Tough going

Mass tempers velocity as Whitby schools the Dukes

When your team is defined by speed and tenacity, it is essential that you bring those attributes to every shift of every game. Otherwise the result is painful— physically and on the scoreboard. The Wellington Dukes experienced this in jarring sensurround on Friday night.

It is hard to know how the puck stayed out of the Whitby net as Keenan Eddy did everything but score on this play.

The Whitby Fury are on average 11 pounds heavier than the Dukes. They use this size advantage to block the neutral zone, keep opponents out of the slot and punish them in the corner. They do it well.

The Wellington Dukes on the other hand must continue to work on playing a defensive game—using their feet and aggressiveness smartly to protect their netminder—and wait patiently for offensive opportunities.

The game got away from the Dukes early on Friday as Whitby grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first period. The Fury’s Carson Gallagher and Shane Bull combined on all three goals.

The Dukes had done a good job of keeping Whitby to the outside while killing a penalty taken in the first minute of the game. But eventually the wall broke and Whitby was moving the puck around the blue paint. Deflection high. Power play goal.

Midway through the first, Greg Smith made a move around the Dukes defender in the midslot, and fired a powerful wrister that beat Olivier Lafreniere, giving the Fury a two-goal lead.

Just as the first was winding down, the Fury entered the Dukes zone with strength. Tic, tac and toe. Lafreniere made an incredible leg save—but failed to stop its momentum. The puck dropped and fell into the net.

The Dukes had chances throughout the game—in fact, they played with the man-advantage seven times. Some good scoring opportunities— but nothing to show for it. The Fury netminder, Luke Pearson, was sharp—especially his glove hand—but the Fury defenders were better at keeping the Dukes on the edge.

Another Fury goal in the third deepened the wound.

NEWMARKET 4 – DUKES 3 2OT
The Dukes led this game 3-1 early in the third period on goals from Quinn Hanna, Ben Roger and Daniel Panetta. Former Duke Graeme Mc- Crory had the lone goal for the Hurricanes by then.

But two quick goals on Dukes netminder Dannick Francoeur at the seven-minute mark (on just four shots in the period) knotted the game at three goals apiece. The Hurricanes carried this momentum into overtime, scoring in the second OT frame.

UP NEXT: KINGSTON, TORONTO PATRIOTS AND LINDSAY
The Dukes’ front-loaded schedule has them lined up for another three-game weekend. On Friday, they welcome back the Kingston Voyageurs. The Voyageurs have a slightly better winning percentage than do the Dukes, but have played five fewer games. Six of their 11 games so far have required overtime. The Dukes lost in Kingston 2-0 when they last met in September.

On Saturday, the Dukes head to the warehouse wilderness of north Toronto to face the Patriots. The perennial powerhouse South Division team is struggling so far this season, losing four straight games. The Patriots are allowing an average of four goals against in this uncharacteristic season for them.

On Sunday, the Dukes welcome the Lindsay Muskies in the first match between these East Division teams this season. The Muskies, typically woeful, are once again languishing at the bottom of the division. That said, they are dangerous if taken for granted. In recent games they have beaten Aurora and played tough against Cobourg.

It is way too early to be worried about playoff ranking, yet the Dukes, after this weekend will have played 19 games in a 54-game schedule—more than a third. These will be important games—if not so much for the score, but rather to demonstrate that they can use their tools and talents to compete against any team in this league.