It was a blustery Tuesday night when the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Port Hope Predators hit the ice at the Bobby Orr Arena in Parry Sound to take on the Seguin team, a cross-over game the Preds lost 7-6 to the Bruins, who are eighth in the 10-team Phillips Division.

After a stop in Barrie for some bowling and picking up their new goaltender, Mike Mitchell, the Predators’ bus headed north straight into a blizzard; the team arrived minutes before warmup was slated to start, as the game start time had been bumped up to 7:30 from 8.

The Bruins were first to strike, beating Port Hope goaltender Spencer Finney on a power play at 11:50 of the first period.

The Bruins beat Finney again on the power play, but the goal was waved off. Port Hope’s top penalty-killing blueliner, Kevin Floris, took a roughing call after the whistle with four seconds to go in a high-sticking call to Dave Harris.

The dazed Preds countered, with Dave Williams fooling the Bruins goalie at 13:41 of the first. Anthony Tapper and Ryan Scheafer assisted on the play.

The Bruins replied with another power-play marker at 18:01 of the first to take a 2-1 lead to finish the period. A former Predator, Ian DeLong, assisted on the play. On the night, he racked up four points against his former club.

Port Hope came out at the start of the second looking like a whole new team. Danny Greiner tapped in a beauty just 47 seconds into the period from Tapper to tie the game.

Greiner potted another goal at 3:42, this one also from Tapper, and Williams assisted on the play, too.

Seguin replied with a goal at 5:36, but Williams countered less than a minute later at 6:29 with an unassisted goal to give Port Hope three goals in less than seven minutes.

The Predators then killed off a slew of penalties, on a night during which they were assessed nine minor infractions.

Rookie Jake Taylor had a power-play goal for Port Hope at 18:48 of the second with help from blueliner Jared Barker and sniper Tyler Miller.

When the Preds, who were up 5-3, reemerged from their lair, the Bruins beat Finney on an early opportunity 30 seconds in and that appeared to deflate the Preds' confidence. The Bruins added two more quick goals at 9:19 and 9:34 to take a 6-5 lead.

Miller scored the equalizer at 14:22, from Harris and Mitch Moffatt. The Predators were unable to hold on, however, and messy play in their zone gave the Bruins, who have won four of their last five games, the chance they needed to bury the visitors who have won only one of their last five contests.

The Predators, who are tied with Bowmanville for fourth spot in the Ruddock Division, head to Lindsay tomorrow night to take on the second-place Muskies.

They return home to the Jack Burger Sports Complex Sunday night at 7 to face off against the Kingston Voyageurs, who lead the Ruddock Division.