IceDogs looking to get back on track
The Niagara IceDogs are going back to the basics.
The IceDogs don’t plan to try and reinvent the wheel when they convene for practice Wednesday following a couple of days off after a tough road trip.
“I think it’s important not to get too fragile,” Niagara coach Billy Burke said. “When things aren’t going well, it’s easy to start to panic and squeeze the sticks too tight. We just need to relax and simplify things a little bit and go back to what was giving us success.
“We’re not panicking or anything like that. We just need to work through it and not try and do too much. When guys try and do too much to try and get out of a bad situation, that’s when it can go backwards.”
The IceDogs had been playing some of their best hockey of the season winning eight in a row until they dropped a 6-1 decision at Ottawa Feb. 2. The club dropped the next three as well and are currently mired in a season high four-game losing streak.
Burke admitted there is no quick fix.
“I really think it’s been a combination of things,” he said. “I really don’t think it’s one thing where we can snap our fingers and everything will be good.
“Maybe it’s a little bit of an accumulation of a few factors that have hit us at the same time. It’s hard to say but I definitely think it’s not insurmountable at all.”
The IceDogs have permitted 19 goals in the four losses, but overall are still fourth in the Ontario Hockey League in goals against.
“It doesn’t matter how many goal scorers you have if you’re giving up five and six and seven goals every night,” Burke said. “We were one of the lower teams in goals against in the league. We have that ability, but it has to be the main focus to get things going right again and make sure we are limiting chances in our end and cleaning it up and spending as little time as possible there.”
The IceDogs are off until Saturday when they travel to Erie and Burke and the coaching staff gave the team both Monday and Tuesday off.
“The long week and not playing until Saturday couldn’t have come at a better time,” he said. “We’ve spent a lot of time together lately with all the travel so it’s good to take a couple of days off when you can and refocus and recharge and then come back with a whole new focus for this weekend.”
Burke feels a good game Saturday and the IceDogs could be back on track.
“Confidence and momentum are such a huge thing in the OHL. Once you grind out that hard one to break the streak and then hopefully guys start to feel good another and then winning becomes contagious.
“We’re finding ways to lose. Now we have to make our own breaks and that will start to become contagious again.”
Ice cubes: The IceDogs have partnered with Canadian Mental Health Association, Niagara for a mental health awareness game Sunday, Feb. 17, presented by Teachers Life versus the Sudbury Wolves. The game day experience will have several features to promote the importance of mental health, including: A CMHA-run kiosk on the concourse where fans can learn more about mental health and the organization’s community-based services; a ceremonial puck drop and photo opportunity with CMHA Niagara; videos featuring Niagara IceDogs players talking about the importance of mental health; public service announcements about mental health and CMHA Niagara; and, mental health signs for fans to write on and show in unison at a designated stoppage in play . . . The IceDogs have signed Bob Janosz as their new goaltending coach. Janosz has worked with the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers and their AHL affiliates, as well as several current NHL goaltenders including Linus Ullmark, Craig Anderson and Jacob Markstrom. He also spent nearly 10 years scouting for USA Hockey. Most recently, he was the goaltending coach at Buffalo State University.
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