Breakout

Marco Azzano drives to the goal line with gusto.

Dukes score seven to end scoring slump

It was just their second win in seven games in September—a month the Wellington Dukes will be happy to see fade into the past. Buffalo isn’t a particularly strong team, nor is there a longsteeped rivalry between the Dukes and the Junior Sabres. Yet it was an important symbolic victory—important to have seven pucks beat an opposing netminder in one game.

The Dukes were starved of goals in September. Until Saturday night, the Dukes were averaging fewer than two goals a game. As good as Taylor Welsh and Olie Lafreniere are—and they are both very good netminders—it is hard to win games when your team struggles to score two or more goals.

But neither is the Dukes’ September record indicative of this team’s strength. Anyone who figures Wellington will continue to languish at the bottom of the standings, hasn’t been paying attention the past 15 seasons.

The signs are evident in every game.

In Kingston on Thursday, the Dukes controlled the puck in the Voyageurs’ zone—dismantling break out plays before Kingston could get rolling. But as in many other games in September, unforced errors—a bad line change, a misplaced pass, a simple breakdown in communication on the Dukes’ part too often resulted in a goal against.

In the third period, the Dukes dominated the Voyageurs, but couldn’t find the net.

They lost 5-1. Kingston fans know the Dukes will be back.

On Saturday, the Dukes travelled to Oakville for two games as part of the OJHL Governors Showcase weekend.

Wellington first faced off against Hamilton. After some rough years, the Red Wings are off to a decent start to the 2014-15 season—currently sitting first in the West division. The Dukes started the game flat, finding themselves two goals down after the first period.

Wellington had a bit more jump after coming out of the dressing room to start the second period. Joe McKeown was rewarded with a goal on the power play, with assists from new defencemen Francesco Tolfa and the returning Andrew Coupland.

Using this momentum, the Dukes pushed hard—but could not close the gap. They fired 24 shots at the Hamilton netminder in the frame. No luck. In the last second of the period, Hamilton scored to extend its lead.

The third period was a virtual replay of the second. The Dukes controlled the play at both ends of the ice. They managed to score another goal—Abbott Girduckis from Brandon Kosik and Joe McKeown. But despite a flurry of shots on the Hamilton net, the Dukes could not bury the puck.

Hamilton won 4-2, despite being outshot by the Dukes 49 to 28.

Abbot Girduckis (17) leads his team with five goals and three assists.

That made Sunday’s win so much more important. The Dukes didn’t just win—they exploded with seven goals. In fact, the Dukes had a 6-0 lead early in the third period.

Meanwhile, Buffalo managed just a single shot in the first period.

Brandon Kosik led the scoring outburst with a goal and three assists. Joe McKeown notched a hat trick. Girduckis had a goal and a pair of assists. Blake Peavey had a goal and an assist, as did defenceman Nathan Browne. Josh Supryka earned three assists.

Once again, the Dukes dominated the shot clock—pounding the Junior Sabres’ netminder 37-24. Olie Lafreniere earned his first win for the Dukes.

UP NEXT: TRENTON, LINDSAY AND COBOURG
The Dukes now prepare for a busy weekend against two strong division rivals and the number two team in the North Division.

On Friday, the Dukes visit Trenton—ranked number one in Canada this week by the CJHL. But that ranking was awarded before the Golden Hawks blew a three-goal lead, losing 5-3 to Cobourg Monday night.

Despite this setback, Trenton possesses a lethal offence—scoring an average 5.75 goals per game so far in the young 2014-15 season. Monday’s loss in Cobourg was the Golden Hawks’ first in eight games.

On Sunday night, the Dukes will welcome the Lindsay Muskies to Wellington. Lindsay started strongly with two wins and a draw, but then dropped the next three games. With two wins on the weekend, the Muskies believe they have righted their ship.

The Dukes will have other plans. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Essroc Centre in Wellington.

On Monday night, the Dukes visit the unfriendly confines of the Cobourg Community Centre. Cobourg sits right behind Trenton—second place in the East Division.

The Dukes fell 3-1 to the Cougars when they last met in September—when the Dukes were still struggling to score goals.

Now that the Dukes have regained their scoring touch, their fans are hoping September will become a distant memory.