The cure

Tyler Burnie powers to the net in the second period on Sunday, in time to redirect Ben Sokay’s pass into the Lindsay net. The Dukes were shorthanded at the time.

Dominant win on Sunday enables Dukes to shake losing streak

Lindsay was just the antidote the Wellington Dukes were looking for after three straight losses. Not that the Muskies are a bad team—they aren’t. They are a young team—they will be contenders again. But on Sunday afternoon, the Dukes simply outworked Lindsay. Every play. Every battle. Every shift. There were long stretches in this Sunday afternoon game during which the puck never left the Muskies’ end of the ice. When the whistle blew, the Lindsay players were spent—barely enough steam to get back to their bench.

So while the 10-1 score might suggest this was a game of superior firepower, it was more of a demonstration of shock and awe. Wave after wave of Dukes players rolling over the boards, moving the puck deep in the Lindsay end—pushing through the stick checks and scoring when the chances arose.

The Dukes’ top line had a good game. Ben Sokay scored three and assisted another two, including a brilliant goalline pass to Tyler Burnie. Dylan Mascarin earned five points, including a goal. Luc Brown scored one and assisted on three others. Yet this game wasn’t won by the top line— it was won by every Dukes player on the ice.

Dukes coach and general manager Marty Abrams preaches 60 minutes of effort—on Sunday, he got that. The result was sheer dominance.

It wasn’t, however, until near the end of the first period that the Dukes first scored. On the power play, Mascarin swatted home a rebound from a Jacob Panetta shot. The Muskies collapsed. The Dukes took advantage, scoring two more (Sokay and Hetherington—his first since returning from injury) before the buzzer sounded at the end of the first period.

In the second period, things got worse for the Muskies. Even when they had the man-advantage, they were in trouble. Twice, the Dukes broke out on the penalty-kill with an odd-man rush into the Lindsay end. The second time, Sokay found Burnie charging to the net, his large frame pushing through the last defender, redirecting the puck into the net.

The rout was on. The Dukes scored three more in the second—Brody Maracle, Brown and another from Sokay.

Early in the third period, the Dukes were again on the power play—the Muskies were losing their grip. Mack Warren, a call up from the Quinte Red Devils, filling in for a depleted blueline was given the nod for the power play—a two-man advantage. The puck moved around the Muskies zone, then back to Warren. He slid to the centre of the ice until he found a lane he liked. He wristed a shot through traffic, finding the top corner. It was his first OJHL goal. It was a good one.

Later, Sokay added his third and Burnie his second goal of the game.

Olivier Lafreniere’s shutout was spoiled late in the third period as the Dukes were shorthanded serving a penalty. Otherwise, Lafreniere was sharp when he needed to be. The Muskies managed, however, just 21 shots in the game.

The win was an important reminder of how the Dukes have achieved success this season—60 minutes of effort from every line.

MARKHAM 7 – DUKES 5
It was a different story on Friday night.

Markham has modelled the latest iteration of its OJHL team on the Wellington Dukes. They are fast, hardworking and skilled. They aren’t a big team, looking to break their opponents. Instead, they play intensely at both ends of the rink. They want the puck and are willing to do the work along the wall to get it.

The Dukes play the same game. Some say they invented it. If so, the Markham Royals are faithful disciples.

The game on Friday wasn’t a minute old before the Royals scored. Uncharacteristically, the Dukes were caught standing around as Markham moved the puck easily in the Wellington end until they scored.

Moments later the Royals opened up a two-goal lead before a stunned Essroc Arena crowd.

Sidelined for a few weeks, defenceman Jacob Hetherington has logged plenty of minutes on his return. Hetherington has committed to play for the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks of the CIS next season.

Then things got weird. The Dukes scored two. Markham scored two more. The Dukes scored another two. By the end of the first period, eight goals had been scored and the game was tied 4-4.

That was it for Dukes’ goalie Sam Tanguay. But when the Dukes went ahead early in the second—on a goal tapped in by a Markham player, the Royals starting netminder was done, too.

It had the desired effect of restoring some order to the game. Markham tied the game late in the second with two Dukes in the penalty box. The Royals scored seconds later as the Dukes failed to kill the second penalty. Markham regained the lead.

The Dukes still had a period to get back in the game. They were down by just a goal. But Markham’s checking was unrelenting—up and down the ice. The Dukes had just come off a bruising loss in Newmarket the night before. Their lineup was hurting and shortstaffed.

Reasonable excuses. Excuses nonetheless. Then came the unkindest cut. Former Dukes player Marco Azzano, outworking the Dukes’ top line, muscled his way to the net—scoring the only even-strength goal Lafreniere allowed all evening.

UP NEXT: KINGSTON, MARKHAM AND AURORA
The Dukes’ last road game finds them in Kingston on Thursday night. The Voyageurs sit solidly in second place in the East division and, indeed, in the NorthEast conference overall. They’ve won eight of their last 10—losing only to Trenton and the Toronto Jr. Canadiens.

On Friday night, the Dukes welcome Markham back for a return visit to Wellington. The Dukes will be eager for a better outcome.

On Sunday afternoon, the Dukes will host the Aurora Tigers in what may be a prelude to the first round of playoffs. The Dukes and Tigers are currently sitting in fourth and fifth position in the NorthEast Conference—though Newmarket’s late season surge has them hunting for a playoff series with Wellington.

Aurora has played .500 hockey in its last 10 games—downing Trenton along the way, but losing to Cobourg and Whitby.

Sunday’s game is yet another afternoon affair. The puck drops in Wellington at 2 p.m.

LATE ADDITION
The Dukes picked up forward William Ward last week. The Whitby native was out of the OJHL, playing high school hockey. The 18-year-old played five games early in the season with Lindsay. He earned five points in 49 games with the Whitby Fury last season.

ON THE MEND
Defencemen Justin Bean and AJ Klein have been sidelined with injury, joining forward Colin Doyle in the stands.