Luke Burghardt’s third goal of the game with less than five seconds left in regulation was the game-winner in an incredible 6-5 comeback victory for the Battalion Sunday afternoon in Sudbury over the Wolves.
“It is my first career hat trick with is nice but more importantly that’s our second win of the year,” said Burghardt to the OHL Tonight’s Amanda Zurkowski.
“Everyone works as a team, everyone wants to win, right from the coaching staff to our players and everyone is committed.”
Down 5-2 midway through the third period, the Troops scored three times in less than four minutes to tie the game and then Burghardt made an incredible individual effort driving to the net flipping the puck to himself before beating Wolves start Jake McGrath on the short side at 19:56 of the third period.
For Burghardt, he led the way with three goals and one assist and now five goals in his first two OHL regular season contests with the Troops after coming over from Guelph in the Poirier-Shoemaker trade this summer.
Battalion got a quick start on a clearing miscue by Wolves goalie Jake McGrath as Justin Brazeau’s dump-in was misplayed and Luke Burghardt picked up the puck after it rimmed around the board and past the Wolves goalie and he easily ripped it into the empty net 27 seconds in.
Next shift though, the Wolves even things up on a scramble in front of Julian Sime who had difficulty corralling a rebound that was slid in by Nolan Hutcheson for his first OHL tally and it was 1-1 43 seconds into the game.
The Wolves get their first lead as the Wolves jumped on a turnover as Shane Bulitka cashed in beating Julian Sime at 7:01 of the second period for the 2-1 lead over the Battalion.
The Wolves cashed in again as Matthew Pezzetta blasted home a shot off a juicy rebound kicked out by Sime which made it 3-1 at 11:14 of the middle period.
Early third period David Levin came across the blue line and blasted a shot over his blocker hand for a 4-1 Wolves lead 4:40 into the third.
The Battalion respond on an amazing rush by Cam Dineen, as he dangled past Conor Ali and then beat McGrath low short side which made it 4-2 at 6:51 of the third.
Wolves regained that three-goal lead as Pezzetta poked the puck away Riley Bruce in the neutral zone and went in on a partial breakaway going high blocker on SIMe which made it 5-2 at 10:03.
But the three-goal deficit did not deflate the Troops on this afternoon in Sudbury.
The Troops pull within two again as Cam Dineen took a shot from the top of the circle and was redirected by Burghardt for his second of the game which made it 5-3 at 12:42.
The Battalion battle back again as Brady Lyle takes a feed from behind the net from Bradley Chenier off the rush which made it 5-4 at 13:29.
The Troops get their third straight to even things as less than 2 minutes later Vertiy walked into the slot and ripped one past McGrath to even things 5-5 before Burghardt came through with the heroics.
The two teams meet again on Wednesday night in North Bay.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at Memorial Gardens.
