Written By: Kyle Akitt (@JustKyle51)
Photo Credit: Terry Wilson / OHL Images
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On Halloween Eve, the IceDogs would wrap up a weekend during the Halloween game versus the Peterborough Petes. The Dogs were coming off a tough loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs the night before and were looking to close the weekend with at least a victory in 1of 2 games. The Friday game saw the return to the lineup of 2 injured IceDogs players in forward Anthony Agostinelli and defenceman Mason Howard. Although the IceDogs would fall short to a tough team like the Bulldogs, it ended up being a hard-fought game and the IceDogs showed a lot of fight, especially for being on the road.
Head Coach Billy Burke would elect to go with goaltender Tucker Tynan in back-to-back starts for the IceDogs, as it ended being a busy night for him versus the Bulldogs making 47 saves in the 6-4 loss. The starting lineup also looked different as Pano Fimis and Aiden Castle were joined by Cameron Peters on the wing and veteran defencemen Landon Cato is joined by Rodwin Dionicio. The IceDogs hoped that the small shake-up against a less strong team in Peterborough would help spark a win in the books for the team.
INJURY REPORT:
Cameron Snow (Upper-Body), AJ Cook (Upper-Body), Juan Copeland (Upper-Body), Dakota Betts (Lower-Body), Jonah De Simone (Undisclosed).
STARTING LINEUP vs. Petes:
(C) Pano Fimis,
(LW) Cameron Peters,
(RW) Aiden Castle,
(D) Landon Cato,
(D) Rodwin Dionicio.
(G) Tucker Tynan
ATTENDANCE: 3,578
FIRST PERIOD
The IceDogs would not start the game the way they would have liked as a few minutes in, Jake Uberti, takes a bad tripping call but the IceDogs fought hard to kill a much-needed penalty kill. Although it would be the Petes to strike first, not once but twice, as forward Zack Lewis and Emmett Sproule would bury 2 soft five-hole goals on goaltender Tucker Tynan to make it 2-0 midway through the period. For the rest of the period, the IceDogs would continue the offensive pressure, generating a few scoring chances and almost capitalizing on them. Then on the powerplay with 3 minutes left in the period, Brice Cook would tip one past Petes goaltender Michael Simpson to make it a 2-1 game. The story of the period came from the IceDogs taking too many undisciplined penalties and killing a lot of offensive momentum throughout the period and end the period with Jake Uberti taking his 2nd penalty of the period.
SECOND PERIOD
The undisciplined penalties would continue the be the story early on in the period with Ryan Struthers and the IceDogs having to kill an early penalty kill. The IceDogs would find their way to some powerplays halfway through the period with the Petes taking 2 consecutive penalties causing a 5 on 3 situation for the Dogs but unfortunately, not scoring on their huge opportunity to tie the game. This would come back on the IceDogs as after a flurry of shots and a massive save by Petes goaltender Michael Simpson, a blocked shot by forward Tucker Robertson sent himself on a breakaway and beats Tucker Tynan to make it a 3-1 game. This was definitely a stinger at this point of the period, just from the relentless pressure the Dogs put on the Petes throughout. More salt was then added to the already opened wound, as Tucker Robertson once again found the back of the net on the powerplay.
THIRD PERIOD
The IceDogs would struggle to get anything going in the third period, struggling to get into the offensive zone and creating any scoring chances. This would again come back to haunt them as Petes forward Keegan McMullen would score and make the score a scary looking 5-1. The IceDogs would not count themselves out of the game completely as a handful of Cam's in Peters & Butler would score on respective plays to make it a 5-3 game. This seemed to spark a fire in the IceDogs as the pace continued to ramp up and more offensive chances were created. Butler was able to create an individual effort with 6 seconds left for the goal as he went in on the goaltender and snuck it home to make it 5-4.
Too little too late as the IceDogs fall to Peterborough and finish 0-2 on the weekend, looking to bounce back in the week to come with another full slate of games. At home to Erie on Thursday, along with a pair of road games in Sudbury & Mississauga to round out another 3-game weekend.
Jersey House Player of the Game: Cam Peters
Photo Credit: Terry Wilson / OHL Images