Unjust

One of six powerplay attempts on Sunday afternoon in which the Dukes moved the puck well but could not score.

Dukes better, faster, more physical, but trail series 2-0

The Dukes have come very close to upsetting the favoured Trenton Golden Hawks. Outworking. Outskating. Smarter. Faster. Yet after two games, it is Trenton with a pair of victories in the best-of-seven series. The Dukes have none. Not yet.

It is a hole for sure. But the Dukes know they can beat this team. To do so, they must play flawless hockey. Because when the Dukes make a mistake, Trenton scores. When it’s the other way round, Wellington has not been nearly as efficient in seizing the opportunity. That has been the difference so far.

GAME 1
It took a period to shut down Trenton’s top line of Brady Wiffen, Zach DeConcilys, and Danny Liscio. But by then the Golden Hawks had a 3-0 lead—two scored on the power play. The Dukes worked even harder, but Trenton scored early in the second. Wellington pressed even harder. Twenty-two seconds later, Joe McKeown and Abbott Girduckis combined to put the Dukes on the score sheet. Midway through the frame, Brody Morris powered a one-time blast from the blue line into the net—a power play marker.

Joe McKeown has set a fiery pace in two games. The Dukes will need this effort across the line up to turn the series around.

But sloppy defensive play a couple minutes later left a Trenton sniper unattended in the slot for a lifetime. One shot and Trenton had erased the Dukes’ momentum. In the last minute of the game, Wiffen struck again, widening the Trenton lead to 6-2. The Dukes might have bailed. A road game. Bad luck. There was no shortage of excuses. Instead of doing that, Wellington came out even stronger. The Dukes dominated every aspect of the game in the third period. Marco Azzano scored twice, nudging the Dukes closer. But still short of a win.

GAME 2
There were high hopes as the Dukes returned to Wellington on Sunday afternoon. Home ice advantage, friendly fans and sense that the Dukes had the Golden Hawks on the run in the third period of game one.

Olivier Lafrenière got the nod in net. Daniel Potter had played well in Trenton—but the Dukes needed their netminder to steal a game on the road. It didn’t happen. Potter had some great saves, but also let in a couple soft goals.

So it was 16-year-old Lafrenière’s turn to guard the Dukes’net. Again, the Dukes came out strong.

Finishing checks. Aggressive forechecking. Unrelenting backpressure. Yet, the first breakdown in the Wellington net—indeed the first shot on net— and Trenton had a one-goal lead. The Dukes kept pressing. Midway through the first period, Will Cook escaped with the puck from the scrum on the wall in the Dukes’ end. He weaved his way up the wing, deep into Trenton’s zone. Tape-to-tape pass onto Girduckis’s stick. The Dukes’ sniper whacked at the puck until it was in the net.

Josh Supryka grinds it out in the Golden Hawk crease in Trenton on Friday night.

A moment later, Trenton winger Bobby Polachek faked a centring pass before ripping a wrist shot through the seam between Lafrenière and his goal post. At the start of the second frame, the Dukes Ben Sokay forced his way to the net—fending off a checker—threw the puck on net. The puck rolled up and over the Trenton’s goalie’s shoulder. Later, Wes St. Amand found the top corner with his shot, and the Dukes had the lead for the first time in the series. But early in the third, Polachek scored his second of the game. Jacob Panetta responded with goals scored from the blue line.

Then with just over three minutes to go, Polachek scored his third goal of the game. Trenton added another on an empty net.

Frustrated, Andrew Coupland levelled goal-scorer Liscio to the ice. The Trenton winger hit the goal post on the way down. The ill-advised check will cost the Dukes its best defenceman for the next two games.

UP NEXT: TRENTON SERIES CONTINUES
The Dukes will try to turn the series around in Trenton tonight, without the services of Coupland. On Friday, the Dukes return home for game four. No matter the outcome tonight, Friday’s game will be a crucial match-up.

Then it’s back to Trenton on Sunday if needed, Monday in Wellington and Tuesday in Trenton.