IceDogs go fishing
Niagara ends 10- game losing slide to start three- game stretch
The Niagara IceDogs returned to the ice Friday night for the middle of back- to- back- to- back games with a different streak on their mind.
This one on the positive side of the won- loss ledger.
Thanks to Stephen Dhillon, who stopped 43 of 44 shots, and Kirill Maksimov, who scored two goals against his former team, the IceDogs managed to get an especially heavy monkey off their aching backs.
Sam Miletic and Ben Jones also found the back of the net as Niagara defeated the Saginaw Spirit 4- 1 Thursday night at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines slamming the brakes on a 10- game losing skid.
IceDogs head coach Billy Burke praised the play of Dhillon after the team returned to the win column for the first time since tripling the Sudbury Wolves on the road Jan. 27.
“He was rock solid, especially early with those penalty kills,” Burke said of Dhillon, who kept the Spirit off the scoreboard despite Niagara being outshot 23- 14 in the opening frame.
“They were getting some good opportunities.”
The third- year veteran’s strong turn between the pipes was just what the struggling IceDogs needed in the midst of a slump that was taking on a life of its own.
“When you’re losing like we were and fragile like we were, you need a goalie to step up for you,” Burke said.
Dhillon shared credit for the team’s first win in almost a month.
“The boys played well, they made my job easy,” he said. “They blocked a lot of shots, you’ve got to give them a lot of credit.”
Like everyone in the Niagara lineup and on the coaching staff, the 19- year- old from Buffalo was happy to finally refer to the team’s longest losing streak of the season in the past tense.
“It’s nice to finally get those bounces tonight and to be able to score first was huge for us.”
Sam Miletic opened the scoring with a laser from the top of the left faceoff circle for his 30th goal of the season and 14th with Niagara.
Maksimov, who spent the first 1 ½ seasons of his Ontario Hockey League career with Saginaw, put the hosts up 2- 0 tapping in a rebound 1: 42 into the second period. The even- strength marker was his 29th of the campaign.
Jake Goldowski fired in a rebound that beat Dhillon glove side to put the Spirit on the scoreboard with 5: 38 remaining in the second period.
Maksimov’s second goal of the game, and third of his career against his former team, gave the IceDogs a 3- 1 lead at the midway point of the third period.
Niagara forward and Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Ben Jones rounded out the scoring with an empty- net goal.
Entering action Friday action the IceDogs, 26- 21- 6- 3, led last night’s road opponent, the Mississauga Steelheads, 26- 28- 1- 2, by eight points and are tied Saturday’s opponent, the visiting North Bay Battalion, 27- 22- 7- 2, for second place in the Central Division.
Niagara has a game in hand on North Bay.
The IceDogs are 2- 2 against Mississauga and 3- 0- 0- 1 versus North Bay in head- to- head play so far this season.
Topping the Central are the Barrie Colts, 34- 20- 2- 1, the only team in the five- team division that has already clinched a playoff berth.
’ Dog Biscuits: OHL teams have not fared well in the latest Canadian Hockey League rankings. Only the top- seeded Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound have not fallen during the past week. Dropping one spot to fifth and seventh, respectively, were the Sarnia Sting and Kitchener, while the Hamilton Bulldogs, No. 9 last week, dropped out of the top 10 and received honourable mention along with the Kingston Frontenacs … Rookie forward Philip Tomasino was honoured as the IceDogs academic player of the month after averaging 91 per cent in his studies at Governor Simcoe Secondary School.