It’s an old cliché in the playoffs of any sport, the last win is the hardest.
That proved to be completely true in the best-of-seven provincial major midget hockey league semifinal series between the Dennis GM Western Kings and the TriPen Osprey.
The Kings completed the sweep of the Osprey on Saturday night at the Bay Arena in Bay Roberts, but it took double overtime before Noah Legge found the back of the net 20 seconds into the second extra frame to give the Kings the 5-4 win to send the kings to the league final.
This came after the Kings had handily won the previous three games, including a 9-0 win on Friday night at the Danny Cleary Community Centre in Harbour Grace.
Legge also scored in regulation in the win, with the other goals going to Malcolm Genge (2) and Jacob Oake.
Luke Akerman (2), Josh Neil and Kyle Tetford replied for the Osprey.
Perhaps the real hero of the game was Osprey goalie Riley Petten, who made 60 saves in the losing effort.
Kirklin Young made 22 saves in the win.
On Friday night, Liam Smith (3), Kris Thomas (2), Adrian Ward (2), Skyler Coates and Genge provided the offence in the 9-0 triumph.
Lucas Park was the winning netminder, with Matthew Chippett taking the loss in an abbreviated performance that saw him pulled for Petten in the first period.
The Kings now await the winner of the other semifinal series between the East Coast Blizzard and St. John’s Maple Leafs. That series is knotted at two games apiece after the Leafs won 5-2 on Sunday.
The Kings will open the final at home on the March 10-11 weekend.
