The Pelham Panthers picked up their third straight home victory on Sunday with a convincing 6-0 shutout victory over the Komoka Kings. The contest was a physical and chippy affair with a pair of fights and 80 combined penalty minutes. The Panthers, who picked up only one win in their first 11 games on the season have now won 3 out of their last 5 bringing their record to 4-9-3-0. With the loss the Kings fall to 2-13-1-0.
The Panthers started the game off strong, with a dominating first period which saw them throw 16 shots at the Komaka net. However, it would take until 15:41 of the period before the Panthers would open the scoring. Nicholas Gilby put a backhanded shot past Komoka netminder Owen Edwards for his team leading 6th of the season. After a pair of successful penalty kills for the Panthers early in the second, newly acquired Panthers Captain Antonino Pugliese would open the floodgates in the middle of the period. First, he would rip a point shot past Edwards for a powerplay marker at 10:12 then only a little over two minutes later would bury his second of the night at 12:39 for his first two goals as a Panther to open up the lead to 3-0. After a trio of Panther penalty kills in the later half of the period including a 1:50 long 5 on 3, Mason Goodfellow would clean up a loose puck in front for his first goal as a Panther. Early in the third, after Komka’s Riley Alexander was sent off for high sticking, Goodfellow would find the back of the net again just 6 seconds into the powerplay to make it a 5 goal game. Owen Hunks buried the biscuit shortly after at 4:44 to make it 6-0 Panthers. With the goal, Hunks would become the teams top point scorer on the season with 11, while Goodfellow’s assist on the play would make for an impressive 4 point night. The Panthers would then shut down the Kings for the remainder of the game, with Logan Snyder remaining perfect in net for the Panthers picking up the 31 save shutout, his second in a row at home. The Panthers would finish the night with a clinical 8/8 Penalty Kill, while also putting up an impressive 2/4 Powerplay.
The Panthers will have a short turn around as they face the first place Eastern Conference team in the Ayr Centennials this Tuesday night at home. Puckdrop is at 7:15 pm at the Accipiter Arena inside the Meridian Community Centre.
