IceDogs double Steelheads
It was a perfect night for rookie Philip Tomasino to score his first OHL goal as the Niagara IceDogs put another notch in the win column.
Tomasino, the fifth-overall pick in last spring ’s OHL Priority Selection Draft, scored six minutes into the first period as the IceDogs defeated the Mississauga Steelheads 6-3 Thursday at the Meridian Centre.
“That goal was very nice,” said Billy Burke, the IceDogs coach. “It was incredible skill. He didn’t use five moves. He went inside and outside and ripped it. After that goal, I thought his confidence went through the roof. He will be a star. He should be just oozing confidence.
“We can tell him he is doing great and show him the video, but at the end of the day, I’m sure it feels very good to get that goal.”
Tomasino, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound centre, now has a goal and four assists in 10 games.
Krill Maksimov, Oliver Castleman, Danial Singer, Zach Shankar and Elijah Roberts also scored for the IceDogs, who improved to 7-2-1-0 with the win. Mississauga dropped to 1-8-0-0 with the loss.
It took a minute, but Burke breathed a sigh of relief with 8:32 to go in the second period after his goaltender Stephen Dhillon went down with behind the net after a collision with Mississauga’s Shaw Boomhower. Dhillion was attended by trainer Pete Dobbin and returned to the net after flexing his knee a few times. Broomhower was called for goaltender interference.
Maksimov made the Steelheads pay when he scored 34 seconds later on the ensuing power-play to put Niagara up 4-2.
Dhillon faced 35 shots and gave Niagara another solid effort in goal as the IceDogs won for the fourth time in the last five games. Niagara also picked up a point in the only loss during the streak. That came in overtime last Saturday in Erie.
“He (Dhillon) is one of the best goalies in the league,” Burke said. “When we have breakdowns, he has our back. We really stress that we need to play good team defence. Mississauga has some players that are really fast and skilled forwards. We made a point of making sure we didn’t give up rushes and clogged the neutral zone.”
The loss was Mississauga’s fourth straight.
Niagara’s power-play continued to click as the IceDogs made good on three of eight chances. The penalty kill was stopped Mississauga on four of five opportunities.