GTHL Game Review – Toronto Jr.Canadiens 4:1 Mississauga Rebels – AAA Bantam 05’

13-Oct-2019 Sunday 03:15 PM Scotiabank Pond 1
The GTHL was back in action as the Toronto Jr. Canadiens clashed with the Mississauga Rebels. The Jr. Canadiens headed into this game after a 6:1 win in the game against the Flyers. And on the other side, the Rebels suffered a 4-1 defeat in the game against the Marlboros.

Toronto Jr. Canadiens Review
The Jr. Canadiens are one of the best team in the league. They started this game with a strong focus on their defence. Iza Parekh played really well in the opening minutes and he was supported by Cho and Laurenza made some great runs on at the left flank. Also, Carson Rehkopf had some good shots from long range but the Jr. Canadiens did not score in the 1st period of the game.

In the 2nd period of the game, the Toronto side started to control the puck better. And that resulted in them taking the lead through defencemen Rehkopf. However, they were not able to maintain that good tempo as they conceded a goal through a counter-attack. Macieri and McNamara played well and their runs were impressive. The team looked energized after the conceded goal and the expectation was there is more to come from them.

In the 3rd period of the game, the Jr.Canadiens unleashed all of their offensive firepower. But it was bluelinesmen Carson Rehkopf that scored through a swift counter-attack. A team celly followed and the Jr. Canadiens were back in control. Their opponents opened up their play and that gave the Toronto side more space for counter-attacks. Therefore, they managed to score 2 more goals, including one easy goal as their opponents played without a goaltender in the final minutes.

Mississauga Rebels Review
The Rebels hoped to get back to winning ways after the disappointing defeat in the game against the Marlboros.
And credit to them, they started the game well and kept the Jr.Canadiens at bay in the first period of the game.
Constante made good runs and fought well in the middle of the ice. Also, Fiore had a good chance to score by was unable to place his shot past goaltender Branton.  Watson also made some strong tackles and his control of the biscuit was solid.

In the 2nd period of the game, the Rebels conceded the first goal in the game. But that did not crash their motivation as they equalized through tricky forward Kwok. Also, defender Milne and Hughes had some great runs but those moves were cut short in the final third. The Rebels were well in the game at the end of the 2nd period.

In the final period of the game, the Rebels conceded two consecutive goals and therefore they had to throw everything upfront in order to score. They even showed bravery and determination as they played without a goaltender in order to have an extra body upfront. But that backfired as they conceded easy empty-net goal and that sealed their defeat in this game.

Final Thought
On a conclusive note, it is important to emphasize that the Jr.Canadiens had a very intelligent gameplan. They managed to shake off the early pressure from the Rebels and then slowly took control of the game. Even in the 2nd period of the game, they did not show any weakness and capitalized on their consistency in the final period.
On the other side, the Rebels played well. Their character, attitude and determination were there to be seen. However, they were tactically outplayed by the Canadiens. Also, their offence did not create enough clear scoring chances. Therefore, the result is the real reflection of this game.