January 14th - Niagara IceDogs vs. Barrie Colts

by Brandon Sudeyko
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After their game Thursday night in Niagara, I figured this rematch would not have been as one sided as the score suggested. But it was in fact that way. The IceDogs were finishing up their three in three, while the Barrie Colts were rested from not playing Friday. What I saw in the first 38 seconds was Niagara setting the tone for the remaining 59 minutes and change of the game. On the first shot of the game NIA Alex Friesen was able to put the IceDogs up 1-0. Friesen scored off of a deflection from Alex Lepokowski which would be a trend in the game to come. The first period was all Niagara. They used their speed, worked the puck down low, the defence had active sticks which lead to many shot blocks and Barrie could not get to the IceDogs net. Barrie came out flat, stayed flat for the first period and despite tying the game up at 1 with 14 seconds left in the first period. The shot clock told the entire story of the first period. 17-4 in favour of the Niagara IceDogs. The only momentum that the Colts could have mustered up in the first 20 minutes would have been a fight between BAR Norm Ezekiel and NIA Adam Desautels. The two dropped the gloves off a faceoff, waited about 3 seconds before skating towards each other and the linesman stepped in right away. Putting the kibosh on any type of momentum changer. After 20 minutes of play, game tied at 1 with Niagara owning the shot clock.

The start of the second period you thought, ‘would the Barrie Colts show up or is this going to be a complete domination by the Niagara IceDogs?’ The Niagara IceDogs came out flying like they did in the first period. Controlling the puck down low. Stopping the Colts at the blueline as they tried to break the zone. Continued to block a lot of Barrie shots, kept the Colts to the outside and used the boards and wide passes to stretch out the Colts so they can get deep into the Barrie zone. Despite the Colts best efforts, they could not stay out of the box which resulted in the second goal of the game. This would be the only goal you can argue that Barrie goaltender Alex ‘The Future’ Fotinos, could have had. Niagara on the Power Play, cycling the puck like they always do. The same set up every time that no one can seem to defend against. The PP master Ryan Strome does a great job of getting the puck to the top of the left circle on the tape of Tom Khunhackl, who finds Dougie Hamilton creeping in to the right circle around the faceoff dot where Dougie blasts it over the glove of Fotinos to make it a 2-1 Niagara lead. Again, this would be the only goal you could say Fotinos should have had on the night. Then again a Dougie Hamilton slapshot from 20 feet out, while moving left to right is never easy. Just over two minutes the Niagara IceDogs extend their lead. Remember the continuation of the night was the IceDogs dominating down low and pinning the Colts on defence. Niagara is able to cycle the puck back up to the Myles Doan where he fires a shot off the skate of Alex Lepkowski, off the inner pad of Fotinos and in the back of the net. What could go bad for the Colts did go bad. Of note for Barrie is Captain Colin Behenna drawing two penalties in the second period both hooking calls. The second period ended with Niagara up 3-1, winning the shot clock battle with 8-7 in the 2nd, 25-11 for 40 minutes of play.

The third period saw more of the same dominance by the Niagara IceDogs. At times, it looked like they took their foot off the pedal as they sensed that Barrie was not going to cause a lot of pressure for NIA goalie Mark Visentin. The lone goal in the third happened at the 10 minute mark when a pass from Chris Buonomo was intercepted by Tom Khunhackl which lead to a breakaway goal, another goal that Fotinos had no business saving unless luck was on his side. This time it was not. The Colts almost generate something with 5 minutes left in the game as a weird dump in clings off the glass and in the back of the Niagara net. However, Mark Visentin knocks the net off the moorings going to play the puck off the boards. The refs waive off the goal and after review, and the replay showing the puck was off the moorings, the ‘no goal’ call stood and no ‘delay of game’ penalty was assessed. It was that sort of night for the Barrie Colts as they suffered their 2nd loss of the weekend to the Niagara IceDogs.
IceDogs won 4-1 and also dominated the shot clock, 33-21.




Game Notes:


• The stats do not show how good Alex Fotinos was in this game. Many around me continually stated, without Alex in net, the game could have been 6 or 7-1 for Niagara.


• The two newest Niagara IceDogs, Jamie Oleksiak and Brett Ritchie, had opposite nights. Jamie was present every time on the ice, whether it was his stick, throwing his body around, or shot blocking. Brett Ritchie was for most part invisible and did not generate much offensively.


