Frail conquest

Justin Bean has had an immediate impact in his return to the Dukes line up. In four games he has four points.

Dukes escape with a victory

It was a win. It is always preferable to begin with the positive. And a win is always better than the alternative—particularly when it staunches a three-game losing skid.

But Dukes fans will be forgiven for feeling bit uneasy about their team’s 5-3 win over the Whitby Fury on Friday night. A win for sure—but one that could have been a signal of emergence. It could have been a breakout game. Should have been. Instead, it withered into a one-goal contest—only an empty net goal salvaging the illusion of a solid victory.

CHOMPING ON THE BIT
Wellington dominated from the face-off. For the first half period, the puck rarely ventured out of Whitby’s end of the ice. By the time Carter Allen was tagged for high-sticking, the Dukes had amassed 15 shots on net. Whitby had none. That is what speed and tenacity does. It keeps the puck off opponent’s sticks. It wins battles. And foot races.

But despite this overwhelming show of force, the Dukes had just one power play goal to show for their effort—Ben Sokay backhanding a rebound past the Fury netminder, midway through the period.

The Dukes widened the lead in the second, with goals from Dylan Mascarin and Justin Bean—but another untimely penalty set the table for a Whitby power play goal. In the third period, a game that seemed well in hand earlier, suddenly felt fragile and tenuous. Whitby scored early in the frame to narrow the Dukes’ lead to a goal. But then Sokay added his second of the game to restore the two-goal lead. A moment later, Whitby scored again.

A game that had begun so full of promise had become a nailbiter. The Fury bench could sense a comeback victory—a sensation bolstered by an incredibly poor penalty taken by a Dukes forward with three minutes remaining in the game.

Wellington buckled down. Played the system. Weathered the storm. Whitby failed to convert the gift into a tying goal. The Fury pulled their goaltender, but never really got organized. The Dukes had two shots at the open net. Mascarin hit it squarely, sealing the win for the Dukes.

It was likely with uneasy relief about a bullet dodged that Dukes players raised their sticks in salute to their hometown fans. Three penalties had fundamentally altered the trajectory of the game. But on this night, Wellington had played well enough around those penalties to emerge with the win. Or was it that Whitby didn’t take advantage of the opportunities the Wellington penalties presented?

Best not to dwell, win is a win is a win.

UP NEXT: TORONTO PATRIOTS AND AURORA
For a team whose emblem screams Patriots, Toronto doesn’t stay in one place for very long. The former Bancroft Hawks moved to Upper Canada college in 2008. They added the Patriots graphic to their jerseys in 2009. Then they played out of Etobicoke for a few years. They renamed themselves Toronto Lakeshore Patriots. Last year they moved north of the airport—prompting them to drop the Lakeshore bit. Now just the Toronto Patriots, the team is struggling in the basement of the OJHL, in an uninviting rink amid tracts of warehouses and strip joints.

Good for both the Patriots and the Dukes then, that Friday’s match is in the much nicer environs of Wellington.

This should be an opportunity for the Dukes to put some air between them and the .500 record that has held them in orbit through much of this season. Toronto has just two wins it last 10 games. And they have a wretched power play averaging a goal in just one in 10 extra-man situations.

On Saturday, the Dukes head to Aurora for their second match against the Tigers this season. In that game, Sokay scored late in the third to send the affair into overtime. Sokay scored in the second overtime to give his team the win.

Aurora currently sits atop the North division standings, with 13 wins in 23 games.

World Junior exhibition

Wellington will host a pair of games as part of the World Junior A Challenge on Friday December 11. In the afternoon the Czech Republic will take on an OJHL all-star team. That game starts at 3 p.m. Later Team Canada East will tangle with Team USA—the defending gold medal champions. Puck drop for this match is 7 p.m.

Admission for these games is $10 or $15 for both games. Tickets are available at the Dukes ticket office, Lavender Furniture Store or by contacting Betty at 613.399.1573.

Sadly, it will be the last junior hockey in Wellington until January 8, when the Dukes host the Kingston Voyageurs.