The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) competition committee has overturned the controversial ending of Game 3, giving the Mclean & Dickey Orillia Terriers new life in their second-round playoff series with the Stayner Siskins.
With 7:26 left in overtime on Sunday afternoon in Stayner, the Terriers celebrated a Josh Presley goal that was called back by officials who determined the net had been knocked off its moorings prior to the puck crossing the line.
Siskins' goaltender Matteo Genarro was assessed a two-minute delay of game penalty for knocking the net off. (You can read more about that and see a video of the controversial goal here.)
"The ruling should have been a penalty shot," says Terriers' coach Dalyn Telford. "At any point in overtime, if the net is deemed to have been knocked off its moorings, it's to be a penalty shot."
But on Sunday, that didn't happen. The overtime went on until Siskins' defenceman Joseph Magani scored with 72 seconds remaining in the extra period, seemingly giving the Siskins a 1-0 triumph and a 3-0 series stranglehold. That goal has been wiped from the records thanks to Monday's ruling.
"I have never seen in my time (the players) so low emotionally and psychologically than they were on Sunday afternoon," Telford said. "They were beside themselves and a lot of people were."
After the game, Terriers General Manager Jay Lacroix and team president Andrew McDonald protested the ruling that cost them the penalty shot.
"It's very hard to get these types of decisions reversed," Telford explained. "We made sure we had the correct facts before we decided to move forward with the protest."
The protest went to a hearing on Monday evening and the PJHL competition committee decided to suspend the result of Game 3 and to proceed with Game 4 tonight at Rotary Place in West Orillia.
Game 3 will resume in Stayner on Thursday night with a Terriers penalty shot opportunity. If the Terriers score, they will be awarded the victory. If they are unsuccessful, the overtime period will resume with 7:26 left on the clock.
"It's unprecedented," Telford said. "It gives us life. It's a game that we feel we already won, but at least we have another chance."
Telford says he is impressed by how the PJHL and its officials handled the situation.
"At the end of the day, referees are human and they make mistakes like everyone else," he said. "Credit to the league and the referees association for allowing us to sit down, have some civil conversations, and get this right."
Telford says tonight's game now has "massive" implications.
"Conceivably we could be coming back here on Saturday up 3-2," he said. "Or we could be finished minutes into overtime on Thursday."
There is a "level of excitement" among Telford's players heading into Game 4 tonight.
"These opportunities don't happen very often," he said. "We do have a little bit of life in this series now and it's up to us to take advantage of it."
While the Terriers felt they were robbed of a victory on Sunday afternoon, Telford recognizes the Siskins may feel the same way. He says both teams will be playing with a sense of desperation tonight.
"Sunday's game was one of the best games I've been involved with in a long time," Telford said. "Both teams were not willing to give an inch and there was urgency on both sides. I don't think that will change tonight."
Telford hopes to see a packed Rotary Place in Orillia tonight when the puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
"We need the support," he said. "So far it's been great and we hope it continues tonight."
