Thanks to Nick MacArthur
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As the OHL resumed after the Christmas break the Owen Sound Attack were faced with a challenging opponent in the Niagara Ice Dogs making the trip to the Harry Lumley Bayshore on Wednesday night , then on the road for a tilt with division rival Kitchener Rangers on Friday and ending the weekend with a stop in Oshawa to take on sniper Christian Thomas an the Generals.
The Attack didn't get off the start they wanted as they fell to the visiting Ice Dogs on Wednesday by a score of 2-1. With four of Niagra's top players not in the lineup ( Strome, D.Hamilton , F.Hamilton, Visentin ) this was a good chance for the Attack to play a solid home game and collect the big two points to keep pace in the midwest division, unfortunately the Ice Dogs had other plans as they played a near perfect road game and came out on top. Attack power play goes 0-4 on the night and was hard to watch at points as they could not muster any solid chances.
Two nights later the Attack find themselves playing a huge game against long time rival Kitchener Rangers at the Aud. I don't know if we are far enough along into the season to start labeling games as must wins but I feel this one was a must win for the Attack. With the power play unit still not clicking well and the Rangers playing their usual crash and bang style the Attack just couldn't find the energy to keep up with the Rangers as they fall 4-1 and fall 11 points back of the Rangers and 15 back of London.
Fast forward to the new year and we find the Attack traveling to Oshawa to take on the Generals in the first game of 2012 looking to get off to a good start. The Attack jump out to an early lead with their first power play goal in 4 games from captain Mike Halmo, his 22nd of the season. Oshawa would tie the game 1:18 later and eventually take the lead with a late goal to end the period. 2-1 Gens after twenty minutes.
A relatively quiet second period saw Blandisi get his 12th of the year and Keevin Cutting scraping with Maggio after a check to the head. Game all square at 2 after 40 minutes.
The third period would see a lot of back and forth play between both sides and the Gens would score twice on goals from Thomas and Graves. The attack would draw within one goal as Halmo would score his second of the game and 23rd of the campaign.
Another tough loss for the Attack as they have now lost 4 of their last 5 and have fell into a tie with Sault St.Marie for 5th in the Western Conference.
Power play and penalty kill will win you games and it can most certainly lose you games as the Attack struggle with the man advantage over the past 5 games going a combined 3-27 on the power play. Penalty kill was respectable killing off 26 of 30 over the last 5.
Next up for the Attack is Friday in Niagara for a rematch with the Ice Dogs and returning home to host the Brampton Battalion on Saturday night at the Lumley Bayshore game time as always 7:30pm.
The Attack didn't get off the start they wanted as they fell to the visiting Ice Dogs on Wednesday by a score of 2-1. With four of Niagra's top players not in the lineup ( Strome, D.Hamilton , F.Hamilton, Visentin ) this was a good chance for the Attack to play a solid home game and collect the big two points to keep pace in the midwest division, unfortunately the Ice Dogs had other plans as they played a near perfect road game and came out on top. Attack power play goes 0-4 on the night and was hard to watch at points as they could not muster any solid chances.
Two nights later the Attack find themselves playing a huge game against long time rival Kitchener Rangers at the Aud. I don't know if we are far enough along into the season to start labeling games as must wins but I feel this one was a must win for the Attack. With the power play unit still not clicking well and the Rangers playing their usual crash and bang style the Attack just couldn't find the energy to keep up with the Rangers as they fall 4-1 and fall 11 points back of the Rangers and 15 back of London.
Fast forward to the new year and we find the Attack traveling to Oshawa to take on the Generals in the first game of 2012 looking to get off to a good start. The Attack jump out to an early lead with their first power play goal in 4 games from captain Mike Halmo, his 22nd of the season. Oshawa would tie the game 1:18 later and eventually take the lead with a late goal to end the period. 2-1 Gens after twenty minutes.
A relatively quiet second period saw Blandisi get his 12th of the year and Keevin Cutting scraping with Maggio after a check to the head. Game all square at 2 after 40 minutes.
The third period would see a lot of back and forth play between both sides and the Gens would score twice on goals from Thomas and Graves. The attack would draw within one goal as Halmo would score his second of the game and 23rd of the campaign.
Another tough loss for the Attack as they have now lost 4 of their last 5 and have fell into a tie with Sault St.Marie for 5th in the Western Conference.
Power play and penalty kill will win you games and it can most certainly lose you games as the Attack struggle with the man advantage over the past 5 games going a combined 3-27 on the power play. Penalty kill was respectable killing off 26 of 30 over the last 5.
Next up for the Attack is Friday in Niagara for a rematch with the Ice Dogs and returning home to host the Brampton Battalion on Saturday night at the Lumley Bayshore game time as always 7:30pm.
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