Unremarkable

The Dukes march toward the playoffs

The Wellington Dukes are in the midst of a two-week Christmas break, returning to action this Friday in Pickering. Home on Sunday. The team gets back to the playoff hunt in the new year, with just 16 games remaining in the regular season, and lodged firmly in the fourth and final playoff spot in the East. (The fifth-place team, currently the Kingston Voyageurs might still squeak in—but would have to play a qualifying game against the fourth place team in the North Division, currently Pickering, if they finish with fewer points than the Vees. The winner of that game would be seeded fourth in the North and play through that Division.)

Ben Woodhouse gets his shot away in tight quarters, while Frank Vitucci (11) and Dylan Massie (25) prepare to pounce on the rebound.

It is difficult to put your finger on a catalyst that might propel this team, either up or down the Division rankings. So ensconced in the middle of the pack are the Dukes, that they barely register on the list of the OJHL’s winningest, losing-est or drawing-est teams. A .500 team. Win one. Lose one. Repeat.

That is not to suggest there aren’t standout performances. Daniel Panetta returned to the lineup on Dec. 21, working to lift his team to a 2-1 win over the Kingston Voyageurs. Though he didn’t figure in the scoring, Panetta’s work ethic and skating tends to set the pace for his team. And they were flying in this game. Dawson Ellis, Jacob Vreugdenhil, Ben Woodhouse. When these kids are skating, no one can touch them.

Olivier Lafreniere remains a stalwart in the Dukes net—giving them a fighting chance in nearly every game. Ben Roger is emerging, with gathering confidence, as a potent offensive weapon while still adjusting to the speed and heft of OJHL’s better attackers.

Andrew Rinaldi attacks the opponent’s zone as a hot knife through butter on one shift—but goes quiet for the next two. The Dukes’ success will depend on more consistency from this powerful forward.

Frank Vitucci and Dylan Massie had a good run in October and November, but cooled off in December. Vitucci, in particular, found his stride with the Dukes in the late fall. The Dukes’ success mirrored his output. But Vitucci’s production tailed off in December—and so did his team’s. Both Vitucci and Massie need to find the spark that propelled them in the fall.

There is a large cast that will be looked upon to raise their competitive level and production in 2019. Tyson Gilmour has another gear. He flashes signs of it occasionally. He can be strong at both ends of the ice. But there is more there. More that can be uncovered. Others fall in this category. Keenan Eddy, Madoka Suzuki, Ben Addison and Brett Humberstone.

Captain Tim Fallowfield blocks a shot while killing a penalty against Kingston in the Dukes final game of 2018.

There is one area in which the Dukes have consistently vied for the lead—that is in penalty minutes. Only the Aurora Tigers have more penalty minutes (841). The Dukes have earned 830 minutes in penalties. That’s an average of nearly 22 minutes per game. Not every penalty equals a man disadvantage. Some are misconducts. Others are served with an opposite in the box. Still, it is a measure of team discipline. Not one in which teams strive to reach the top.

MIKES 5 – DUKES 3
The Dukes had put together a tidy 3-1 lead on the road against St. Mikes by the midway mark in the Wednesday night game. Dawson Ellis, Madoka Suzuki and Tyson Gilmour had all tallied for Wellington. Lafreniere had allowed just one goal.

But bit-by-bit the game slipped away. St. Mikes scored midway through the second to draw within a goal. Another midway through the third, tying the game. Then the kicker. With Gilmour and Elijah Gonsalves in the penalty box—and just one St. Mikes player in the other—the Buzzers scored on the power play. The game-winning goal. It was the first time they led in the game.

An empty net goal sealed the Dukes’ fate before they clambered onto the bus back to Wellington. Another missed opportunity.

DUKES 2 – KINGSTON 1
Both squads came ready to compete in the final game before the Christmas break. The Voyageurs sensed they might be able to snatch a couple points in Wellington—on the back of the Dukes’ loss in Toronto.

They were fast and hardworking. Yet the Dukes were in strong form—mostly using their speed on the forecheck to pen the Vees in the west end of the rink. After one period, however, neither team had managed to find the net.

It was while killing a penalty that Ellis won the battle for the loose puck, feeding Rinaldi already breaking up the ice, defenceman Roger on his tail. Rinaldi made his move to the net, simultaneously sliding the puck to a wide-open Roger. The Dukes took the lead on a shorthanded goal. But the Voyageurs scored on another power play, tying the game going into the third.

Again the Dukes held the territorial advantage, but the game slipped into overtime. The Dukes made quick work of the extra time, however, as defenceman Brett Humberstone scored from the mid-slot, on fine work from Massie and Woodhouse.

UP NEXT: PICKERING AND LINDSAY
The Dukes return to action on Friday, travelling to Pickering. The Panthers are a puzzling team this season. Judged by their playoff performance last spring, many had pegged Pickering as one of the league’s favourites this season. But that is not how things have turned out. The Panthers have won just 12 of their 35 games so far this season. On average they spot their opponents 3.8 goals per game. Their offence is anemic—scoring the fewest goals (74) in the OJHL this season.

Yet this is a team that remembers success. And may wish to be reminded of the feeling in the new year.

On Sunday, the Lindsay Muskies return to Wellington. The series has split with both Lindsay and Wellington winning a pair. Yet those two wins against the Dukes represent 25 per cent of the Muskies’ wins this season. The Muskies have some strong offensive weapons in Braydon Leeking and Nick Lund—just too few. And netminding—on some nights—is dreadful, allowing an average of 4.9 goals per game.

If the Muskies manage to keep the game close, they remain a real threat, as the Dukes have learned to their dismay.