Titans forward Jakob Tournier breaks through the check of Royals defender Layne Schroeder on Tuesday at the Kinsmen Arena. (Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D'Andrea

playoffs

Royals hang on, beat Titans in final second to force Game 3

Feb 26, 2020 | 8:13 AM

The margin for error gets microscopic during the playoffs, and the Prince Albert Titans figured that out on Tuesday.

After a breakdown in their own zone, they gave up the winning goal with 0.7 seconds left. Nolan Haugen kept his Saskatoon Royals alive in the PJHL North Survivor Series by scoring late to give his Royals the 4-3 win on Tuesday at the Kinsmen Arena.

Since the Titans won 3-1 in Game 1 on Sunday in Saskatoon, that that will force the do-or-die Game 3 on Thursday, 7:30 p.m. at the Rod Hamm Arena.

“Unfortunately, three guys miscued on one play and we lost the game,” Titans head coach Kim Dryka said. “We got another crack at it. With us going down there and stealing the first game, we got two opportunities, but we let this one slip away with 0.7 seconds game,” added Dryka. “We’re going to have to regroup and come out for a 60-minute hockey game.”

After some confusion in the Titans’ zone, Haugen was able to walk to the right hashmarks and rifle one high on Titans goaltender Carson Schewaga.

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Schewaga has been the Titans’ Most Valuable Player in the series so far. He made 41 saves on 45 shots on Tuesday, after a brilliant 58-save performance in the 3-1 victory on Game 1.

“Carson’s been playing well for us, giving us the opportunity to win these games,” Dryka said. “We’ve got one more kick at it. Hopefully he’s up for another one.”

The game started with absolute fireworks, and Nicholas Erickson shocked the Kinsmen Arena by scoring 29 seconds in, ringing the bar and opening the scoring. But the Titans were able to take a 2-1 lead, by hammering in two goals 18 second apart. Jakob Tournier smashed in a loose puck in front of the net, before fellow 21-year-old Braeden Mishak was set up in the slot by Tanner Hendriks and put the Titans up 2-1.

That lead would be short lived, as the Royals would regain it by the end of the frame. Damon Vanderlinde and Dylan Francis scored late to have a 3-2 lead after the opening 20 minutes.

The score would stay that way until halfway through the third period when Kevin Ledoux scored on the power play after being set up with a nice diagonal pass from Ben Zultok to tie it up with 9:25 left in regulation. Haugen broke the deadlock with 0.7 seconds left.

That will set up the rubber-match on Thursday back at the Rod Hamm Arena.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW