NLL Insider

Playing four games in three days gave John Grant Jr. a lot of ink over the weekend and rightly so, but it was the return of Nick Cotter that sparked the Peterborough Lakers to a 9-5 win over the Brampton Excelsiors Monday night and extended this Major Series Lacrosse finals to a Game 6. Yeah, Junior popped in a goal and two assists, but Cotter was back to score two big goals in a decisive run that let the Lakers live to play another day and close Brampton’s lead in the best-of-seven series to 3-2. Game 6 is set for Wednesday night at 8 p.m. in Peterborough.

Cotter missed the previous two games with an upper body injury, but his return Monday night was a big spark. Brampton took a 3-1 lead into the second period, but the Lakers broke off a 6-1 run that extended into the third period and Cotter scored both of his goals in that run. His first gave Peterborough a 4-3 lead at 17:18 of the second and his second goal put the ‘Borough up 6-4 early in the third and proved to the game-winner.

Yet as big as Cotter’s goals were, you gotta hand it to the Peterborough defense, namely the penalty killers. The Lakers essentially killed off four straight penalties in the second, keeping the Brampton snipers at bay at a time when they could very well have taken control of the game and possibly clinched the series.

For the game, Brampton was just 3-for-8 with the extra man and it really doesn’t come as a suprise. The Lakers have manned up the entire series when it comes to killing penalties, holding the Excelsiors to just 27 percent in the five games. And lest you think we’re playing the percentage game here, think again. Brampton’s had 49 power play opportunities this series but has cashed in on just 13. Then again, the Lakers haven’t done much better in the series, converting  just 19 percent (6-for-32).

It’s been a hotly contested series between these storied rivals, highlighted by the 116 total penalty minutes called in Thursday’s Game 4 that included three game misconducts and a pair of gross misconducts that resulted in Peterborough’s Geoff Snider and Brampton’s Aaron Wilson being suspended for Sunday night’s game.

Tempers appear to have been in check for Monday night’s game (just 26 PIM) and you gotta think it’ll stay that way, especially on the Peterborough side now that they’re trying to avoid elimination.

We’ll find out for sure Wednesday night after everyone has a day off to cool off and regroup.

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