The Picton Pirates likely started out Thursday morning dreaming about adding two wins and four points to their growing total as they try to chase down the Napanee Raiders and secure better seeding for the first round of the Tod Division playoffs.

Playing the bottom two teams in the Tod usually creates an air of expectancy, particularly for those teams in the thick of the hunt.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the rink.

First, old man winter blew snow on the Quinte region Thursday, causing the postponement of Picton’s home contest against Port Hope.

Then, on Sunday in Trent Hills, the Pirates struggled with consistency and their special teams play was abysmal. Picton managed to come back from two goals down in the third period against the Thunder to force a 4-4 tie at the end of regulation. But undisciplined play was their undoing in overtime and the Thunder potted a power play tally to take the extra point hanging in the balance. That makes five overtime losses for Picton in 2025-26 versus one victory. The club has won two shootouts but the Pirates have left five post regulation points on the table in this campaign.

The Pirates (17-10-5, 39 points) did receive dose of help on Sunday afternoon. As Picton was foundering in Campbellford, the Napanee Raiders were dissected in Lakefield. On the heels of a loss to Frankford at home on Friday night, Napanee had a worse weekend than Picton and the locals remain four points back of the Silver and Black with two games in hand.

But oh, what might have been.

Indifferent

The Pirates started out well enough, taking the play to the host Thunder and breaking the ice on the power play at 8:21 of the first. Luc Amat was positioned well to pounced on a loose puck in the Thunder goal crease and pump home his team leading 17^th goal of the season.

The Thunder responded with just under five minutes left in the opening stanza. Former Pirate defenceman Issac Krentz’s volley from just inside the blueline changed direction on the way to the Picton net and skittered past Nolan Lane to make it 1-1.

In the second, Picton played one of their worst periods of hockey this season. Mr. Lane couldn’t control a rebound on a 2-on-1 rush and Colter Trudeau was on the doorstep to tap home his 6^th of the year 3:19 into the middle frame and give the hosts a 2-1 lead.

Picton managed the equalizer just two minutes later.

Off the rush, Mr. Amat found Gerrit Kempers cruising to the slot area and the captain fired a laser to the blocker side of Trent Hills tender Parker Robbins at 5:06 to square the affair at 2-2.

But the Pirates were chasing the game and Trent Hills retook the lead as Mr. Trudeau went bar down from the slot area at 10:50 to make it 3-2 Thunder.

Late in the frame and with a power play, Picton looked pedestrian as Mr. Trudeau weaved his way through the Pirate defence and slipped a backhand effort under Mr. Lane to give Trent Hills a 4-2 lead heading to the intermission. For the Tweed native, it was his first Provincial Junior Hockey League hat trick.

Equalizers

With their backs to the wall, Picton responded.

Just 55 seconds into the third, Cole Stevenson danced off the half wall with a dazzling deke and tucked a back hand past Mr. Robbins to get the Pirates to within a single of tying the game.

The locals pulled even with under eight mintues left. Mr. Kempers spotted Ben Smith lurking on the slot and fed the Consecon playmaker for his 5^th of the year to make it 4-4.

The Pirates were tasked with killing off a pair of penalties in the late going and while they survived, a penalty in overtime was their ultimate undoing.

Mr. Lane attempted to freeze a loose puck in the crease but a menagerie of sticks impeded the fusing of synthetic leather to vulcanized rubber.

The puck squirted free and Thunder captain Brody Brooks could have whiffed three times on the puck and still scored the game winner. But the Frankford native only needed one chance to fire the puck into a gaping Picton cage 84 seconds into the extra period.

Picton will attempt to right the ship on Wednesday when they travel to Amherstview. The locals host Frankford on Thursday and take on division leading Lakefield on the road on Sunday.