’Dogs hold off reigning OHL champs
Home win gives Niagara 3-1 lead in Hamilton series
After receiving an honourable mention in the latest CHL rankings, the Niagara IceDogs made sure they remained in the conversation by defeating the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-3.
Thursday night’s win at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines was Niagara’s sixth in a row and third in four starts against the defending Ontario Hockey League champions.
IceDogs head coach Billy
Burke suggested the final score wasn’t indicative of his team’s play, especially in the middle frame.
“I think we had chances to extend the lead in the second period, but a couple of pucks just missed, hit some posts,” he said in post-game comments.
While Niagara outshot Hamilton 40-36 and never trailed, the game nonetheless never quite “felt comfortable” to Burke, who said playing with a lead in the OHL requires a balancing act.
“If you sit back too much, it’s going to hurt you; if you push too much, it’s going to hurt you,” he added. “It’s just about being smart, trying to limit their rushes, and trying to spend as little time as possible in our end.
“Usually, if you can stifle teams and frustrate them, more times than not you’re going to get a chance the other way.”
Earning first-star honours was Ivan Lodnia, whose two firstperiod goals staked the IceDogs to a lead they would never relinquish. “His practice habits are outstanding, he really raises the tempo in practice,” Burke said in praising the Minnesota Wild prospect acquired from the Erie Otters in the off-season. “He’s a true pro in his day-to-day.
“I feel like he’s been here since he was 16, he fits in with everything we want.”
Burke described Lodnia as a “consistent 20-goal scorer” with “great speed” and “really good hands. He’s a reliable guy, he’s a strong penalty killer, a strong two-way guy,” the coach said. “He’s just a very, very strong player with great pro habits who has a real shot to move up.”
Niagara outshot Hamilton 17-9 in the first period. Goals from Ben Jones, on the power play; Lodnia, his second of the game; put the hosts up 3-1 after Lodnia and the Bulldogs’ Navrin Mutter traded goals within 31 seconds of each other less than two minutes into the game.
Jason Robertson received an assist on Jones’ goal, extending a streak of earning at least a point to 16 games. Also getting a helper
was Kirill Maksimov, who set up Jones while falling to the ice in front of the Hamilton goal.
Shots on goal were 12 aside in the middle frame, but the IceDogs had the edge in scoring opportunities, one goalpost to none.
Like the first period, the third period opened with goals in rapid-fire fashion, in the same order, too. Thirteen seconds after Philip Tomasino’s 12th of the season for the IceDogs was allowed following a video review, Matthew Strome replied for Hamilton to make it a two-goal game.
With the Bulldogs playing a man up, Tim Fleischer made it a one-goal beating a screened Stephen Dhillon with a blistering shot from the top of the left faceoff circle. Dhillon made two game-saving stops in the final minute when Hamilton pulled its goalie for an extra attacker in an all-out bid to score the equalizer and force overtime.
Both breeds of ’Dogs came into the game on a roll: Niagara was seeking to win its sixth straight and eighth in 11 games: the Bulldogs, winners of two in a row, had five victories in their last eight games.
’Dog Biscuits: Daniel Bukac, D; Kyen Sopa, RW; were not in the Niagara lineup. Both are with their respective national teams – Czech Republic, Switzerland – preparing for the world junior championships. Jason Robertson left the IceDogs after the game to join Team USA. Dylan D’Agostino, LW; Mackenzie Entwistle,
RW; Logan Morrison, C; Michael Renwick, D; were the scratches for Hamilton … Niagara earned an honourable mention in the weekly CHL Top 10 rankings. The London Knights, their opponent on the road last night, is No. 4 … Beyond Montessori School and Harmony Music sang the national anthem.
“Usually, if you can stifle teams and frustrate them, more times than not you’re going to get a chance the other way.” BILLY BURKE Niagara IceDogs head coach