Overtime heartbreaker for IceDogs
The point earned by the Niagara IceDogs in their 4-3 overtime loss to the Sudbury Wolves Thursday night at Meridian Centre was of little consolation to head coach Ben Boudreau.
The Wolves, who have won five straight and now lead the East by one point over the Brantford Bulldogs and North Bay Battalion, won it when Quentin Musty scored 1:33 into the extra frame.
“That’s a very good hockey team and as good as we could have played and held on, we made a mental error at the end of the game and it cost us,” Boudreau said. “We could have got the puck out of the zone, we didn’t, and it went right back into our net.
“We talked about putting a priority on managing the puck and at the most crucial time of the game we didn’t. It’s a mistake from one of our best players, a young guy we hope he learns from, but it cost us tonight.”
The loss was the fourth straight and eighth in their last nine games for the IceDogs who trail the Barrie Colts by seven points for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The Colts also own two games in hand.
Already short-handed with Michael Podolioukh and Andrew Wycisk on the sidelines with injures, the club was also without centre Alex Assadourian, who is serving the second of a five game suspension. Starting goaltender Owen Flores is also out, hasn’t skated in over week, and won’t play this weekend.
“We had three injuries and an already short-handed, depleted lineup, and we still kept going and that’s why it stings, because they gave us everything they had and still came up short,” Boudreau lamented.
As well, defenceman Ryan Vannatten took a pair of pucks to the face while forward Evan Klein had his bell rung and rookie Ethan Czata missed a few shifts after being shaken up.
“We’re still dealing with a multitude of injuries where playing healthy right now isn’t an option. Even with the short lineup we have, guys are still playing though injuries,” Boudreau said.
Both teams scored a goal in each period, the Wolves tying the game at 12:18 of the third on a power play.
Speaking of the power play, the IceDogs went scoreless in two opportunities with the man advantage after coming into the game with the worst power play in the league with just 16 goals in 153 chances.
“I have never seen anything like it,” Boudreau said. “Our power play is anemic to say the best. We’re looking for guys to play certain positions and through 45 games we haven’t found someone who stands out to make a difference. We don’t start with the puck. We didn’t win a single power-play face off tonight so we chased from the get go. On our one unit we have two, 16-year-old defencemen. With all respect to the young guys, they’re not in a position to dominate yet and the guys who should be in that position are still 17 and 16 and we lack certain abilities to be in those positions.”
The IceDogs did score two short-handed goals by Kevin He and Gavin Bryant and are now tied with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for the league lead with 13 short-handed goals.
“As far the penalty kill, it’s been going and thank god for that,” Boudreau said.
Charlie Robertson made his fifth straight start in net and was once again outstanding, kicking out 41 shots.
“I thought he responded great tonight after a couple of tough games on the weekend,” Boudreau said.
Ice cubes: Owen Flores, Alex Assadourian (game two of five game suspension), Michael Podolioukh and Andrew Wycisk did not dress for the IceDogs . . . Nate Krawchuk, Devin Mauro and Ethan Pryce were scratched for Sudbury . . . Former Port Colborne Sailor Tucker Adams, now a member of the junior C Grimsby Peach Kings, acted as Robertson’s backup . . . Sudbury features seven NHL picks in their roster . . . Niagara forward Michael Levin returned from the IIHF U20 Division (group A) tournament. Levin won gold with Team Israel, recording nine goals and eight assists in four games played.
STATS PACK
Wolves 4 IceDogs 3 (OT)
Niagara’s Gavin Bryant and Sudbury’s Quentin Musty.
Niagara IceDogs: Kevin He 2 (22,23); Gavin Bryant (12).
Sudbury Wolves: Quentin Musty 2 (24,25); Landon McCallum (16); Chase Coughlan (8).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Marcus Vandenberg (21), by Sudbury on Charlie Robertson (45); Power plays: Niagara 0/2, Sudbury 1/5; Penalty minutes: Niagara 12, Sudbury 9.
Attendance: 3,252.
Next up: The IceDogs are in Peterborough Saturday and back home Sunday against North Bay at 4 p.m.
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