IceDogs fall to Bulldogs again
Cameron Peters of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo: VIVID EYE PHOTOGRAPHY
The Niagara IceDogs dropped their second straight 4-0 decision to the Hamilton Bulldogs in Ontario Hockey League action Saturday night at Meridian Centre.
But unlike Friday’s loss in Hamilton where head coach Billy Burke questioned his team’s commitment to winning, Burke had no issues with the IceDogs’ effort at home.
“It was the exact opposite of Friday,” Burke said. “In terms of effort and compete level, I had no problem at all.
“We obviously have to continue to work on finishing and things like that but it was very different. Same end result, but very different.”
Following a scoreless first period that saw each team register seven shots on net, the Bulldogs scored two quick goals 19 seconds apart by Logan Morrison and George Diaco less than two minutes into the second.
Ryan Humphrey made it 3-0 just past the midway point of the third period before Diaco rounded out the scoring with his second of the game.
“We had chances, we had multiple chances, we just have to continue to work to find a way to try to finish those off,” Burke said. “It’s a very difficult league to score in. We just have to continue to do the work, go to the net, try to get pucks through, fight for rebounds. When you get that opportunity with the puck on your stick, you don’t have time to dust it off or stick handle it, you have to get it going to the net pretty quickly.”
Burke said practice Monday will be dedicated to offence.
“I know we’re gonna have a different kind of practice, a pure skills practice tomorrow (Monday), just really work on the individual skills but then come Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ll be back to back to normal practice and working on five-on-five and special teams.”
Burke doesn’t feel back-to-back shutouts are cause to the push the panic button.
“It’s one weekend, it’s bounces,” he said. “The Friday night game was a bad effort, but the Saturday night game was a great effort. If we give that effort every game, we’ll start getting our bounces.”
STATS PACK
Bulldogs 4 IceDogs 0
Bryony Hawthorn/Impact Players of the Game: Niagara’s Cameron Peters and Hamilton’s Ryan Humphrey.
For the Niagara IceDogs: No scoring.
For the Hamilton Bulldogs: George Diaco 2 (4); Ryan Humphrey (3); Logan Morrison (2).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Tristan Malboeuf (27), by Niagara on Tucker Tynan (24); Power plays: Niagara 0-for-3, Oshawa 0-for-3; Penalty minutes: Niagara 15, Oshawa 12.
Attendance: 3,797
Up next: The IceDogs are home to Barrie Thursday, in Oshawa Friday and home to Mississauga Saturday.
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