Prelude

Dukes and Junior Canadiens serve up a thrilling performance, but Dukes fall just short

First, we must talk about Tyler Fukakusa. The remarkable hockey player leads the league in points—by a wide margin. His closest contender is 13 points back of the centreman. Lightning quick on the face-off dot and lethal when given space to manoeuvre, Fukakusa is built in the Mitch Marner mould—slight, yet relentless along the walls and in the corner. Opposing players can never be comfortable with the puck—Fukakusa is an ever-present threat to steal it away.

So it was that in his first shift in Wellington that Fukakusa received a pass between two Dukes defenders on Friday night. The Junior Canadien danced down the ice, Dukes defenders in hot pursuit. Fukakusa silkily deked the puck right, then left, around Jacob Osborne’s extended foot.

Fukakusa’s goal would prove to be the difference in this game.

Wellington showed the Junior Canadiens the deference befitting the number four ranked team in the nation in the early going—a bit too much deference. A few moments after Fukakusa’s goal, Toronto’s Matthew Wilde redirected a floating point shot past Osborne. It seemed like it could be a rough night for Dukes’ fans.

But the hometown squad soon settled themselves down. The Dukes tightened up defensively and pursued chances when they popped up. Such as a power play. Edward Moskowitz fed a pass from behind the Junior Canadiens’ netminder to Connor Hunt in the slot. Hunt’s hard shot put the Dukes on the board.

But 90 seconds later, Toronto tallied again, re-establishing a two-goal lead. But here was another Dukes power play. Jacob Vreugdenhil converted on another brilliant setup from Moskowitz.

The Dukes asserted themselves in the second period—going toe to toe with Toronto. At times controlling the play. But no goals. Same in the third. Toronto stingily hung onto the one-goal lead.

Then late in the third, the Dukes on the power play and the net empty for an extra attacker—a Toronto defender won the puck in his own end and lobbed the puck 200 feet into the Dukes’ net. It happened again with two seconds remaining in the game.

It was a thrilling performance—until nearly the very end. Two high-powered teams emptying their reserves in what may turn out to be a prelude to the playoffs. The good news is that these two teams will face each other three more times before then.

WELLINGTON 6 – MISSISSAUGA 2
The Dukes got on the bus less than 24 hours later to visit Mississauga. Depleted by the loss of Ethan Morrow and Matheson Mason, along with Coach Derek Smith and athletic trainer Leah Toffelmire to Team Canada East, competing this week in the World Cup Challenge in Cornwall, the Dukes had also endured a thorough workout against Toronto on Friday.

But this was the Chargers. Nevertheless, Mississauga made it an exciting bit of business through two periods. Jaxen Boyer got the Dukes off to a good start finishing the play by Zander Latreille early in the first. But moments later, the Chargers beat Brady Spry in the Dukes’ net to tie the game. In the second, the Dukes regained the lead on the power play—Edward Moskowitz converting a Ryan Smith play. But it wasn’t long before Mississauga scored—knotting the game a second time. This time short-handed.

This game was beginning to present an odour.

It was, however, a more Dukes-like squad that came out in the third period. Three unanswered goals: from David Campbell, Barrett Joynt and Ryan Smith—the latter two scored on the power play.

Smith had a goal and two assists in the win. Defenceman Julian Jacob had a pair of helpers. Spry earned his first OJHL win, while Captain Vreugdenhil earned his 150th point.

WORLD JUNIOR A CHALLENGE
Ethan Morrow backstopped Team Canada East to their first victory against Latvia on Sunday. Morrow allowed just one goal in the 3-1 win.

On Monday night, Team Canada East fell 6- 3 to Team Canada West.

Two Canadian teams, along with teams from Latvia, Sweden and US, are participating in this tournament. Not so long ago, teams from Russia and Belarus regularly competed in this series. That was before these nations embarked on a murderous assault on Ukraine.

UP NEXT: LINDSAY, TRENTON, AND MARKHAM
After a promising start, the Lindsay Muskies have drifted lower in the South/East Conference rankings. The Muskies come to Wellington on Saturday afternoon for a 3 p.m. game televised nationally on the CHCH network.

Lindsay, however, is not a team to be trifled with. They are currently on a three-game winning streak, having defeated Cobourg and North York in recent games.

On Sunday, the Dukes head to Trenton to take on the Golden Hawks 2022 version II. After a midseason makeover involving ten players either coming or going from Trenton’s dressing room in late November, the Golden Hawks have won four of five games in December.

Sunday night’s match should be a test of just how new and improved the Golden Hawks are.

On Tuesday, in their last game before the break, the Dukes welcome the Markham Royals for the oneand only match between these teams this season. Markham is currently playing under .500 hockey in the North/West—allowing the second-most goals against in the conference. The Royals have the second poorest power play conversion rate in the OJHL.