Waxers defensemen Miles Cope (44) and Cody Hamilton (96)
defend goalie Matthew Spezza

     The game got off to a promising start for Markham.  At 14:06 of the first period  Josh Reinecke put the Waxers into the lead with a power play goal.  Corey Tamblyn corralled the puck in the corner, spotted his team mate in the slot and fed him a slick pass that Reinecke one-timed perfectly.

     Markham nemesis Louie Caporusso, however, responded at 16:04, on a St. Mike’s power play, assists going to Fred Cassiani and Stephen Duffy.

     At 3:42 of the second period, JoJo Bojanowski restored the Markham lead.  Sailing in alone on the left side, he let go a wicket wrist shot that went high into the far corner behind Buzzers goalie Mike Binnington.

     Penalties began to cost the Waxers.  With Corey Tamblyn already off for interference, Waxer goalie Matthew Spezza, in trying to clear the puck, put it over the glass in his own zone, an automatic two-minute penalty.  On the ensuing five on three, Mike Forgione scored at 12:06, assisted by Brendan Smith and Stephen Duffy.  Fifteen seconds later, with one Waxer still in the box, Brendan Smith scored on a slap shot from the point on which Spezza appeared to have been partially screened.  Justin Troiani and Mike Forgione drew assists on the goal.  St. Mikes now had the lead 3-2.

     The Waxers survived the five on three till the end of the period, but at 52 seconds of the third, Brendan Smith scored from Mike Forgione and Stephen Duffy, giving St. Mikes a two-goal lead. 

     The Waxers had a five on three of their own a few minutes later but were unable to capitalize and then at 7:08 Brian Potacco’s goal, from Louie Caporusso and Nikolai Knights, put the game out of reach for the Waxers.

     After the game, Waxers coach Rick Cornacchia closed the door of the dressing room and spoke to his team.
 

     Asked afterward what had gone wrong in this game, he replied: “Too many penalties, at the wrong time, real simple.”

     Were the players overly aggressive at times?

      “Yep.  We did it to ourselves.  In certain situations we’ve got to be a lot smarter than we were.  And we weren’t very smart.”

     What about the Waxers’ failure to generate real scoring chances on their own five on three?

     “We didn’t do what we normally do, move the puck.  The guys were being selfish, trying to do it by themselves, and you can’t do it by yourself.”

     Can his team steal a win in St. Mike’s on Sunday night?

     Tonight’s decisive Game 7 gets under way at 7:00 p.m. at St. Michael’s College Arena, at St. Clair and Bathurst.  



      Grant Weaver        

      Steve Thomas, former NHLer and Waxer alumnus, is now on the bench with the St. Mike's Buzzers. After last night's game he spoke to GuidingStar.ca.

     "You know, it’s difficult to be here and not be a part of the Waxer organization because I have had so many great, great memories here in this building, back in '79 and '80, playing with Adam Oates here with the Markham Waxers."