No place like home
Defending OHL champion s 0-for-7 on power play as IceDogs win home opener
Home game, home-grown boys getting their name on the scoresheet, and a stay-at-home defence that kept their goaltender from being peppered with too many close shots, especially on the power play.
Those ingredients combined for a winning recipe Friday night when the Niagara IceDogs defeated the Erie Otters 4-1 in their home opener at Meridian Centre.
Even-strength goals from St. Catharines native Danial Singer and Kyle Langdon, a Thorold product, put the IceDogs ahead to stay as the IceDogs improved to 2-0.
Akil Thomas and Oliver Castleman, on the power play; scored insurance goals for the hosts before an announced crowd of 4,768.
Erie finished the game 0-for-7 on the power play and failed to score with a two-man advantage, which Niagara head coach Billy Burke said is “pretty automatic” in the Ontario Hockey League.
“Stephen Dhillon was great last year, he’s even better this year,” Burke said in praising the play of his goaltender.
“He was very calm, very collected and his rebound control has improved.”
Burke likewise was impressed with a defence that was following a game plan of limiting shots from the defending OHL champions to the outside.
“It’s a conscious effort of ours to end rushes at the blue-line, and I think that’s helped a bit,” he said. “But when that breaks down, Stevie has been amazing.”
Niagara outshot Erie 8-5 in the first period, but neither Dhillion, who is back for a third season with the IceDogs, and Troy Timpano, his counterpart at the other end of the ice, were not tested all that much.
Niagara had two chances to score on the power play in the latter stages of the opening frame, but the team was unable to sustain much offensive pressure on either opportunity.
Erie opened the second period playing with a two-man advantage. Dhillon was peppered with four shots, none of them requiring the third-year IceDog to make a game-saving stop.
Burke called the 5-on-3 a turning point in the game.
“Usually in this league, 5-on3’s are pretty automatic,” he said. “When you can kill one, it’s a big swing for us.”
Niagara also surrendered only one goal in a 4-1 road victory versus the Hamilton Bulldogs to open the 2017-18 season.
“Penalty killing really comes down to two things: brain and bravery,” Burke said. “Our guys are smart and they’re blocking shots, they’re sacrificing.
“Obviously, you need good goaltending, but you need guys who
want to block shots, who take pride in the penalty, who don’t want to get scored on.”
Singer opened the scoring for the IceDogs 16:45 into the second period when he beat Timpano with a pass that was deflected off an Erie defender in front of the net.
Any momentum from the St. Catharines native’s first marker of the season was short-lived with the Otters knotting the game at 1-1 a little more than a minute later. Kyle Maksimovich, in front of the net and even with the top of the faceoff circle, beat Dhillon point blank at the 17:50 mark.
Shots favoured the visitors 1716 heading into a third period that was dominated on the scoreboard by the IceDogs.
Langdon tapped in a cross-ice pass in front of the crease from Kirill Maksimov that beat an outof-position Timpano for the gamewinning goal 2:36 into the final frame.
Thomas, on a blistering shot from in front of the Otters bench at the blue line at 12:51, and Castleman, on the power-play two minutes later, rounded out the scoring.
Erie was already playing its fourth game of the season, while the IceDogs were on the ice for only the second time in league play.
Erie has had Niagara’s number since the 2012-13 season. Over the past years the Otters have compiled a 17-7 record in games versus the IceDogs, including a 4-2 mark last season.
’Dog Biscuits: National anthems were performed by the choir from Grand Avenue Public School in Grimsby ... Joshua Dame, LW; Drew Hunter, D; Andrew Somerville, D, a St. Catharines native; and Ryan Smith, C, did not dress for the IceDogs ... Carson Edwardson, 18, Niagara Falls, C; Christian Girhiny, 19, Thorold, LW; Henry Kurtis, 17, Niagara Falls, D; are the Niagara content on the Erie roster ... Niagara Falls native and one-time St. Catharines Falcons and Pelham Pirates head coach Wes Wolfe is back for a second season as an assistant coach with the Otters