Nine games to go

Dukes in the final stretch

It was one step forward, one step—let’s call it—sideways. The Wellington Dukes handily managed the Haliburton Huskies on Friday after giving up a loss in Minden four days earlier. It was a terrific rebound game and an important signal to Dukes’ fans.

But on Saturday, Wellington gave up two points to the Toronto Patriots on the road. The Patriots are certainly no slouches, but contending teams should be harvesting wins from lower-ranked teams at this point in the schedule.

Instead of threatening to overtake the Huskies for second place, the Dukes now risk being overtaken by Cobourg and dropping to fourth. Wellington has clinched a playoff spot, so maybe it doesn’t mean much in the larger scheme of things. But winning is always more fun. And momentum matters.

DUKES 6 – HALIBURTON COUNTY 1
Through one period, this game appeared it might repeat Monday’s game. The Huskies were forechecking tenaciously, with the Dukes returning the compliment. But it was Haliburton who notched the first goal. Slowly, however, Wellington began to gather a more coherent response.

Early in the second—the second of two successive structured offensive opportunities— David Campbell found Connor Hunt in the mid-slot. Shot. Under the crossbar. Just as it was drawn up.

And so the score remained until early in the third. That is when Jacob Dietz rifled a shot on net from the blueline. It was a shot attempt, like many others in this game. But this time, the able Haliburton netminder bobbled the puck. Captain Jacob Vreugdenhil was ready for the rebound. His 23rd goal of the campaign.

Moments later, the Dukes worked the puck low in the Huskies’ zone. Ryan Smith tried jamming the puck short side. The puck squirted wide. To Edward Moskowitz. Goal.

The Huskies regrouped and redoubled the forecheck, trying to corral the Dukes in their own end. Moskowitz won the puck and lobbed it to centre ice. To safety. But Matheson Mason was on the move. Just one Haliburton defender back. Mason skillfully took the puck away from the hapless defender, and then patiently waited for the netminder to commit. Goal.

That was it for the Huskies. David Campbell and Barrett Joynt tallied a goal each before the buzzer sounded on this Duke victory.

Among the few sour notes in this game was the Dukes’ underperformance on the power play— including a full two-minute long 5-on-3 man advantage. Nothing doing.

Nevertheless, it was a win—the first time the Dukes have earned an outright win against the Huskies in five outings this season.

DUKES 2 – TORONTO PATRIOTS 3
The Dukes gave up a couple of goals in the first period in Etobicoke. But in the second, Dylan Cutler scored his fourth goal (12th point) in tend games. A power play goal. Then early in the third, fellow Keswickian Luke Strickland scored to tie the game. The momentum had shifted. The Dukes were getting more and better scoring chances.

But Patriots’ Gabriel Ciarallo beat Ethan Morrow to regain the lead. That was it. A long, quiet bus ride home.

UP NEXT: TRENTON, TORONTO JCS AND CALEDON
It would have been better to have banked a couple of points against the Patriots, for the Dukes have a gruelling three-games-in-threenights schedule this weekend.

It all starts as the Dukes welcome the Golden Hawks to Wellington on Friday. Trenton is sitting fifth in the South/East conference, with two pegs and three points behind the Dukes. The Golden Hawks have won six of eight games since the Christmas break—including a 4-3 overtime victory over the Toronto Junior Canadiens.

Speaking of the league leaders, Wellington visits the Junior Canadiens’ rink on Saturday night. Toronto has been largely unchallenged all season long—but has lost two of their last four games.

On Sunday the Dukes head to Caledon to face the Admirals. Caledon has won just a single game in 2023— but Wellington has surely learned (against the Chargers last month) that it is unwise to underestimate the lower-ranked squads, particularly ones with 45- point scorers.