Digging deep

Skeleton crew beat Markham, and send a message to Oakville

It was a brilliant game. Hard-fought, smash-mouth hockey that left the visiting Oakville Blades wondering what they had done to deserve this punishment. Not mean. Nor vicious. Just clean, bruising forechecking, relentless back checking— attacking until the whistle blew. Then just a bit more.

The Dukes headed into this game with a huge handicap. One full line was missing. Captain Colin Doyle, power forward Ben Evans and defenceman Mason Snell were in Truro, skating for Team Canada East in the World Junior A Challenge tournament. Second- leading point getter Teddy McGeen, out with an upper body injury, watched from the stands, while defenceman Geoff Lawson sat out the second game of a suspension.

The battles were close and hard fought on Sunday as Mitchell Martan smells a scoring opportunity.

Five top guys. Four replacements. Fifteen year- old forward Isaac Langdon, as well as Picton call-ups Zach Smith, Devin Morrison and Jesse Kestenbaum.

So they kept it simple.

But even with five big guns out, the Dukes still have an enviable store of firepower upon which to draw. Mitchell Martan is surely one of the most gifted playmakers in the OJHL. And when he puts his mind to it, Andrew Rinaldi has the ability to make defenders look like practice pylons. And every once in awhile Declan Carlisle shows that he can go end to end with the puck and finish with the flourish of a dedicated sniper. Jonah Capriotti is likely among the most athletic netminders in the OJHL and sees the play evolving seemingly in slow-motion.

Oakville’s shooters had to be very good to get the puck past him. And they were on just three occasions. All three, unfortunately came as a result of defensive breakdown. Youth. Inexperience.

But the takeaway for the Oakville Blades, however, is that absent those obvious mistakes, the Dukes might have won this game. Improbably. Impossibly.

That is surely what had to be buzzing inside the Oakville players heads as they boarded the bus back to the GTA. What was that?

OAKVILLE 3 – DUKES 2
The Dukes had no business in this game. In fairness, the Blades also played without a couple of defenders—also in Truro. But otherwise the South Division leaders were intact. Oakville is a quick team, with talented forwards who know how to snipe the corners of the net.

After a good solid start—dump, chase, pursue, finish checks, repeat—a bad giveaway at the Dukes blueline led to a penalty. Then a power play goal. Another bad decision at the blueline. Another goal. The game wasn’t five minutes old—and the Blades had a 2-0 lead.

But the Dukes tightened up. Capriotti was brilliant. No more damage in the first. In the second, Eric Uba—a young, up and coming player maximizing his opportunity with more ice time— demonstrated his strongest suit. Though sheer determination, he dug the puck out of the corner, swung around and jammed the puck at the net. Two or three more whacks in close. Three hundred dollar sticks creasing his spine. Loose puck. Mitchell Mendonca was at the doorstep to tap it in.

Early in the third, Oakville scored. Another team might have wilted. The Dukes just pushed harder. By this time, however, the Blades were showing signs of fatigue, and irritation at the near constant forechecking. After the whistle skirmishes. For the first time in the game, the Dukes were taking the play to Oakville. Perhaps they don’t play with this intensity in the South.

After pulling the puck out of the cycle, Eric Uba jams the puck at the Oakville net. Mitchell Mendonca scored on the rebound.

Midway through the period, Dukes defender Carlisle carried the puck from his own zone, found a lane up the right wing, curled toward the net, and wristed a laser-accurate shot, top corner. Goal. Suddenly, it felt as though the Dukes might tie this game.

From then on, the Dukes pushed. Dawson Ellis, Daniel Panetta, Graeme McCrory. Keegan Ferguson. Noah Lugli. No one told them this game was out of reach. Badgers. Relentlessly rolling over the boards and taking the game to the Blades.

But time ran out. The Dukes lost the game. Dukes coach Scott McCrory believed Sunday’s game was within his team’s reach.

“We had a small lapse in the first that allowed them to get up but we battled back real hard and had a chance to tie the game,” said McCrory. “We just didn’t get a lucky bounce our way.” But they had sent a clear message. And along the way, they revealed something about their character and pride to the appreciative Dukes fans.

DUKES 4 – MARKHAM 2
Early in the game on Friday in Markham, Andrew Rinaldi intercepted a pass on the power play. Breakaway. Goal. Shorthanded. It was a good start. On the road. Absent five key performers.

Markham tied up the score late in the first period. But early in the second, on a powerplay, Ferguson’s shot, teed up by Uba, found its way into the net. The Dukes had the unlikely lead again. But in the third, the Royals scored to knot the game at two goals apiece. Uba went to work in the corner. He dug out the puck. Shot on net. Rebound. Mendonca swatted home the game winner.

Andrew Rinaldi buried an empty net goal to seal the improbable win.

Bit by bit the Dukes are erasing any lingering doubts that they belong among the top powerhouse teams in Canada.

UP NEXT: TORONTO PATRIOTS AND BURLINGTON
The schedule doesn’t get easier for the Dukes this weekend as they face another South Division leader, the Toronto Patriots. Toronto has a ridiculous amount of firepower. Fifteen more goals scored than the next leading scoring team. Twenty-seven more than the team with the third most points—the Wellington Dukes. Three of the league’s eight best point-getters wear a Patriots’ jersey. None are these are skating with Team Canada East.

The Patriots own the best winning percentage in the OJHL, but have played fewer games than most. Toronto has won each of its last five games.

This will be another important opportunity to assess the South Division—to send a message. Or to receive one.

On Sunday afternoon, the Dukes travel around Lake Ontario to Buffalo—second place in the West Division. After a sluggish start to the season, the Junior Sabres are beginning to score in bunches—winning their last two games scoring seven goals in each. They have won seven of their last 10 games.

WORLD JUNIOR A CHALLENGE
Dukes fans eager to follow the efforts of Doyle, Evans, Snell et al at the World Junior A Challenge can keep up with scores, video and highlights at hockeycanada.ca and look for links to the WJAC. The tournament wraps up this Saturday.