In the thick of it

Dukes beat Steinbach, drop opener to Ottawa

The Wellington Dukes began the overtime period with the man advantage. Four on three. For 25 seconds. Wellington had lost game one in the reverse scenario against the Ottawa Junior Senators on Saturday.

But on Monday night facing the Steinbach Pistons, representing the West region of the CJHL, it was the Wellington Dukes with the advantage. And momentum. They had overcome a 2-0 deficit and eight penalty kills.

The Dukes got on the scoreboard with a shorthanded goal from Bryce Yetman—on a perfect narrowly threaded breakout pass from Andrew Barbeau. Yetman broke up the centre of the ice. Deked right, forcing the Steinbach goalie to open up his pads, the five hole, just a wee bit. One shot. A second whack and it was through.

In the third, the Dukes pushed for the equalizer. Wellington got the puck on the net repeatedly. Scramble. Mitch Mendonca picked up the rebound on the edge of the fray, lifted it into the net for the tying goal.

The Dukes continued to press. Some great chances. But nothing doing.

Late in regulation time, Steinbach’s Riese Gaber was assessed a two-minute penalty for tripping. In the Dukes zone. Some opportunities but the Dukes struggled to get organized on the power play. Regulation time ran out. Overtime.

Here is what you need to know about overtime in this tournament. The players return to the ice after just a three-minute break. They play four on four. If the match isn’t settled in the first ten minutes, it goes to a shootout. A roll of the dice.

The worst way to end a season-defining game.

But with the man-advantage—four on three—the ice opened up for the speedy Dukes. But it just didn’t happen. Steinbach scooped up the loose puck and threw it deep into the Dukes zone.

Mason Snell picked it up behind his net, brisk pass to Andrew Rinaldi on the right wall. Rinaldi carried the puck and entered the Steinbach zone with speed. Teddy McGeen by his side. Drop pass. McGeen had a clear shooting lane. Fired a bullet wrister. Top corner, near side. A wee spot. Just enough. The Dukes had won their first game in the RBC Cup. A minute had not elapsed in the overtime period.

So with a win on Monday and an overtime loss against Ottawa on Saturday, as of Tuesday morning, the Dukes had three points, ensconced with Chiliwack and Ottawa in second spot, behind the Wenatchee Wild, a Washington-state based team, two hours east of Seattle, representing the Pacific region of the CJHL. The Wild have won both their opening games, one in regulation time, the other in overtime.

In fact, just one of five games played in the RBC Cup tournament, as of Tuesday morning, had been settled in three periods.

On Tuesday the Dukes were set to take on the host Chilliwack Chiefs. Wellington will play its final round robin game against Wenatchee on Thursday at 5 p.m. Eastern time.

EXPOSED
He was to the ancient Greeks, the greatest, mightiest warrior. Achilles slaying of Hector at the Gates of Troy is the pivotal moment the vast mythology of the Trojan war. But despite his great power and endurance in battle— it was a single arrow in the heel of his foot that brought his demise. His mother had, by virtue of dipping him into the River Styx as an infant, rendered Achilles invincible to mortal wounds. Everywhere on his brawn and powerful body, but the heel of one foot, that by which she held him as he was submerged in the water. This is where Paris’s arrow struck.

Penalties may yet prove to be the Wellington Dukes’ vulnerability. In the regular season. In the playoffs. In the Dudley Hewitt Cup. The Dukes have consistently been the most penalized team, forcing them to play shorthanded way too many times. Yet, the Dukes continued to rack up success. Incredibly so. Sometimes eking out wins that might not have been close otherwise. But a win is a win is a win.

And here they are. At the RBC Cup in Chilliwack, B.C. representing central Canada. Among the very best hockey teams in the nation. So perhaps the Dukes are invincible to penalties.

Yet it was the Dukes’ eighth penalty, in overtime on Saturday that allowed Ottawa to steal a 2-1 win in game one. Another eight penalties in game two.

It is a tough way to play. Yet here we are.