IceDogs burn Firebirds to complete road trip
Mission accomplished. The Niagara IceDogs brought a pair of wins back across the border after their annual trek to Michigan.
Sunday, Niagara kept the Flint Firebirds winless with a 7-1 victory on the heels of a 3-2 win over the Saginaw Spirit Saturday.
Sunday the IceDogs jumped on Flint by taking a 4-1 lead in the first period, including a shorthanded marker by Akil Thomas.
“We wanted to come in here and have an attitude and play our game,” said Billy Burke, the IceDogs head coach, of the game against Flint. “That’s what good teams do. They make teams play up to them — not the other way around. I thought we did that.”
Flint’s record fell to 0-13-1. Niagara Improved to 9-4-2-1 and moved into second place in the conference where just five points separate the second- from the ninth-place team.
Niagara chased Firebirds goaltender Luke Cavallin 16 minutes into the first period after Ivan Lodnia’s goal gave Niagara a 3-0 lead. Emanuel Vella finished the game for Flint.
The IceDogs outshot the Firebirds 44-34. Kyen Sopa added two goals for Niagara. Ben Jones notched the other.
“When you play a team that’s a little fragile, it is important to get off to a good start,” Burke said. “If you let a young team hang around, the longer it stays close, the more it favours them, especially in their building. Every guy to a man had a really good shift to start the game. That’s what we wanted.”
Billy Constantinou. Leyton Moore, Lodnia and Thomas all scored in the first for the IceDogs.
Moore’s goal was the first of
his OHL career. The only thing the five-foot-eight defencemen lacks is size.
Burke said Moore more than makes up for that with positioning, effort and hockey smarts. His offensive skill set is undeniable, especially his skating. The Woodbridge native was the IceDogs’ first draft pick last spring.
Moore’s celebration of his first OHL goal was muted. He gave a small double arm-pump before his linemates surrounded him.
“We had some great movement there with him and his partner Constantinou,” Burke said of Moore’s first goal. “Constantinou walked the line, and Mooresy slid back behind him and opened up for the one-timer. He settled the puck down, and it was a really hard, low shot. We have two young guys who looked like seasoned vets on that one.
“With his IQ and his toughness, Moore is one of the top 16-year-olds I’ve seen in the league in all my years here. He has a bright future. He has leadership qualities. I love the way he and Constantinou are playing together.”
Saturday, the Niagara IceDogs defeated the Spirit in a contest decided by shootout.
Bradey Johnson netted the shootout winner with help from Thomas, who scored a goal in regulation, and added another in the shootout.
“It was an exciting game,” Burke said. “Saginaw is a tough place to play. We haven’t had a lot of success here the last couple years, but the guys were ready to play. It took 65 minutes and a shootout, but we will play all night if that’s what we have to do to get the win.”
The IceDogs controlled the game for a period and a half and built a 2-0 lead on Thomas’s goal and another by rookie Jonah De Simone, who scored his second in as many games after going pointless in his first nine outings.