Picton Pirate Luc Amat had a pair of goals in his team’s 6-3 loss Thursday night. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)
The Picton Pirates will be in search of a rebound effort at home on Thursday when they tangle with the Trent Hills Thunder for the final time this season.
The Bucs are coming off a difficult home loss to Frankford. With some inspired play as of late, the Huskies have Tod-division-leading Lakefield in their sights with seven games left in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Pirates (17-11-5, 39 points) have lost their last two games.
Interestingly, fourth place Picton, third place Napanee and second place Frankford are all tied in losses with 11. Picton’s five overtime losses are making the difference in the standings. If the playoffs started today, Picton would host Amherstview in the first round of the Schmalz Cup playoffs but there’s still some race track to manoeuvre before the post season picture becomes clearer.
After Frankford’s Mason Boyer opened the scoring early, Picton’s top goal scorer Luc Amat pounced on a loose puck in the crease and picked up his 18th goal of the year 8:32 into the frame.
Tied at 1-1, the score sheet shows Picton successfully killed off a minor penalty in the late going of the opening stanza however Frankford’s Nolan Donnelly beat Pirates starter Nolan Lane just as defender Mathieu Petrut was stepping back on to the ice after serving a minor.
Picton was forced to play catch again in the second and it was Mr. Amat doubling down for the locals. Linemate Ben Smith sprang Mr. Amat with a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone. The Roblin, ON, native broke in on Frankford starter Liam Boyer and beat the goalie clean at the 6:55 mark.
Tied at 2-2, the Pirate ship took on water in the back half of the frame. Mason Boyer, Keegan Juchau and and Avery Wease all lit the lamp inside the final six minutes of the middle stanza for the visitors to put the contest out of reach.
In the third, Gerrit Kempers converted on a Nate Woods feed to get the hosts to within two but Spencer Stanutz put the puck into a vacated Picton net with under three minutes to play to quash any comeback bid.
After hosting the Thunder on Thursday, the Picton closes out January in Napanee on Friday.
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