Bounce-back game
Strong finish in loss to division leaders has IceDogs optimistic heading into break
The Niagara IceDogs were in a giving mood Saturday night when they hosted the Barrie Colts in their firstever Ugly Christmas Sweater Game for charity.
They literally gave fans the shirts off their backs, as the special red and green Christmas-themed jerseys were auctioned off after the 5-3 loss.
They gave it their all in the third period after being outshot 23-9 heading into the final frame against the first-place team in the Ontario Hockey League’s Central Division.
While the IceDogs could have given a bit more, such as finishing
the game better than 1-for-7 on the power play and limiting turnovers, head coach Billy Burke is happy to be heading into the break second in the division with a 16-10-3-2 record.
Before making his post-game comments to the media, Burke told the players while it was too bad to entering the break on a “sombre note” with back-to-back losses, he is pleased with how the team is progressing. Goaltending, shots-saves: Barrie, Leo Lazarev, 22-19; Niagara, Stephen Dhillon, 32-29
Power play, shots-saves: Barrie, 0-3; Niagara, 1-7
Penalties, in minutes: Barrie, 18; Niagara, 10
Attendance at Meridian Centre: 4,977
Next games for Niagara: Thursday, Dec. 28, at North Bay Battalion, 7 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 29, at Sudbury Wolves, 7:05 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 31, home to Hamilton Bulldogs, 6 p.m.
“Twenty wins at Christmas would have been fantastic, but to be at 16,” Burke said. “Yea, I’m proud of the guys. There is another level we can get to in the second half, but a lot of good things.
“I told the guys they should be proud of their accomplishments and come back motivated to be the best team we can for the rest of the year.”
He suggested with Christmas “just around the corner” the team may have been a “little distracted” when it hosted the Colts.
“We didn’t have the focus we needed to have,” Burke said. “Two of their goals, off the top of my head, were the direct result of turnovers, and you just can’t do that against a team like Barrie.
“Barrie’s a good team, they’re all they’re hyped up to be. They’re good, but I think we’re right there. We just have to be able to play the whole game.”
Niagara outshot Barrie 13-11 in the third period and scored two goals, three if you include one that was called back.
Burke was impressed with the IceDogs’ strong finish.
“You’ve got to give credit to our guys for not folding and finding a little bit of life in the third, coming back and making it close Burke said.
“But, unfortunately, in the end we shot ourselves in the foot with some bad turnovers.”
The IceDogs, Burke said, were “too casual” on a one-minute 5-on-3 opportunity on which they were unable to generate any shots on net.
“You can’t take power plays for granted, it’s not a right, it’s a privilege,” he said. “Really for me the disappointing thing tonight was the 5-on-3.
“I just thought it was sloppy, casual, the guys weren’t even in their spots. Pick your spot, pass it around, shoot the puck.
“We’re not curing cancer out there. On 5-on-3, you shoot the puck.
“It’s a simple idea, but we just didn’t execute.”
Burke had hope to enter the break with a “bounce-back game” after a lacklustre performance in a 6-3 loss to the visiting North Bay Battalion on Friday night.
While it wasn’t the “100 per cent effort” he had hoped for, there were enough positives to leave him hopeful.
“We were there at the end. A couple of weird bounces, some bad luck, but you have to make your own luck.
“They were just better than us for too much of the game, and that was the story.”
Barrie outshot Niagara 9-5 in a scoreless first period that featured the IceDogs failing to generate any shots on a 5-on-3 power play for more than a minute.
Play was four a side when Aaron Luchuk scored for Barrie 15 seconds into the second period.
Lucas Chiodo put the Colts up by two goals at the 10:37 mark of the middle frame, but Kirill Makisomov made it a one-goal a little more than a minute later his team-leading 20th of the season.
Barrie rounded out the scoring in the second period with an evenstrength marker from Jason Willms. Shots on net again favoured the visitors, this time by a 14-4 margin.
Johnny Corneil appeared to find the back of the net but the goal didn’t count and the play was ruled offside following a video review.
There was no such drama when the IceDogs captain scored on the power play to bring Niagara within one.
Zachary Magwood’s shorthanded goal shifted the momentum back to Barrie’s side, though not for long. Danial Singer’s 13th goal less than two minutes later put the IceDogs back into the game.
Jaden Peca rounded out the scoring with an empty-net goal for the Colts.
Barrie, 19-10-2-1, came into Niagara’s last game before the Christmas break leading the IceDogs by four points for first place in the Central Division. Niagara has a game in hand.
Both teams were playing their second game in as many nights. Niagara dropped a 6-3 decision to the visiting North Bay Battalion Friday night, snapping a three-game winning streak, while Barrie edged the Erie Otters 4-3 on the road.
It was the second in six-game season series between the Central Division rivals. The Colts won the opener Nov. 11 with a 6-1 victory on their home ice.
’Dog Biscuits: Saturday was IceDogs owner Bill Burke’s 60th birthday … Andrew Bruder, Bradey Johnson, Justin MacPherson and Ian Martin did not dress for Niagara … Kirill Maksimov was playing in the 150th game of his OHL career … The IceDogs wore red and green Christmas-themed jerseys which were auctioned off. Proceeds from the team’s first-ever Ugly Christmas Sweater Game were donated to Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold … Performing O Canada was Niagara Elementary Instrumental Music.