Punchless

Dukes muster just three goals in two weekend games. Not enough.

Nic Mucci’s absence was felt immediately. The crafty forward was selected to Team Canada East, and by Sunday had already potted a goal at the World Junior A Challenge amid the wild and desolate terrain of northeast Alberta. In fact, Mucci scored the first goal in a 4-1 win over the Czech Republic in a preliminary match on Sunday.

His home team could have used him this past weekend, as the Wellington Dukes squeaked past a flu-depleted Newmarket squad on Friday and fell to the Toronto Patriots on Saturday. The loss officially puts Wellington in last place in the East Division— a spot this team has rarely dwelt in its long history.
The Dukes have struggled all season long to cultivate scoring from its second and third lines. But after Brayden Stortz and Mucci—the top point-getters in the league— scoring falls off a cliff. Brent House—a sometimes-linemate of Stortz and Mucci—has 12 goals, Captain Justin Bean has 10, Mitchell Mendonca nine. Everyone else is in the low single digits.

Mitch Martan and Rory Milne were brought to Wellington provide a secondary scoring threat—but so far, this has failed to materialize. Martan has exceptional puck handling skills and a willingness to scrap along the boards. But in eight games he has scored just a single goal. In fairness, the natural playmaker also has generated five assists over that span. But nothing at all in the 18-year-old’s last three games.

It’s more worrying for Milne. In five games with the Dukes, the 19- year-old forward has failed to register on the game sheet—no goals, assists or penalties.

Kyle Prendel had a stellar performance on Friday night hurling himself through the Newmarket defence like a Viking on a pillaging raid.

The Wellington Dukes aren’t playing badly. Colin Doyle continues to lead his team with energy and intensity at both ends of the ice. The young defence corps is stronger every week. And Connor Ryckman has done everything his team could ask of him—keeping them in every game. In fact, Ryckman owns the fourth best save percentage in the league, despite his team’s divisional ranking.

Then there are flashes of brilliance. Kyle Prendel was a Tasmanian Devil on Friday spinning and twisting around checks through defenders all game long—earning him several good scoring chances as well as netting the game-winning goal.

But these performances are too rare and fleeting.

The Dukes have three games before the Christmas break—all at home. For some, it may be their last, best chance to change the course of their season.

Newmarket leaned heavily on two and half lines on Friday night with a handful of their skaters in the stands, out of the lineup due to illness. The Dukes rolled four lines, looking to wear down the visiting Hurricanes and capitalize as the game wore on. The game followed the plan fairly closely through one period—the Dukes dominated the play, outshooting Newmarket 9-3. But they hadn’t managed to score either. The scoreless draw remained until well into the second period. That’s when Stortz quarterbacked a scoring play that Doyle finished.

But the Hurricanes were game. They pushed back mightily. The Dukes, meanwhile, seemed to be waiting for them to wilt. Late in the second, the Hurricanes scored short-handed—the scorer allowed to poke at the loose puck a second and third time until it was in the net.

Kyle Prendel heard the call between periods. He came out in the third period like a demon—all speed and intensity, all the time. It was clear he would pull the Dukes ahead or break himself trying.

Still the Hurricanes kept coming— seemingly oblivious to their depleted ranks.

In the late-going, Prendel broke up a Newmarket rush in the neutral zone. He scooped up the puck and headed west. He dashed down the wing, swung toward the net and fired the puck past the Newmarket netminder.

Now, Newmarket was done.

The Dukes secured the win.

It didn’t provide nearly enough momentum, for the very next night the Dukes fell to the Toronto Patriots. Victor-Olivier Courchesne started in his first game as a Wellington Dukes netminder. He did his part, blanking the Patriots through the first-period onslaught as Toronto outshot Wellington 14- 6. But early in the second, Toronto scored. It was hard to know which way this game might go. The Dukes rallied and a few moments later Stortz scored, from Doyle and Morris to tie the game. But they could not push past. The Patriots focused on the top line—the Dukes had no response.

Late in the third, Toronto scored to retake the lead, and that was that.

UP NEXT: KINGSTON, STOUFFVILLE AND MARKHAM
The Dukes enjoy the last three games before the Christmas break in front of a friendly hometown crowd for each match. The Voyageurs visit Wellington on Friday. This is a key divisional match up—a win puts Wellington ahead of Kingston in the East, a loss creates some separation between the fourth and fifth placed teams.

On Sunday afternoon, the Dukes entertain Stouffville for the first time in Wellington this season. In two previous games in Stouffville, one ended in a 2-2 draw, the other a convincing 4-1 win.

On Tuesday night, the Dukes face the Markham Royals for the first time this season. Markham leads the North division 21 wins in 33 games. The Royals are an unven team—downing Cobourg convincingly one night in the Cougars’ rink, then unable to score against Kingston, dropping a 2-0 decision a couple of nights later. Markham has an exceptional home record with 14 wins in the Markham Centennial Centre, just seven wins on the road.

Fortunately for the Dukes, Tuesdays game is in Wellington. Game time is 7:30.