NLL Insider

There are plenty of numbers to look at after the first game of the Major Series Lacrosse finals between Peterborough and Brampton. Penalty minutes? 83. Power play? Teams combined for 4 goals on 21 opportunities. Ejections? We count 3, including a pair of coaches. Illegal equipment penalties? That’d be 2. But the number that stands out the most? That’s got to be 1. As in how many goals the Peterborough Lakers were held to in Sunday night’s 8-1 loss to Brampton. But don’t be fooled. This is a rivalry that won’t be decided in four quick games, at least if history is any indication.

This is the seventh straight year these teams have played for the Ontario Lacrosse Association senior title. And the past five have been decided in no less than 6 games. Still, ya gotta wonder if the Brampton defense is really this good, or if the Peterborugh offense is really this bad.

Answer? Yeah, the Brampton defense really is this good but no, the Peterborough offense really isn’t that bad. At least not when everyone’s in the lineup. The Lakers were without John Grant Jr. again and Dan Carey missed his second straight game with an ill feeling leftover from a high hit in the series against Six Nations. The Peterborough Examiner reports that Grant will likely play in tonight’s Game 2 and Carey still is day-to-day. He didn’t even warm up on Sunday night.

Still, that doesn’t excuse the Lakers offense. Shawn Evans and Tracey Kelusky are indeed very capable scorers, but it’s hard to get points from Evans when he is ejected late in the second period after being whistled for his fifth penalty of the game.

“We had an undisciplined game,” Batley told the newspaper of his team’s 18 penalties for 47 minutes. “We took too many penalties and stupid ones.”

Those penalties opened the door for Brampton, which convered 3 of 12 power plays, and goals 5, 7 and 8 were those power-play goals that quashed any hope of a Peterborough rally. Then again, Brampton goalie Anthony Cosmo anchored a defensive effort that had been quashing Peterborough for the entire game. Cosmo said the ball was looking big Sunday night, and he does well enough making stops when the ball is looking small, so the Lakers are no doubt searching for ways to get that done.

Perhaps more frustrating for the Lakers was the disappearance of their young guns. Nick Cotter was the only scorer, leaving Josh Wasson, Cory Vitarelli and Matt Giles in the 0 column. They’d done so well in the first two two playoff rounds, so as the Lakers fight through the many injuries to their vets, the kids have got to not only step it up, but they’ve got to consistently step it up. But they know this, and there’s no reason to doubt they won’t be amped for redemption. If there’s one thing any athlete at this level has, it’s pride. And when that pride takes a hit, there’s no quicker or better way to restore it than by getting back on the floor to show everyone what’s up.

Meanwhile, Brampton is no doubt feeling good after such a one-sided victory. But they know well that they can’t rest on any laurels. The guys on the other side of them not only are opponents, but many are friends and that means they know each other well. That knowledge is what’ll remind Brampton to keep its foot on the gas pedal because the boys know the Lakers aren’t about to roll over. Again, it’s a pride thing and that alone can be quite the motivator.

Besides that, with the possible addition of Junior and Carey to the lineup, along with other veterans Scott Self, Brian Croswell and Scott Evans, all of whom are nursing injuries, the Lakers definitely have the potential to field a lineup that’ll match Brampton step for step, goal for goal and check for check.

So was Game 1 an abberation or did it set the tone? We’ll find out tonight with Game 2.

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