Jack pots four
Niagara IceDogs coach Billy Burke admired Jack Studnicka from afar when the centre was a member of the Oshawa Generals.
Now that Studnicka is a member of the IceDogs, Burke has come to appreciate the veteran centre even more.
Studnicka fired four goals Thursday to pace the IceDogs past the Kitchener Rangers 10-2 in Ontario Hockey League action in St. Catharines.
“It’s his details and his 200-foot game that’s always been most appealing about him,” Burke said. “We knew he could score — he certainly scored enough against us last year. He’s at 27 goals now and he’s just a solid, well-rounded player.
Studnicka scored his first three on the power play and then added his fourth while the IceDogs were shorthanded.
He had to think for a moment when asked if he remembered the last time he scored four goals in a game.
“It has to have been in minor hockey, I’ve never done it in the OHL,” he said.
Studnicka has been even more of a threat offensively with Niagara than he was with the Generals. Studnicka was acquired with defenceman Matt Brassard in a blockbuster deal that saw Lleyton Moore and several picks head to the Gens.
“It’s almost a confidence boost in a way that they gave up that much for you,” he said. “I came in here with a lot of confidence and things have gone well for me.
“It’s so fun. There are so many high-calibre players on the team. Even practice, we have so many guys who have been to NHL camps and they know how to handle themselves off the ice. It’s been great. Everyone has been on the same page.”
The IceDogs, 35-15-7, have won two straight and seem to have turned things around after a rough patch the previous couple of weeks which saw them lose four in a row and five of six.
“It’s huge. We’ve had a rough couple of games, we’ve been a little inconsistent, so to able to put up an effort like that feels good,” Studnicka said. “We put the effort in so it’s nice to see it pay off.
“Short memory in this league. You’re not going to win every game 10-2 so we have to regroup.”
Niagara roared out to a 4-1 lead after 20 minutes which included a pair of goals on the power play before adding three more in the second.
“Any time you can be up like that at home, the crowd is rocking all night,” Burke said. “It takes a lot of pressure away.
“It’s not what we were anticipating at all, but the guys have been working so hard and all on the same page, (which) allows things to get that way.”
Ice cubes: Ivan Lodnia, Jonah DeSimone, Andrew Bruder and Christian Sbaraglia did not dress for the IceDogs . . . Carter Tresoor, Isaac Langdon and Eric Guest were scratched for the Rangers . . . Niagara employed defenceman Mason Howard as a winger on the fourth line . . . Former IceDog Justin MacPherson scored the Rangers final goal . . . Former Brock Badgers coach Murray Nystrom, now head coach at the University of Lethbridge, was in attendance.
IceDogs 10 Rangers 2
BPSN Star of the Game: Niagara forward Jack Studnicka with four goals.
Niagara IceDogs: Studnicka 4 (24,25,26,27); Kirill Maksimov 2 (33,34); Kyen Sopa 2 (17,18); Akil Thomas (30); Oliver Castleman (17).
Kitchener Rangers: Justin MacPherson (3); Graham Dickerson (1).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Luke Richardson/Lucas Pfeil (37), by Kitchener on Stephen Dhillon (33); Power plays: Niagara 3-for-13, Kitchener 0-for-4; Penalty minutes: Niagara 10, Kitchener 8.
Attendance: 5,300 (sell out).
Up next: Home to Peterborough Saturday. At Owen Sound Sunday afternoon.
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