IceDogs drop ninth straight
Ivan Galiyanov is rounding into a solid contributor in his rookie season with the Niagara IceDogs.
The 16-year-old forward got off to a slow start as he made the jump from midget to the Ontario Hockey League but in the second half of the season has shown flashes of the potential that made him a fourth round pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection.
Galiyanov potted his seventh goal of the season Thursday as the IceDogs dropped a 7-4 decision on home ice to the Erie Otters, their ninth straight loss.
Galiyanov, who is listed a five-foot-seven, 135 pounds, said he has worked hard in the weight room to add some much needed muscle.
“It don’t really know how to describe it, but over the year I got comfortable with the speed and physicality,” he said. “I’m getting bigger over the year. My goal this year was gain some weight. At the start of the year I wasn’t as big as I am now. That’s what’s getting me more comfortable in this league, getting bigger off the ice.”
Despite his smaller stature, Galiyanov doesn’t mind mixing it up.
“It’s pretty hard but I honestly do like playing against older guys,” he said. “I feel like it pushes me to my limit. The speed is way faster and it’s way more physical. That’s what makes the jump so big. That’s what motives me. Just keep pushing and get better every single year.”
IceDogs coach Ben Boudreau loves Galiyanov attitude.
“The kid buys in, he’s very coachable,” Boudreau said. “He’s part of the solution, not part of the problem. You see his trajectory and path toward success and he’s going to have a pretty good career here for Niagara.
“He’s smart defensively, he competes a lot bigger than what he is. He has the ability to skate, pass and shoot and he has no problem going to the net. When you look at his last three goals, they all came off second chance opportunities. He’s the lifeblood of the team and he’s a guy who may play on your first line one day or buy into a role on your fourth line. He can play anywhere.”
Boudreau feels Galiyanov will make even more of an impact as he finds his niche.
“There’s still a long way to go with the 16-year-old kids. If he can start shooting the puck a little bit more I think he’s going to be a threat,” Boudreau said.
The IceDogs continue to struggle terribly in their own end — they have permitted a whopping 64 goals during the current nine-game losing streak.
“I thought overall the forward group played a pretty good game, the five D that we had I thought was one of the worst games I’ve seen them play as a collective group,” Boudreau said. “We talked about (Owen) Flores making the stops he needs to make and I thought he did that. When you look at six of the goals they came from the net front. Wide open. We lost the battles and weren’t able to compete.
“I thought our D were rushing the puck and trying to do it all themselves. The D just didn’t have it tonight and collectively as a team we lost. We didn’t show up with those five guys ready to compete and I thought Erie, give them credit, they found a way to get to the dirty areas to score goals.”
Former IceDog Pano Fimis had a standout effort with a goal and four assists for the Otters.
Ice cubes: Michael Podolioukh and Andrew Wycisk did not dress for the IceDogs . . . Ben Gaudreau, Nicholas Holomego and Wesley Royston were scratched for the Otters . . . The IceDogs scored three goals on their first six shots.
STATS PACK
Otters 7 IceDogs 4
Erie’s Pano Fimis and Niagara’s Gavin Bryant.
Niagara IceDogs: Gavin Bryant 2 (18, 19); Kevin He (31); Ivan Galiyanov (7).
Erie Otters: Sam Alfano 2 (24, 25); Dylan Edwards 2 (16, 17); Pano Fimis (23); Martin Misiak (19); Brett Hammond (2).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Ethan Fraser (35), by Erie on Owen Flores (35); Power plays: Niagara 1/4, Erie 1/3; Penalty minutes: Niagara 10, Erie 12.
Attendance: 4,531.
Next up: The IceDogs are in Mississauga Friday and back home Sunday at 2 p.m. to take on the Barrie Colts.
Dear reader. If you liked this story or one of the 5,800 other stories found on our website, please consider hitting the Support Us button on the right-hand side of our home page and making a PayPal contribution to our website. Your support would be much appreciated. If you are a business owner, please consider advertising on our site. Our rates are reasonable and we provide plenty of exposure for your business. Contact bpotrecz@outlook.com for more information.
