IceDogs hang with the best
Jackson Doherty scored Niagara’s first goal as the IceDogs dropped a 3-2 decision to the Ottawa 67’s at home Thursday. Photo by: OHL IMAGES.
The Niagara IceDogs gave the Ottawa 67’s all they could handle Thursday night.
The IceDogs battled the No. 1 team in the Canadian Hockey League even for 40 minutes before the 67’s finally showed why they are a legitimate contender for a Memorial Cup.
The 67’s potted a pair of quick goals early in the third period to break a 1-1 tie en route to 3-2 victory in Ontario Hockey League action in St. Catharines.
IceDogs coach Billy Burke was easily able to find a silver lining in the black cloud of the team’s third straight loss and fifth in their last six games.
“I think we can take some moral victories from that, for sure,” Burke said. “When you’re the No. 1 team in the CHL, you’re the No. 1 team on the planet, so to hang with those guys, they’re a machine.
“I’m very proud of the effort of the guys, what they were saying on the bench and how excited they were getting for blocked shots and sticks in lanes and chipping pucks out, all the little things that was getting these guys excited.”
The IceDogs, who dropped a 6-0 decision at Ottawa last week, looked like a completely different squad this time around.
“Being able to play them last week and going over video and being at home and getting (Andrew) Bruder back, all those things certainly help a little bit,” Burke said. “I think we were more focused today. We were able to stick together. You didn’t see us shoot ourselves in the foot with huge mistakes that have been costing us.
“If we continue to tidy that up and continue to do defence by committee and offence by committee, keep that effort and structure and passion, we’ll start getting the results we want.”
The 67’s, who feature the top power play in the OHL, jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first two minutes into the game when Fort Erie native and former Meteor Daylon Groulx netted his 12th of the season.
Niagara tied the game just under five minutes into the second when Jackson Doherty deflected a pass from Mason Howard past Ottawa netminder Will Crawley.
It was the first goal for the IceDogs since Oliver Castleman scored late in the third period Jan. 23 versus Mississauga, a span of 1:45.24. The IceDogs were blanked twice over the weekend in Ottawa and Kingston.
The 67’s then potted a pair of goals less than three minutes apart early in the third to take a 3-1 lead before Cameron Butler narrowed the gap to 3-2 at the 15:20 mark. The IceDogs appeared to tie the game with 13 seconds to play, but the goal was quickly disallowed when it was ruled the whistle had blown before the puck crossed the line.
“We wanted to keep it close late and see what happens,” Burke said. “They probably had a little more jump than us in the third but we had a chance.”
Christian Sbaraglia turned in another solid performance between the pipes for Niagara with 42 saves.
The IceDogs must quickly turn the page and get ready to face the Barrie Colts Friday at home in a game with serious playoff implications. The IceDogs hold down the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and trail the Colts by three points for the seventh position.
“It’s huge,” Burke said. “Barrie is playing great. We have to make sure we don’t let up at all or it will be a tough night.”
Ice cubes: Issac Enright, Ivan Lodnia, Ethan Sims and Tucker Tynan did not dress for the IceDogs . . . IceDogs equipment manager Nick Hornby worked his 500th game . . . The IceDogs hosted their first blood drive earlier this week in honour of Tucker Tynan. The event brought 65 donors into the St. Catharines clinic, 18 of which were new. With 51 units of blood being donated, the event was a huge success for the clinic and Canadian blood donation. Tynan needed five units of blood after an on-ice accident on Dec. 12 For comparison, Canadian Blood Services notes the average adult human has 10.5 units of blood in their body. . . . Friday’s game versus Barrie is Pink in the Rink night. All funds raised from the game, through various opportunities throughout the game, will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society in Niagara, with a focus on women’s cancers . . . Four of Ottawa’s five NHL draft picks are property of the New Jersey Devils . . . Former IceDog forward Nick Pastorious was in attendance.
67’s 3 IceDogs 2
BPSN Star of the Game: Ottawa defenceman Noah Hoefenmayer with a goal and an assist.
Niagara IceDogs: Cam Butler (15); Jackson Doherty (3).
Ottawa 67’s: Hoefenmayer (18); Jack Quinn (38); Daylon Groulx (12).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Will Cranley (22), by Ottawa on Christian Sbaraglia (46); Power plays: Niagara 1-for-5, Ottawa 0-for-4; Penalty minutes: Niagara 6, Ottawa 10.
Attendance: 4,809
Up next: The IceDogs are home to Barrie Friday.
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