Philip Tomasino ‘knocking it out of the park’
IceDogs sophomore making the most of chance to play top-six role
When an injury knocked highly-touted NHL prospect Akil Thomas out of the Niagara IceDogs lineup, Philip Tomasino received an opportunity to step up to the plate and play a top-line role for the Ontario Hockey League team.
He’s been “knocking it out of the park” ever since. In the past five games, including a three-point performance in a 6-1 victory over the Owen Sound Attack Thursday night at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Tomasino, has scored six goals and added three assists.
“When Akil got hurt and Tomasino got the expanded role, it really kind of opened our eyes to what he can do in a top-six role,” Niagara head coach Billy Burke said of the 17-year-old from Mississauga, the team’s top pick in the 2017 Ontario Hockey League draft.
The coach said it didn’t take long for the IceDogs to realize “we can win with Tomasino in our top six.”
“We gave him that challenge and he keeps stepping up and knocking it out of the park,” the coach added. “He does things that 19-yearolds in this league can’t do.
“It’s great to see him get this opportunity and run with it.”
Tomasino suggested that it’s hard not to excel playing on a line with Thomas and fellow NHL prospect Jason Robertson.
“Obviously, those guys are two of the best players in the league, for sure,” he said. “I’m excited to play with them, and I’m trying to
take as much advantage of my opportunity as I can.
“Playing with those guys is not that hard, they find lanes and stuff like that, they feed me the puck.”
“They’re definitely easy to play with.”
Blueliner Elijah Roberts scored on Niagara’s first shot on net giving the hosts a lead 1:12 into the game.
Offence was also generated on defence less than three minutes when the IceDogs went up 2-0 on Johnathon Schaefer’s second of the campaign.
On Owen Sound’s first opportunity to score on the power play, IceDogs backstop Stephen Dhillon was aided by a goalpost – every goaltender’s best friend – and head’s-up play from team captain Ben Jones, who blocked a hard shot with his body.
Niagara outshot Owen Sound 15-4 in the first period; also in hitting goalposts with a wideopen net, two to one.
In the middle frame, shots were 11-3 in favour of the Attack when Tomasino rifled a shot from above the left faceoff circle. The sophomore’s ninth goal of the season caused Owen Sound to pull starting goaltender Mack Guzda in favour of Andrew MacLean.
In the second, the Attack spent more time attacking, outshooting the ’Dogs 16-12.
Zachary Roberts made it a two-goal game when he put Owen Sound on the scoreboard 9:53 into the third period.
Tomasino’s second of the game restored Niagara’s three-goal lead – and gave his team some much-needed breathing room. Owen Sound was outshooting Niagara 16-9 at the time.
It also gave the home side momentum, as Robertson and Akil Thomas each found the back on the power play to round out the scoring.
After a strong start by the IceDogs and before a fine finish,
momentum shifted to Owen Sound’s side of the ice. Burke started getting a “little nervous” when the Attack made it a twogoal midway into the third period.
“When they made it 3-1, there was still about 10 minutes to go, that’s a lot of time in this league,” he said.
“You see it in this league all the time, big leads go away.
“Two-goal leads are no different than one-goal leads the way that they can change in this league.”
A 10-game personal point streak – 10 goals, 12 assists – carried Robertson into his third game in an IceDogs uniform. The Dallas Stars prospect assisted on Tomasino’s first goal to extend the streak before scoring his second since coming to Niagara from Kingston, and 25th overall.
Niagara was coming off a 5-2 road loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs. Owen Sound doubled the Erie Otters 2-1 on the road Wednesday night, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Both teams were fourth in their respective conferences coming into their first meeting in league play. Owen Sound, 14-101-2; had one more point than Niagara, 13-7-4-0; but the IceDogs have three games in hand.
Niagara only plays the Attack twice in the 2018-19 regular season. The home-and-home series
wraps up Feb. 24 in Owen Sound.
The Attack swept the IceDogs 2-0 last season and are 6-1-1-0 versus Niagara over the past five years.
’Dog Biscuits: Colton Incze, D; Mason Howard, D; Ivan Lodnia, F; were not in the Niagara lineup … Manuel Alberg, L; Sean Durzi, D; were the scratches for Owen Sound … Trenton Bourque, D, St. Louis; Aidan Dudas, C, Los Angeles; Sean Durzi, D, Toronto; Markus Phillips, D; Los Angeles, Maksim Sushko, F, Philadelphia; Nick Suzuki, C, Montreal, from Vegas in trade; are the NHL draft picks on the current Owen Sound roster … It was a bit of a hockey homecoming for Otters forward Daylon Groulx. The Fort Erie native came into the game with nine goals and 12 assists in his second full season with the Attack … The choir from ecole elementaire L’Heritage in St. Catharines performed the national anthem.
Bernd.Franke@ niagaradailies.com
905-225-1624 | @TribSportsDesk
‘‘ “Playing with those guys is not that hard, they find lanes and stuff like that, they feed me the puck. They’re definitely easy to play with.” PHILIP TOMASINO Niagara IceDogs forward