Streak carries IceDogs into playoffs
One of the top defensive forwards and penalty killers in the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference, Ben Jones knows how to find the back of the net, too.
The Niagara IceDogs centre and Vegas Golden Knights draft pick scored two goals Saturday afternoon, helping the IceDogs close out the regular season by defeating the visiting Mississauga Steelheads for their seventh straight victory.
Jones, who also scored two goals in a 6-3 road win the night before against the Erie Otters, ended his third season in the
OHL with 30 goals, a dramatic improvement over the 13 he netted in his sophomore season. He had five goals as a rookie.
Jones admitted he thought about reaching the 30-goal plateau heading into the nationally televised game versus the Steelheads.
“It was on my mind a bit, but I try not to think about it,” the 19-year-old from Waterloo said. “I try just focus on the other things that I’m good at.”
Such as being on the ice for the IceDogs on the penalty kill and defending an opposing team’s top line. Those were his strengths, according to results of the annual OHL coaches poll released Thursday.
“Obviously, I’m not going to put up 60 goals every season, so it’s definitely not my strong suit scoring goals,” he said with a chuckle. “But I’m happy that I can chip in.”
Jones, who was selected in by Vegas in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL draft, spent the summer working on the offensive part of his game.
“I didn’t have that many last year and knowing that I needed to be more of a threat this year,” he said. “I think it’s just more confidence. It’s my third year, I have a lot more confidence and patience with the puck.”
Jones hasn’t allowed increased focus on offence to how he plays when he doesn’t have the puck.
“I have more pride in myself on what I do well in the D zone and on the PK,” he said. “As long as I can chip in at the night, I’m pretty happy.”
It goes without saying that the IceDogs are happy with what Jones has contributed in his third season in Niagara. Head
coach Billy Burke suggested the IceDogs’ accomplishments in league play — fourth seed in the conference, 35-23-7-3 record — would not have been as high had it not been for Jones.
“We wouldn’t have had the season we’ve had if it wasn’t for Jonesy taking that step offensively.
“I knew he was a good player, but 30 goals is extremely difficult.”
With Niagara clinching homeice advantage through at least the first round of the playoffs with their victory over Erie, Saturday’s game had no effect on the standings.
But the IceDogs didn’t hit the ice with their focus already on Friday night’s playoff opener against the fifth-seeded Oshawa Generals.
“We had stuff to play for,” Burke said. “It was our 35th win, 80 points on the season, these are all things that are important for us. It was the over-ager day, we wanted to make sure we were playing strong for our leaders.”
Niagara outshot Mississauga 11-10 in a penalty-free first period that featured prolonged stoppages in plays to accommodate TV timeouts. The game was aired nationally by Sportsnet as the network’s weekly CHL Saturday Showcase.
Ryan McLeod, for the Steelheads, and Jones, his 29th of the season and third in two games, traded goals in the opening frame.
Liam Ham scored his sixth of the season, with Niagara on the power play, to five the IceDogs a 2-1 lead going into the third period.
Kyle Langdon had the chance to pad the lead but failed to score on a penalty shot attempt.
A three-goal Niagara lead early in final frame, on a power-play goal from Jones and an evenstrength marker from Johnny Corneil, was short-lived, with
Owen Tippett finding the back behind Stephen Dhillon.
Michael McLeod scored on the power play for the Steelheads to make it a one-goal game with 6:35 remaining in regulation.
Any thoughts of overtime were dashed less than four minutes later when Kirill Maksimov scored his 34th of the season.
Oliver Castleman rounded out the scoring with his 12th of the campaign. It was scored into an empty net.
Mississauga came into the final meeting of the regular season with Niagara leading the series 3-2. The home team had won each of the previous five starts in the Central Division rivalry.
On Friday night, the IceDogs closed out the road portion of the 68-game regular season scoring five unanswered goals to double Erie 6-3.
Corneil and Jones, with two apiece; Danial Singer and Castleman scored for the IceDogs who improved to 5-1 versus the Otters in head-to-head play despite being outshot 33-24.
Niagara finished Friday night’s game 0-for-3 on the power play. Erie was 1-for-4 with a man advantage.
’Dog Biscuits: Graduating over-agers Adrian Carbonara, Johnny Corneil and Sam Miletic were recognized on Fan Appreciation Night … Andrew Bruder, C; William Lochead, D; Ian Martin,
RW; and Daniel Nardi, D; were not in the Niagara lineup … Green jerseys the IceDogs wore to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day were auctioned off after the game with all proceeds supporting research into Crohn’s disease and colitis … Playoff tickets are on sale beginning 10 a.m. Monday at the IceDogs office … Centre Philip Tomasino, Niagara’s first pick in the 2017 Ontario Hockey League draft, is from Mississauga. He came into the game with five goals and 19 assists in 60 games with the IceDogs.