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| Brandon Miller is used to coming up big in big games. He did it again Sunday, leading the Six Nations Chiefs to an 8-6 win to tie up the best of seven MSL finals at two games each. (File photo: Kevin Light) |
Stepping in to turn the tide is getting
to be a habit for Brandon Miller. In 2013, he didn't play a
minute in the playoffs but took over in the Mann Cup and helped the
Six Nations Chiefs win the trophy for the first time since 1996. Last
year, he split the playoffs with Evan Kirk and entered Game 7
of the MSL finals with the Chiefs trailing 4-1; they rebounded to win
9-5 and Miller went on to be the MVP of the Mann Cup as Six Nations
earned back to back titles.
If the Chiefs head to Victoria to try
to repeat their three-peat of the mid-90s, it will be largely thanks
to Miller again. He stepped in for Dillon Ward in Game 2 of
this year's MSL finals and, while he couldn't salvage that 18-14
loss, Miller has been the main man as the Chiefs have won back to
back games to even the series including Sunday night's 8-6 win in
which he stopped 49 of the 55 shots he faced.
Both wins have come with Kirk in net
for the Lakers and playing outstanding lacrosse, as well. But Miller
has made the stops the Chiefs needed to have and in Game 4 Ryan
Benesch found his scoring touch to make the difference at the
other end. Benesch entered the game with 4 goals in seven playoff
games but connected five times and added a pair of assists.
“He's done it for us the last two
Mann Cups. Last year Game 7 here, Kirky had a great six games, I was
hesitant to pull him but at that point you had to,” Chiefs Head
Coach Rich Kilgour said. “That's so hard, to come off the
bench cold, Game 7 in a barn like this. But he took care of business
last year. This year, same thing. He comes in, we were a little shaky
there in the first, they were all over us. He made a couple of big
saves that let us settle in and get out of the first up one. That was
pretty much B Miller doing that work. He's a big game player and I'm
glad he's on my side.”
As for Benesch's struggles putting the
ball in the net, Kilgour said he and his coaching staff had told the
forward not to worry. “That's what's so tough about our O. We don't
care who it is. Benny was working hard and he was getting some shots,
they just weren't falling. We told him, stay positive, on this team
you don't have to get seven a night for us to win. It helps, but if
you don't we've got other guys who can step up. Now tonight, they
were falling for him.”
Benesch had the first and last goals of
the first period, 1:50 into the frame and 54 seconds from the end,
respectively, as Six Nations led 3-2. Miller made 16 saves in the
period and many of them were jaw-dropping as the Lakers pushed and
created good scoring opportunities.
Peterborough took their only lead of
the night by scoring the first two goals of the second period; it
took great plays to score them. Chad Tutton stole a pass in
the defensive zone and raced the length of the floor with Wenster
Green, who set an excellent pick to open a lane to the net for
Tutton, who faked hard to Miller's right then tucked the ball just
inside the other post.
Curtis Dickson got the second
goal of the period when he sloughed off a series of checks to fight
his way to the net, jumped in the air and managed to tuck the ball
over Miller. The lead didn't last long, though. Randy Staats
fired home his second goal of the game just 41 seconds later. Then
Dhane Smith scored to put the Chiefs back on top.
That pair got mixed up in some rough
stuff a few minutes after that. Smith was running after a loose ball
near the Peterborough crease. Kirk came out and initiated contact but
Smith knocked him down when they collided. Tutton raced to his
goalie's defence, leading to a gathering along the boards. Staats and
Eric Shewell came out of the scrum and went toe to toe.
Cory Vitarelli tied things up
with a rocket from the high slot with 1:10 to play in the period but
Benesch again scored in the final minute to make it 6-5 heading into
the final 20 minutes.
Adam Jones scored 2:20 into the
third to tie it once more but again the Chiefs responded quickly, and
again it was Benesch, connecting just 21 seconds later. The Lakers
pressed hard for the tying goal, firing 18 shots at Miller in the
third while Kirk faced just 8 in the Peterborough goal. Miller stood
tall, though, and Benesch scored the only other goal of the game at
12:25.
The teams don't have much time to rest
up before the series resumes—they meet in Six Nations at 8 pm
tonight (Monday) for Game 5, which can be seen live via
JVI Sports Network webcast.
Both teams know anything can still
happen. “They landed the first big punch. We got up, dusted
ourselves off and punched,” Kilgour said. “So...best of three and
knock on wood if it takes all three, two of them are in our barn.”
But the Chiefs aren't taking anything for granted. “It's a long way
to go,” Kilgour noted. They already showed they can win two in a
row. They already showed they can win in our barn. We've got to get
hydrated and be ready to go tomorrow.”
Lakers captain Scott Self,
always calm and composed in victory or defeat, said the last two
games could have gone differently but they'll be ready for Game 5.
“It's been back and forth, back and forth, and unfortunately we've
been on the wrong end of it for the last two games,” Self said.
“But a shot here or there, a bounce here or there and we're winning
7-6, 8-6. We're not down about tonight's game or the game before. We
know that's the way it goes and we'll be ready to play tomorrow
night.”
“They're disciplined in the sense
that they take away our transition,” Self added. “When things do
break down—we had a lot of opportunities tonight—Brandon Miller
was sensational. He stopped I don't know how many odd-man rushes
tonight. And their short man has been very good, too, so you get some
power play looks and you're not able to build momentum that way, it's
tough.”
The key for Peterborough will be to
solve Miller. “We've got to find a way, like we did in Game 2 when
he came in, to throw a couple past him, preferably early just to get
our confidence and maybe shake him a little bit,” Self said.
It's down to a best of three series
now, and it is definitely a classic in the burgeoning
Peterborough/Six Nations rivalry.
