Ryley Morgan and Spiridakis assisted on both tallies.
Spiridakis leads the Sabres in playoff scoring with 13 points and Morgan is second on the team with 10 points.
Savoie and his younger brother, Matt, slotted insurance markers after the Rangers ended Barwick’s shutout bid halfway through the third.
Barwick (5-3, 2.17 GAA) faced 18 shots and Cossa (4-2, 1.96 GAA) was tested 36 times.
The Sabres quickly put the latest must-win result behind them with game five looming large.
“Right away we all started preparing for the game on Tuesday. We wanted to be ready for it,” said Gautier, who set up Savoie’s goal for his fourth playoff point.
The north regional final started with wins of 4-2 in St. Albert and 2-1 in overtime in Fort Saskatchewan for the Rangers.
“The first game they came out quick and we weren’t ready for them. They got two quick ones and in the third period we came out hard but it wasn’t enough,” Gautier said. “In the second game it was back and forth, just like the third game, but they just capitalized on their chances that game.”
Gautier, 14, described the mood of the Sabres as upbeat after last week’s back-to-back losses.
“We knew that we could still come back because we’re a great team. We didn’t go 31-1-4 (214 GF/77 GA) for a reason,” said the Grade 9 Sir George Simpson student.
The Sabres were 6-3 in the playoffs after finishing first overall in the AMBHL with 66 points as the Nitro north division leaders.
The Rangers, 27-7-2 (176 GF/83 GA) as the top team in the Charger north division, were 6-2 in the playoffs.
The teams faced-off twice in league play and the Sabres won 3-2 Dec. 22 in St. Albert and the Jan. 26 contest ended in an 8-8 draw in Fort Saskatchewan.
ICE CHIPS: The Ram south division Golden Hawks (27-5-4, 178 GF/73 GA) needed four games to knock off the Challenger south division Calgary Bisons (24-8-4, 173 GF/77 GA) in the best-of-five south regional final.
The provincial champion advances to westerns, March 30 to April 2 in Warman and Martensville, Sask.
