Roller coaster

Netminder Sam Tanguay eyes the battle for the puck in the corner as defencemen Jacob Hetherington (6) and Jacob Panetta (12) guard against lurkers around the Dukes net.

Dukes look to tie series tonight in Wellington

It is a great spectacle. Whatever else happens in this series, fans in both Trenton and Wellington have been treated to some thrilling, heart-pounding hockey over the past week. The Trenton rink has been packed to capacity for two games—the larger Wellington arena very nearly full on Friday night with more than 1,300 screaming and anxious fans. Likely as many will be there again tonight.

On the ice, the games have been close, hard-fought contests, with neither team managing a sustained advantage. The Dukes, despite a brutally depleted lineup, have kept pace with the league leaders. The first two contests were decided by a single goal. Monday’s game was settled by a 4-2 score with a pair of Trenton’s goals tallied with the man-advantage. These are two even teams. Playing as hard as they can. It is an exciting spectacle.

GAME ONE
Two nights after they had dispatched the Aurora Tigers, the Dukes were in Trenton. The Dukes came out of the dressing room like wild animals. For the first 10 minutes, they dominated play with sheer speed and determination—each line heading over the board intent on keeping the pressure on the flailing Golden Hawks. It was Trenton’s players who looked as though they were operating on just a single night’s rest— much to the chagrin of their animated bench boss, Jerome Dupont.

The Dukes’ aggressive forechecking paid off when, seven minutes into the game, Luc Brown forced the Golden Hawks defender to cough up the puck in the Trenton zone. Brown gathered the puck, studied the scene and fired a bullet just under the crossbar. A beauty. The Dukes had the lead.

With less than five minutes left in the game, the game was still tied at 1-1 after the Hawks had scored in the second period. A questionable—and much questioned—icing call brought the face-off into the Dukes zone.

The Golden Hawks centre won the face-off. The puck came cleanly back to the point. A hard, low shot from Nick Boddy beat Tanguay, far corner. Trenton fans were on their feet. Perhaps their most intense fan, Wayne Baril—crowned in a St. Patrick’s hat—pounded his drum as hard as he could. His team had the lead.

It would hold, and the Hawks had the game one win.

GAME TWO
Not every seat in the Essroc Arena was taken—but almost. The few gaps left along the railing that surrounds the ice surface were quickly filled in. Ninety minutes before the puck dropped, hundreds of fans were milling about the arena—staking out preferred seating or their place along the rail. A long line of fans snaked out from the box office into the Wellington and District Community Centre. Excitement filled the cool March air.

The show on the ice would be worth every penny. Trenton and Wellington faced off in game two of the best-of-seven North East semifinal series on Friday night. From the first puck drop, the action was intense, checking was close and the speed breathtaking.

The puck went end-to-end with brilliant scoring chances on both netminders. But it was the Dukes who struck first at the two-minute mark. Jacob Panetta saucered a pass from the point toward the far corner of the net—likely looking for a redirection. The puck sailed through traffic and past the Trenton netminder, Daniel Urbani, untouched.

Early in the second period, Dukes’ defenceman Carter Allan broke up a Trenton rush at his blue line and deftly pushed the puck ahead to forward Ben Sokay—now on a two-on-one rush with Brown. Sokay held the puck long enough to persuade everyone in the building he was going to shoot. Instead, he passed to Brown. Three whacks at the puck later and the Dukes had a two-goal lead.

Nic Mucci finishes a slick passing play after linemate Tyler Burnie rang the Trenton goal post. The puck came back to Burnie, he passed it crisply to Matt Adams, positioned behind the net, who then shovelled it out to Mucci parked in front.

Netminder Sam Tanguay and the Dukes’ defenders maintained the lead until late in the second period. Then, Nic Mucci, sidelined for part of the game on Wednesday, picked up the puck at his own blueline and skated up his wing like a man possessed. Nothing was going to get in his way. All determination, he crossed into the Trenton zone and around the Hawks’ defender. Curving around the Hawks’ defenceman, Mucci set his target on the top corner, short side. Fired. The Dukes were up 3-0.

