Through the years when the Owen Sound Attack travel to Kitchener or London on a Friday night, I can almost predict the flow of events.
If the Attack are playing well at the Dom Cardillo Arena or the John Labatt Centre, I know it’s only going to be a matter of moments before a call or a non-call will swing the momentum.
Would you like proof ? We don’t have that kind of time for that lengthy of a documentation.
But imagine my surprise when just last week I saw the same sequence of events at the professional level.
The Toronto Maple Leafs playing out yet another non-playoff season were at the First Niagara Centre to face the Buffalo Sabres in a game with massive significance for the Sabres.
The Leafs, or more accurately Phil Kessel and the Marlies grabbed a 3-0 first period lead…..and then as if we were in Kitchener or London, it happened.
Leaf penalty. Another Leaf penalty. Sabres get 2 goals to start a comeback. Leafs score again followed by a Leaf penalty and another Sabre marker.
Heroically, Toronto scores for a 5-3 lead but……….the Sabres score via video review and then with the Buffalo net empty an unbelievable pileup takes place in the Leaf crease and there is no whistle among the mass of bodies and hidden puck until the Sabres jam it in for the tying marker.
In overtime, Leaf captain Dion Phaneuf gets called for delay of game and you know what comes next.
The Sabres beat the Marlies 6-5 in OT to stay alive in a playoff drive and as I left the arena on American soil, I couldn’t help feel like I was in Kitchener or London
I’m Fred Wallace