Menace Analyst – Mikayla Guarasci
Milton Menace Preview: Menace vs Leamington Flyers, Round 2 Game 5 – March 30, 2024
It’s do or die for the Milton Menace as they welcome the Leamington Flyers to the Milton Memorial Arena for game five on Saturday. The Menace are looking to force a game six as they are down 3-1 in their second-round series.
Milton fell 4-0 in game five of the series on Thursday. The Flyers scored two goals in the second half of the first period, including one while shorthanded. The second period was scoreless with the Menace outshooting the Flyers 17-12 in the frame. Leamington picked up another two goals in the third to seal the win. The Menace were outshot 36-29 and only had 6 shots in the first and again in the third period. This was the first time the Menace were shut out since October 29, 2023. Forbes Anderson made 32 saves in the loss.
Saturday’s game at home is a must-win for the Menace, or their quest for the 2024 Buckland Cup will come to an end. They need to take the remainder of this series one game at a time to chip away at Leamington’s lead. Although they did not win on Thursday and have now lost back-to-back games for the first time this playoffs, the Menace have proven they can bounce back and perform when it matters. They never lost more than two games in a row the entire regular season. Their ability to put a loss behind them will be critical on Saturday.
It will be crucial for the Menace to set the pace in game five. They need to use their speed to get opportunities early and get the offence rolling in the first period. They need to steal the momentum that Leamington will come into the game with.
The Menace need you in the stands on Saturday, so grab your tickets now to come out and support! Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. If you can’t make it, the game is available to watch on FloHockey. The Menace will also provide live updates on their social media accounts.