Although the Cougars moved a point ahead of the Oakville Blades with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Brampton Capitals, Burlington coach John McDonald openly questioned whether his team has what it takes to stay atop the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s MacKinnon Division.

“That’s short lived, that’s not a positive,” he said of moving into top spot. “Oakville and Georgetown are going to make runs and I’m not sure if we’re a team that can make a run. Are we a ligit team? We need more firepower and maybe another D but then you wonder if we have to rethink it and go the other way and build on the core that will be here next year.”

Just five days after spanking the Capitals 7-2, Burlington needed a third-period rally capped by Phil Brewer’s goal with 11 seconds to play to send the game into overtime. The goal was exactly the type of play McDonald wanted to see from his team.

Brewer dumped the puck in deep and Dan Krug outraced the Brampton defenceman to retrieve it behind the net. He found Brewer in the slot and the Cambridge native slid the puck just inside the far post.

“Sunday night we were ready,” said Brewer, who had a hat trick in the previous meeting with the Caps. “We got a couple of quick goals and got the momentum. Tonight we didn’t play to our potential. The first few shifts we got down on ourselves.”

Burlington took two early penalties and Brampton capitalized on the five-on-three just 3:12 into the game. The Caps added another power-play goal in the final minute of the period to double its lead.

Chris Carr got the Cougars back within one but a giveaway in the neutral zone led to a shorthanded goal by Brampton as it took its two-goal advantage into the third.

After getting an earful from their coach in the intermission, the Cougars were much improved in the third. Mark White banged in Drew McAvoy’s rebound to cut the lead to one then with goalie Andrew Hare on the bench in favour of the extra attacker, Brewer tied it up.

All the effort expended in the comeback was undone when Brampton’s Chris Muise was allowed to slip behind the defence as he scored on a breakaway with 31 seconds to play in overtime.

Though the Cougars earned a point, making them 19-4-3 on the season, McDonald knows the team can’t afford to come away with less than two against sub .500 teams like Brampton (10-13-5).

The Cougars may not have even got that point had it been for a second-period play by Daniel Koudys. Though the summary will show Brewer’s goal as the reason for the point, it was Koudys racing back to scoop a dribbling puck off the goal line that prevented the Cougars from falling further behind in the second period.

“I saw it squeak by Hare and I just hustled my butt off,” he said. “It was just about to cross the line but I guess luck was on my side.”

Koudys, the team leader in assists, said the team needs to register more helpers in its own end for its netminder.

“We owe everything to Hare,” he said. “He’s been bailing us out and we owe that point to him. It’s a team effort but we can’t rely on him all the time.”

Notes: Scott Godfrey-Wilson had the Cougars’ first goal... The loss snapped the Cougars’ season-high, six-game win streak… Though the Cougars are ahead of Oakville and Georgetown in points, both rivals have higher winning percentages... The Cougars visit Buffalo Tuesday (Nov. 25).