But there was still a period left to be played. And Trenton clawed their way back, scoring twice in the third period.

For the final five minutes, the Essroc Arena was a wild roller coaster ride—a clamour of screams, cheers and clanging maple syrup cans—rising and falling with every save, every breakout pass. Only pausing to catch a breath when the whistle blew to stop the play.

Dukes arms, legs, knees, and torsos blocked shots. Trenton’s netminder finally scampered to the bench with just a few seconds left on the clock. Both teams battled like demons on the wall—neither giving an inch. At last, the buzzer sounded. The game was over. Fifteen hundred hockey fans exhaled as one.

GAME THREE
It would be easy to put this loss on the refereeing. Indeed, the officiating was wildly uneven and the goal differential was identical to the number of power play opportunities (and goals) Trenton had that Wellington didn’t. But blaming refs is a mug’s game.

The fact is, this is playoff hockey—uneven officiating is part of it. It may seem unfair, but good teams shake it off.

The truth is, the Dukes weren’t as crisp as they had been in games one and two. They allowed the potent Hawks forwards too much room to move and make plays with the puck. That is a deadly formula.

The problems surfaced early. The Dukes lost the draw in their own end. When the shot from the high slot came, Tanguay kicked out a rebound toward the corner. But a Hawks forward was waiting. He swatted home a sharp-angled shot and Trenton had the lead. The game wasn’t three minutes old.

But the Dukes’ fortunes turned around midway through the first. Tyler Burnie, Matt Adams and Mucci moved the puck around the Trenton net masterfully until Adams fed Mucci, parked in front of the net. Goal.

Shaw Boomhower’s line, with Colin Doyle back and Austin Labelle on the wing, provided plenty of excitement in the first. Boomhower danced around one Hawks defender, and almost another before he was tackled to the ice. No call. Yet Boomhower managed, while prone on the ice, to slide the puck to Doyle in front of the net. The Trenton netminder managed to stop it.

A moment later, Mucci’s line nearly tallied their second in the game as he skated with the puck through the Trenton defencemen before serving it to Adams. Adams dangled around the netminder but was hammered into the goalpost before he could get his shot away.

Early in the second period, the Dukes took the lead when Boomhower went to the front of the net—burying a gift-wrapped rebound from Labelle and Mackenzie Warren—first point of the playoffs for the young call-up defenceman.

The game soon turned sour. After ignoring a spate of penalty-worthy infractions, the refs decided to put Dukes’ defenceman Justin Bean in the box for interference— perhaps the most subjective of infractions since every player on the ice is interfering with his opponent’s attempt to score.

The Dukes managed to keep the Hawks to the outside through much of the penalty kill, but Liam Morgan worked his way loose in front of Tanguay. A pass. A shot. The game was tied.

A few moments later. Same play. Same player. Same place. A shot. A goal. Trenton had the lead again.

The Dukes manufactured some good chances into the third period, but couldn’t gain the equalizer. The Hawks had turned up the physical play, particularly focused on Brown, Sokay and Mascarin.

Another Dukes penalty. Another goal. This time, just seconds into the man-advantage.

It was over. The Hawks skated home with a 4-2 win and 2-1 series lead.

UP NEXT: WELLINGTON TONIGHT
The Dukes will look to tie the series tonight in Wellington. They still have to figure out how to win in Trenton. But that is for another day. The opportunity for the Dukes is that Trenton is focusing much of their energy on neutralizing Wellington’s top line. That means speedsters like Boomhower, Doyle and Labelle are getting more room to manoeuvre. The skilled playmakers, such as Mucci and Adams, are finding more open passing lanes. The Dukes defence has been strong throughout the series.

Staying out of the penalty box is critical. Playing through adversity and questionable officiating is even more important.

The puck drops at 7:30 tonight—but you might have to fight a Trenton fan for your seat if you arrive later than 6:30.

Advance tickets are available until noon at Lavender Furniture. The arena box office opens this afternoon at 12:30 p.m.