IceDogs hang tough with 67’s
It has been a trying season for Landon Cato.
The 19-year-old defenceman was named captain of the Niagara IceDogs last summer and went into the 2022/23 Ontario Hockey League season with high expectations.
But even before the regular season even began Cato ran into injury problems which have limited him to just 18 games.
Cato returned to the lineup Friday following a five-game absence and took a regular turn on the blueline as the IceDogs dropped a 4-1 decision to the league leading Ottawa 67’s in Ontario Hockey League action at Meridian Centre.
“It’s one of the tougher things I’ve had to deal with in my career but you never know what’s going to happen,” Cato said. “Nothing is ever set in stone so it’s just one of those things you have to battle through. It creates mental toughness.
“I’m just trying to get back out there with my boys and be in the battle with them, that’s my main goal.”
Cato suffered an upper body injury in pre-season and has been in and out of the lineup all year.
“It’s something that’s going to be there all year but the training staff and the doctors have helped me and put me in a position to play all year,” he said. “It’s feeling good and I’m going to have to just push through it.”
Cato admitted it isn’t easy trying to be a leader from the press box.
“It’s seriously hard to telling these guys to do things when I’m not on the ice with them,” he said. “That’s one thing I’ve tried to do a lot of, be a vocal leader and put my input in when I can and when things aren’t going well I want to be the guy for my teammates to call on me.
“I think I’ve been doing an OK job so far. We have a young team with a lot of talent. It’s a hard season but for sure it’s looking up. The culture in the room is already changing and you can see it in games.”
IceDogs coach Ryan Kuwabara feels having Cato in the lineup makes a big difference.
“It gives us some stability in the back end,” Kuwabara said. “We have D that can play against any line and that’s a benefit for us so then guys aren’t playing 30 minutes a game. When we have three-in-threes, it makes it really tough on them.”
The IceDogs fell to 8-18-4-1 but overall turned in a solid effort against the top team in the OHL.
“I thought our first period, we were really good,” Kuwabara said. “We didn’t give up much. It was tight hockey and in the second, that first goal they got took the wind out of our sails a little bit and put us on our heels, but the chances we got, if we bury those early I think it changes the game.
“It’s stuff we continue to work on. We can’t get mad at the guys for that. Definitely overall happy with it.”
It was the second straight solid effort following a win over Erie last week.
“It’s important day in and day out we’re working hard and playing the right way,” Kuwabara said. “It’s our mantra here, it’s our culture. No days off. Obviously there’s going to be days when you are tired but you have to find a way to battle through that.”
Ice cubes: Jacob LeBlanc and Ryan VanNetten did not dress for the IceDogs . . . Derek Smyth, Tyler Boucher, Ethan Quick, Vinzenz Rorcher and Jack Matier were scratched for the 67’s . . . Niagara’s Anthony Agostinelli missed on a penalty shot in the second period . . . Owen Power and Jack Quinn of the Buffalo Sabres were spotted in the stands. Quinn played for the 67’s . . . The 67’s have permitted the fewest goals while the IceDogs have given up the most . . . Chris O’Flaherty and Bronson Ride, acquired earlier in the day from Windsor, both arrived in time to play. Ride was noticeable on the blueline and turned in a couple of nice hits. O’Flaherty played on the fourth line with Evan Klein and Valdemar William Hull.
STATS PACK
Ottawa’s Jack Dever and Niagara’s Daniel Michaud.
67’s 4 IceDogs 1
Niagara IceDogs: Daniel Michaud (11).
Ottawa 67’s: Brady Stonehouse (19); Will Gerrior (5); Jack Beck (3); Jack Dever (2).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Max Donoso (27), by Erie on Owen Flores (32); Power plays: Niagara 0/1, Ottawa 1/2; Penalty minutes: Niagara 4, Ottawa 2.
Attendance: 4,520.
Next up: The IceDogs are in Barrie Saturday and North Bay Sunday.
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