Clinched

Dukes bound for the playoffs

On Saturday afternoon, the Wellington Dukes clinched a playoff spot for the 30th consecutive season before a national audience on CHCH television. It is the kind of statistical benchmark David Brown loved to track, promote and share. Sadly, Brown passed away late last year missing this important milestone. He would have revelled in the astonishing record of unrivaled success of his team, the Wellington Dukes.

DUKES 4 – KINGSTON 1
The clinching game was unremarkable however. The Kingston Voyageurs are a dispirited lot—with just a handful of games before the end of their season, perhaps the end of the team. They went through the motions of a hockey team, but it was plain that most wanted to be somewhere else.

Frank Vitucci (11) steals the puck from a couple of Voyageurs in the second period on Saturday afternoon. Vitucci has earned 14 points in his last 12 games.

The challenge for the Dukes was that they tend to play to the level of their opponent. So as the pace slowed, so did Wellington. But the Dukes’ timing doesn’t work at this speed. A game that should have been salted away early instead stumbled along indecisively until late in the second period.

Kingston grabbed the lead early in the game. Despite being penned in their own end from the opening face-off, the Voyageurs were able to convert a bobbled pass by the Dukes at the Kingston blueline into a breakaway. Dukes netminder Logan Bateman got a piece of the puck—but not enough. It was Kingston’s first shot on net. And they had the lead.

There was no panic on the Dukes bench. Perhaps a small amount might have spurred the pace. Yet the Dukes continued to dominate the weary Voyageurs. Frustration became penalties. Late in the first, on the power play, Kingston’s play was to jam the puck along the wall in a scrum. But Dukes forward Andrew Rinaldi dug in, badger-like, and emerged from the large pack with the puck. Ben Woodhouse was in the midslot. Alone. An easy pass. Shot. The game was tied.

Early in the second period, the Dukes gained the zone and moved the puck around sedentary Kingston players. Rinaldi slid the puck into the open side of the net. The Dukes had the lead.

But the Voyageurs seemed to gain a shot of adrenalin—induced by competitor’s pride or the fact that it was the second period and they only trailed by a goal. But the resurgence amounted to nothing and soon evaporated. It was gone by the time Dawson Ellis, Jacob Vreugdenhil and Adam Usinger combined to put the Dukes up 3-1. Daniel Panetta added another in the third to finish the scoring.

A solid win. A playoff clincher. Broadcast across the nation. Yet one couldn’t help feel for the young Kingston team, with their heads down, facing the end of their playoff hopes.

BIG D RETURNS
Saturday’s game marked the return of defenceman Quinn Hanna to the Dukes lineup. His big frame is a welcome boost to the Dukes blueline—though the rust from a two month layoff was evident in this game.

TRENTON 2 – DUKES 1 2OT
On Sunday the Dukes hosted the Trenton Golden Hawks in the sixth and final game between these clubs. Though both teams have four games to play in the regular season and, theoretically, the opportunity to improve their rankings—it is likely that the Dukes will face the Cobourg Cougars in the first round of the playoffs.

Tyson Gilmour has 55 points in 49 games this season. He quarterbacked the play that led to the Dukes’ lone goal in the overtime loss to Trenton.

However, had the Dukes won on Sunday, they would have increased the odds of a Trenton-Wellington first round series.

Alas.

Despite some good action, the first period produced no goals. It wasn’t until late in the second period before the stalemate was broken.

The Dukes’ Tyson Gilmour won the faceoff in the Trenton zone, back to the defenceman on the point. Back to Gilmour, now deep in the corner. Shot on net. Dylan Massie was at the goalmouth to pry the puck loose from the sprawling Trenton netminder. It spilled onto the blue paint, where Elijah Gonzalves was ready to pounce. He poked the puck into the net.

Early in the third, the Dukes defended a standard rush into their zone. Keeping everyone with a black jersey to the outside. But a shot from deep in the Dukes corner fooled Logan Bateman. It slipped between his pads. An unfortunate goal. The game was tied.

Trenton fans couldn’t believe their luck.

Both teams earned chances in overtime. But it was a Dukes mistake that led to losing goal. Three on three, defenceman Tim Fallowfield pushed toward the net with the puck. He was knocked to the ice and lost his stick. One Duke forward curled back to form a defence. The other inexplicably continued to the net. In an instant, it was three Golden Hawks on one lone Duke.

Pass. Pass. Shot. OT winner.

UP NEXT: COBOURG, ST. MIKES AND WHITBY
The Dukes finish out their regular season schedule with four games in five days. On Wednesday Wellington travels to Cobourg for a make-up game. Cobourg is expected to finish first in the East Division. This game will likely be a prequel of the first round in the playoffs. As such, it is hard to predict how each team will prepare for this game. Coaches will want to keep their playoff strategies under wraps and neither will want to risk injuries or suspensions.

On Friday night the Dukes welcome St. Michael’s. The Buzzers, too, have secured a playoff spot, currently sitting second in South Division—but with a poorer record than the Dukes (fourth in the East.) St. Mikes has won four of its last five games, downing both Oakville and Whitby in recent games.

Cobourg returns to Wellington on Sunday afternoon for a 1:30 match-up. Fans looking to assess the Dukes’ chances in the first round will want to make time for this game.

Then on Monday night the Dukes travel to Whitby for the final game of their season. There remain arithmetic scenarios in which this game could be meaningful. Third place Whitby leads the fourth place Dukes by three points. The Dukes have four games remaining, the Fury have five. A winning streak by the Dukes and a swoon by the Fury could set up a thrilling Monday night match.