Consistency issues hound IceDogs
The Niagara IceDogs dropped a 6-0 decision at Oshawa Monday. Photo: NIAGARA ICEDOGS
The Niagara IceDogs wrapped up a wildly inconsistent week with a 6-0 loss to the Oshawa Generals in Ontario Hockey League action Monday afternoon in Oshawa.
The loss, on the heels of a similar 5-1 defeat at home the previous afternoon to the Brantford Bulldogs, was in stark contrast to a pair solid efforts versus the Generals and Erie Otters in their previous two games which resulted in victories.
“You see them have success and then you wonder why they’re not doing it on a nightly basis because it feels great when you win,” IceDogs coach Ben Boudreau said. “To be a really great hockey player you have to be consistent in what you do and that’s one thing we lack is consistency in how we play.”
The IceDogs fell behind 3-0 to Oshawa after one period, just as they had to Brantford Sunday afternoon.
“We didn’t execute from any standpoint with the puck and you see other teams make the plays, they don’t bobble the puck and they play with speed and drive the net,” Boudreau added. “We played soft and were easy to play against and we wanted it to come easy after the first of the week and we absolutely got it handed to us.”
The IceDogs continue to struggle on the power play, going scoreless in 10 opportunities in the last two games. The club is last overall in power play percentage.
“We’re not getting the job done. We have still yet to find somebody that can move the puck and find it through lanes,” Boudreau said. “I really lament that being so unsuccessful that it drives me up the wall when I see it.”
Boudreau said the IceDogs need to display more of an effort to score from the dirty areas on the ice.
“Our players need to find a way to play with some grit and with some heart. If you stay on the outside, that’s exactly what you’re going to get. A soft team got soft results and I really lament that thinking it was going to come easy after two big wins.”
Charlie Robertson got the start in goal Monday and faced 39 shots.
“I’m not going to once look up at the shot clock and say this is Charlie Robertson’s fault,” Boudreau said. “Our team completely let him down. We got outplayed in front of our net, we got outplayed in front of their net, and when you look at the results from the last two nights, we got exactly what we deserved.
“There is no sugar coating it. We’re young and inexperienced. We got outplayed, we got out-battled and we were an inferior team in these last couple of matches. There’s no wondering where it went. That’s exactly what happened. Until we’re big enough and strong enough to play to the inside, those as are the type of results we’re going to expect.”
The IceDogs, 16-32-6-1, remain six points back of Barrie for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Colts own three games in hand.
The IceDogs are in Mississauga Friday and home to Kingston Saturday.
With files from Brandon Caputo of The Armchair GM’s Sports Network.
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