It was quite a night for a budding Knight
A seven-game point streak against one team; 14 points over that span – including his first career Ontario Hockey League hat- rick – Ben Jones might wish he could play the Hamilton Bulldogs every night.
Jones’ three goals gave him 10 on the season, and gave the Niagara IceDogs a 6-3 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs Thursday night at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.
“I saw that (those stats) this morning and wondered myself,” Jones said when asked about his knack for scoring against the Bulldogs.
“I don’t really know, I just seem to be rolling against Hamilton.”
Jones, a fourth-year forward and Vegas Golden Knights seventh-round draft pick, now has nine goals and five assists in his last seven games against the Bulldogs.
What made Thursday’s game extra special was Jones was able to do it front of Golden Knights brass in attendance.
“They just told me to keep trying to be a complete player,” said Jones, who now has 21 points in 20 games this season. “Be hard to play against, stay in the battles, keep trying to do the right things, and do what I’m going to do to get to the next level.”
Niagara head coach Billy Burke felt Jones set the tone for the rest of his team in the victory.
“It could have been Jonesy’s most complete game of the season,” explained Burke. “He was hard on things, wasn’t casual, I think everything he did he had a purpose.
“He looked like a guy who wouldn’t be denied. He looked liked a fourth-year guy with an NHL contract, who’s a leader.
“I thought Jonesy set the tone and everyone followed his lead.”
Matthew Strome opened the scoring for Hamilton on a deflection 12:07 into the first period, but Jones’ first of the night just 37 seconds later, also on a deflection, tied things at one.
Ivan Lodnia would give the IceDogs a 2-1 lead after one period of play, before Jones, 25 seconds in the middle stanza, and Oliver Castleman, on the power play, made it 4-2 Niagara after 40 minutes.
Jones would complete the hat trick 6:22 into the third on a beautiful give and go with Kirill Maksimov, who returned the IceDogs lineup after missing three games while playing for
Team Russia as part of the Canada/Russia Canadian Hockey League series. Maksimov would finish with two assists on the night, while Lodnia had three points.
Niagara visits Erie Saturday evening and Oshawa Sunday night before returning home to face the Barrie Colts next Friday. Game time at Meridian Centre is 7 p.m.
’Dog Buiscuits: Colton Incze, Mason Howard, Akil Thomas and Daniel Bukac did not dress for Niagara. Burke said Thomas and Bukac are both listed as day to day with upper-body injuries ... Logan Morrison, Owen Burnell, Frank Jenkins, Jake Murray and Lian Van Loon were out for Hamilton ... Grimsby native Brandon Saigeon had a goal and two assists for the Bulldogs and has a team-high 37 points.