IceDogs hold off Colts
The Niagara IceDogs need to develop a consistent killer instinct.
As a team with at the very least an Ontario Hockey League championship as their goal, the Niagara IceDogs are going to be held to a higher standard.
The IceDogs managed to hold off the Barrie Colts 4-3 Sunday afternoon in St. Catharines, but it was far from the complete, 60-minute effort that’s going to be required come the playoffs.
“A win is a win but it’s certainly a lot closer than it needed to be,” IceDogs head coach Billy Burke said. “That’s on us. We survived it. It was like a boxing match. We took one on the chin and stumbled but we were able to keep our feet under us.”
Burke is well aware the type of effort exhibited Sunday — mostly in the final 40 minutes— are unacceptable for a team loaded with talented veterans.
“We can’t think it’s point night. Everyone becomes Rain Man calculating points and that stuff,” Burke said. “You can’t worry about that stuff.
“You just have to play and keep going. Every team has good guys and you have to keep playing.”
The IceDogs turned in a similar effort late in Thursday’s 7-4 win over Erie when they built up a big lead, only to let down in the third. They then rebound wth an excellent overall effort in a 3-0 win Friday versus Sudbury.
Niagara dominated the opening 20 minutes, jumping out to a 3-0 lead less than halfway through the period including Kirill Maksimov’s 40th of the season. The IceDogs registered 18 shots on net before the Colts were credited with a shot on Stephen Dhillon. Niagara outshot Barrie 23-2 overall in the period.
“Barrie was set up for all the excuses with a 7:30 start (Saturday) and the time change and it was important to get off to a good lead,” Burke said. “We got the lead and we thought Barrie would roll over and obviously they didn’t.
“They are fighting for their lives too. You don’t ever want to let a team tie it up after you are up 3-0.”
The IceDogs took their foot off the gas in the second and it cost them dearly as the Colts took advantage and tied the game with three goals less than nine minutes in. Captain Ben Jones then resorted Niagara’s lead when he netted his 40th of the season. The IceDogs led 42-11 shots after two. Niagara ended up outshooting Barrie 48-22.
The IceDogs lead the Wolves by two points for first place in the Central Division with three games to play. They are also second overall in the Eastern Conference.
Ice cubes: Christian Sbaraglia, Jonah DiSimone, Andrew Bruder and Kyen Sopa did not dress for Niagara. Burke said Bruder and Sopa were week to week . . . Jack York, Maksimov Zhukov, Jacob Tortora, Matej Pekar and Ben Hawerchuk were scratched for Barrie . . . The IceDogs honoured their billet families before the game.
IceDogs 4 Colts 3
Niagara IceDogs: Ben Jones (40); Kirill Maksimov (40); Akil Thomas (35); Ivan Lodnia (9)
Barrie Colts: Ryan Suzuki (23); Aidan Brown (13); Sam Rhodes (9).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Kal Edmonds (48), by Barrie on Stephen Dhillon (22); Power plays: Niagara 2-for-6, Barrie 1-for-6; Penalty minutes: Niagara 16, Barrie 16.
Attendance: 5,495 (sell out)
Up next: Home to Mississauga Thursday in the final home game of the regular season. The IceDogs then wrap up the season Friday in Barrie and Sunday in North Bay.
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