Turning it up

Dukes demonstrate character and depth in two dominating wins on the road

There was sweet redemption served for the Dukes on Friday in Trenton as they skated through, around and over the Golden Hawks, from nearly the opening whistle to the final buzzer. Better yet, the Dukes overwhelmed Marty Abrams’ team in their own rink, before legions of dismayed fans.

In doing so, the Wellington Dukes showed their fans, and perhaps themselves, what is possible when they play to their full ability. Their feat this weekend—downing both Trenton and Stouffville, both large and bruising competitors— was made more impressive by the fact that Wellington played all weekend with a short bench.

Good teams step up when adversity comes. It is a test. They respond in ways they might not have known possible until they were tried. The Wellington Dukes have been striving all season long to find out who they are. What they are. They got a glimpse this weekend.

It has been evident all season that this team has the talent, speed and skill to succeed, and their record bears this out. But this weekend they demonstrated something more—they showed they will do what is necessary when it matters most. It is what winners do.

Nelson Powers bulls his way through the Trenton defence on Friday night. Powers had a goal and a pair of assists on the weekend as the Dukes downed the Golden Hawks and the Stouffville Spirit.

DUKES 6 – TRENTON 2
Trenton scored first. Bad giveaway in the Dukes zone. The game was just 90 seconds old when the Hawks’ Mac Lewis beat Jonah Capriotti top shelf with a wrist shot from the face-off circle. Good shot. Good goal. The crowd was thrilled. But then the Dukes got to work.

Nelson Powers was elevated to play alongside Andrew Rinaldi and Jackson Arcan much of this game. Powers has just turned 17, and has been fighting for ice time from the third and fourth line. He is a big body, with some speed and skill.

Powers made the most of his opportunity on Rinaldi’s line. Shortly after Trenton scored, Powers carried the puck into the offensive zone. To Rinaldi. Arcan. Goal.

A couple of minutes later, Trenton was caught with too many men on the ice. Penalty. Forty seconds later the Hawks were called again for hauling down a Dukes forward. The crowd shouting themselves hoarse that the referees were being unfair. The Dukes moved the puck well. Mitch Martan shot close in. Rebound. Ben Evans swept it home.

The Dukes were tested with a couple of penalties late in the first period. But each player dug into their assignments. Rinaldi, in particular, was tireless in his own-zone coverage. Trenton managed only a couple shots on net with the extra attacker.

Early in the second, Martan and Teddy McGeen combined for a pair. (Increasingly these two are synchronizing into one giant brain.)

Midway through the frame, the Hawks scored again—giving their fans something to cheer about. But penalties continued to force them to play short-handed. The Dukes’ Arcan scored a power play goal, a sterling pass from Evans.

Mason Snell add another power play marker.

Though the shots on goal were nearly even (34-33), the Dukes dominated this game after the Hawks’ early goal. They moved the puck better. Created better scoring chances. And defended as a unit.

One final note on this game: Dawson Ellis and Zach Smith, unfortunately, didn’t see a lot of ice time as coach Scott McCrory stayed mostly with three lines. But when they were on the ice, Ellis and Smith were dynamos. Ellis, in particular, is astonishingly fearless. He eagerly and enthusiastically enters the fray with players much bigger and older. And more often than not, emerges with the puck. The play of Ellis and Smith on Friday was surely inspiration for their teammates. Certainly, it was fun for Dukes fans scattered around the Duncan Memorial.

DUKES 4 – STOUFFVILLE 2
On Saturday the Dukes visited Stouffville. While the Dukes defeated the Spirit earlier this season at home, that win was hard earned. Stouffville is floundering in the North division and likely won’t make the playoffs. But this team has size and some speed and skill. While they allow far too many goals against, the Spirit are a better team than their record suggests.

The Spirit struck first. A bad change. Confusion about assignments. The puck was behind Pierce Nelson. The Dukes netminder then stepped up with a couple felony saves—keeping his team in the hunt.

Andrew Rinaldi emerges from the wall with the puck against two defenders on Friday in Trenton. His line shut down the Golden Hawks all game long in the 6-2 Dukes win.

Midway through the first. Evans found the puck in the mess in front of the Spirit net and tossed it to Colin Doyle, alone, on the other side. Empty net. Tie game.

A couple of other young Dukes used their opportunity to shine this weekend. Daniel Panetta has been solid all season long—but with more ice time fans got to see more of what this young man is capable of doing.

Midway through the second, the game was still tied. Eric Uba, also having a strong weekend, forced a turnover at centre ice. Panetta scooped up the loose puck, charged down the wing, navigating traffic then dropping the puck back expertly. The Spirit netminder got a piece of Snell’s shot, but not enough. The Dukes had the lead.

Late in the second, the Dukes began to overwhelm their hosts. Under siege, the Spirit won the puck, but fanned on clearing the zone. Panetta gathered up the loose puck. Shot. Powers was at the doorstep for the rebound. His first OJHL goal. The Dukes had a 3-1 lead.

Then the prettiest goal in a month. Direct from the playmaking handbook. Arcan scooped up the puck in his own zone, and skated up ice, finding the speedy Martan soaring up the wing with the pass at centre ice. Martan carried to the face-off dot, cross ice pass to Colin Doyle on the other dot. Immediately, Doyle sent a hard pass to the stick of Arcan, who was staring at an empty net. Goal. So pretty. It was over.

Stouffville scored late in the second period. Then, the Spirit threw several big bodies into the crease— hoping to bulldoze a goal. Dukes netminder Nelson Pierce was slow getting back to his feet—then skated to the bench. Jonah Capriotti came in for relief—shutting out the Spirit for the remaining period and a bit.

BANGED UP
Nelson is being assessed this week to determine the extent of his injury. Graeme McCrory has missed a couple of games due to an upper body injury, but is expected back in the Dukes’ lineup this weekend. Jeff Burridge has been out for six games and is expected to be sidelined for a longer period of time.

UP NEXT: DOUBLE HEADER AT HOME WHITBY AND KINGSTON
On Friday, Wellington hosts the Whitby Fury. The Fury’s fate depends almost entirely on netminder Nate McDonald. The last time these teams met, McDonald and Capriotti duelled to a 0-0 tie. The Fury has won just a single game in their last five—but that can’t entirely be laid at the feet of the Fury netminder. Whitby struggles mightily to score. The Fury has produced a paltry seven goals in their last five games. They are dead last on the powerplay—with just a 6.25 per cent chance of scoring a goal with the man advantage.

On Sunday afternoon the Dukes welcome Kingston back to Wellington. In mid-September, the Voyageurs edged Wellington by a 5-4 score in double overtime. Kingston has won each of its last five games and seems the most plausible threat to Wellington in the East division—though they trail by 12 points in the standings. Bear in mind, Kingston has played five fewer games than Wellington so far this season

The Voyageurs have a wealth of offensive weapons— three lines that can score. Defensively Kingston lags, allowing on average 3.5 goals per game.