Hustling Dukes forward Jan Kaminsky tries to break through a pack of Fury in a game that would end up in an O/T loss for the Dukes in Whitby on Sunday afternoon.

Dukes playing better than record indicates

No reason to panic. Not yet. By the time you open this newspaper on Wednesday the the Wellington Dukes will sit no better than middle of the pack—sporting a modest record of .500 hockey over six games—at best.

This is a level of adequacy not experienced in the opening days of a new season in Wellington for years. But statistics don’t tell the whole story. And in the case of the Dukes in the early going of the 2010/11 season—it doesn’t tell half the story.

We begin with the Duke’s overtime loss in Whitby on Sunday. Once again the abundantly talented Dukes squad submitted a rather lacklustre first period, allowing Whitby to dictate the pace. But even then the Dukes’ young netminder Charlie Graham allowed just a single goal late in the period. The next two frames saw some of the fastest, most spirited play since the playoffs last season.

It is easy to see why this is. Teams like Whitby live for games against the Dudley Hewitt Cup champion. Matches against the Dukes get marked on a calendar. Whitby, like Cobourg and Kingston, skated with reckless abandon—trying to prove to themselves and their fans that they can compete against the best.

So it was on Sunday through two periods. Every race was do or die. Every battle for the puck was crucial. Every save a breathtaking moment. The Dukes dominated the play through most of the final two periods but Whitby battled with grit and determination to keep the Dukes off the score sheet.

Early in the second period Dukes forward Erick Delaurentis forced a turnover in the Whitby zone. Delaurentis skated to the slot looking for a shooting line but opted to tee up Dukes defenceman Mitch McNeill. McNeill’s cannon blast nearly ripped the twine as the puck sailed into the top corner—glove side.

Much as they had done at home on Friday— players like Darcy Murphy, Jan Kaminsky, Simon Bessette, Braden Kavaratzis and newcomer Guillaume Naud (pronounce no) drove up and down the ice, creating strong scoring chances with their speed, skill and strength. But over and over again Whitby escaped their zone unharmed.

Then, with the game seemingly headed for overtime, the Dukes’ new defenceman Donovan Gardiner was called for tripping. It was an odd call in a wide open game—particularly with just 55 seconds left in the third period. Seconds into the overtime period Whitby scored on a contentious play. With a scrum around Graham and the Fury whacking at the loose puck, the net appeared to be lifted, pushing into Graham. The moment of distraction proved costly. The puck flipped over the Dukes netminder and into the net now back on its pegs.

Whitby pulled out this win on sheer pride— much as Kingston and Cobourg have done in the early going. It is not clear they can continue this pace—but the losses serve the Dukes warning that nothing will come easy this season.

The Dukes bounced back from a tough shootout loss in Kingston on Thursday with a convincing 5-2 win over the then-perfect Lindsay Muskies.

Braden Kavaratzis set the pace early in the game—gobbling up a loose puck at his own blueline, surging forward up the right wing and letting loose a bullet from the face-off circle that found the top corner.

Lindsay tied the game shortly afterward ,burying a rebound while on the power play.

That was it. Kavaratzis was a man possessed— finishing checks and forcing turnovers. Just as it appeared he would slam a shot through traffic 10 metres from the net—he slid the puck to Jarett Smith, who swept the puck through Bierworth—the Muskies’ veteran netminder.

The Dukes’ Cam Yuill added another—picking up a loose puck close in. In the second period Kaminsky finished a fine rush by Naud. Then in the opening seconds of the third Kaminisky returned the favour, helping to set up Naud’s goal.

The Muskies added another goal midway through the third but, aside from that momentary lapse, the Dukes closed the door—preserving the solid win in front of their hometown crowd.

New face in the line-up, Guillaume Naud, has earned 4 points in his first 3 games in a Dukes uniform.

NEW FACES
The Dukes added some depth on defence and forward this week, picking up Kyle Paat from the Huntsville Otters in exchange for defenceman Brendan Barletta and forward Corbin Bean. Paat earned 22 points in 47 games with Blind River of the NOJHL in 2009/2011 season—but just three points in an injury-plagued season with Huntsville that saw the defenceman dress in just a handful of games in the second half of the season.

The Dukes also signed Guillaume Naud last week. Naud played two seasons for the Val d’Or Foreurs of the QMJHL. He is a big strong and creative forward. He notched 37 points in 63 games between Val d’Or and Victoriaville last season.

Naud scored twice in his first game as a Duke in Kingston last Thursday

UP NEXT: TRENTON, MISSISSAUGA AND COBOURG
The Dukes continue a hectic early season pace with three games over the next five days. On Friday Wellington hosts Trenton . The Golden Hawks have six wins in six games so far—outscoring their opponents by an average of three goals per game . The Essroc Arena will be humming as a large contingent of Sting fans are expected to cheer on their squad. On Saturday the Dukes travel to Mississauga to take on the Chargers. Mississauga is struggling with just three wins in eight tries. But, as in Whitby on Sunday, the Dukes will be up against a team fighting for respect. These are always tough games.

On Monday the Dukes travel to Cobourg. They will be looking to reverse the outcome from the season opener in which Cobourg downed the Dukes at home. Cobourg has lost just one game straight up in five games.

Where are they now?

By David Brown

The Wellington Dukes trace their hockey roots to the former Belleville Bobcats franchise, purchased in 1989 by 10-year operators of a successful Wellington Junior ‘C’ representative who moved the acquired squad to the tiny village.   This is the first of a series of tracking down former Duke players.

NAME: ANDREW WALSH
Andrew made the first Dukes team in 1989 after playing the previous season for the Belleville Midget “AA”.  He only played in 34 games in his first year as a Duke but managed to average better than a point-a-game with 36.  In his second season he led the team in goals with 36 and was selected to play in the league All-Star game in Toronto.

He then moved to Windsor to attend postsecondary and played his last year of junior hockey with the Windsor Bulldogs of the Western Junior ‘B’ league.

Today Andrew is a senior manager with Unity Savings and Credit Union in Kingston and has lived there for 13 years.  He’s married with three children and helps coach his son’s novice team.

DID YOU KNOW?
Andrew has a nephew on the current Dukes team—Darcy Murphy.