• BAR defenceman Chris Buonomo played with 4 different defenceman, never played with Aaron Ekblad.


• NIA Mark Visentin didn’t see much work, but continued to look very calm in net, squaring himself and building off the momentum of the Bronze medal victory back from the WJHC

ITO Hot-Stove: which recently traded OHL player will make the biggest impact on his new team?

During the holidays I decided to take a couple weeks off from the hot-stove, but with the holidays over and everyone going back to work and to school, I decided to jump back on the horse and start producing hot-stoves again. Anyways, this is the fifth edition of ITO Hot-Stove since I've joined. Joining me today in this piece is Dwayne Williams, Brandon Sudeyko, Thayne Hallyburton and Phil Phillips.

Without further ado I'd like to introduce you all to this week's debate question: which recently traded OHL player will make the biggest impact on his new team?

Todd Cordell

Ryan Spooner

With Nail Yakupov out for approximately a month, and several other top players on the Sarnia Sting out with injuries Ryan Spooner will need to step up, and in my opinion he will.

I think Spooner will hold the Sting in the top four of the Western Conference until some key players return from injury, and go on an absolute offensive tear when some of the top guys return and he gets some help.

All in all I think he'll play a key role in righting the ship for the Sting until they can get some bodies back and play a big part in whatever playoff success the Sting have. Some other players who were moved will have big impacts as well, no doubt, but none as big as Spooner will have in Sarnia. Thus, in my opinion, making him the player that will have the biggest impact on his new team.

Dwayne Williams

John McFarland

I thought that Spooner would have the biggest impact on his team - and has 3 goals and 1 assist in 3 games team - but the Sting have been hit with the injury bug to go along with their aggressive trading activities. They are only 1 win  and 2 losses so far with him in the lineup. (Yakupov long term and Hottot took a shot in the leg today - left and didn't return)

 

My vote: Seems like John MacFarland has put an extra jump into the step of the 67's (like they needed an extra push to get going). He has played 2 games for them - kept off the scoresheet in the first game, and then 1 goal and 1 assist in the 4-0 thumping delivered to the Majors. Offensively I think that Ottawa and Niagara are now the elite teams that the rest of the East will be looking up at for the second half.

Brandon Sudeyko

Jamie Oleksiak

Believe it or not I have to go with Jamie Oleksiak. Not necessarily based on his play, but based on the fact that he is the ‘big’ acquisition for the IceDogs and if they do not make the OHL Finals… this can be a huge disappointment. Then again a new opportunity in a city that will cheer his name may be what the Dallas Stars pick needs. Either way, I believe Jamie will have the biggest impact either negatively or positively… if Niagara can not do it this year… maybe they should have picked Brock Beukeboom’s former Soo Roommate instead of the Big O….

Thayne Hallyburton

Brett Ritchie

 

The Niagara Ice Dogs did not get the superstar that they wanted. Rumours floated around town that they were close to getting Gregg McKegg and that they were in on Ryan Spooner. What they ended up doing was getting Brett Ritchie in one of the deals that they completed this past week when fellow-contender Sarnia Sting, decided they wanted JP Anderson and needed the right draft picks to acquire him. Marty Williamson mad a very smart move here in acquiring the big forward.

 

Ritchie will step right onto the second line in Niagara and bring size and grit to a lineup that might only lack that, making their top 6 extremely scary. Ritchie will be the big body in front of the net on the PP, making what is already the scariest PP in the league even more scary and will provide the secondary scoring that a championship caliber team needs. This move is more of a tinkering move than a huge acquisition and history teaches us that they are usually the most productive of moves. Brett Ritchie will be one of the main story lines if the Niagara Ice Dogs make the trek East in late may for the Memorial Cup.

Phil Phillips

Ryan Spooner

I think the trading of Ryan Spooner to the Sarnia Sting from the Kingston Frontances for Ryan Kujawinski involves the player(s) that will have the biggest impact on their new teams both, short and long term.

The impact that Spooner will have on the Sting has been felt immediately (3GP 3G 1A).  With highly ranked Nail Yakupov joining, Sarnia's another promising young 2012 prospect Alexander Galchenyuk, on the IR. Spooner comes to a 1st place club, where attendance is up 15%, the Sting are hoping for a long playoff run.  Having never made it by the 2nd Rd since the franchise moved to Sarnia, the hope was that Spooner would give the Sting a nice depth scoring option, but now with Yakupov joining Galchenyuk on the IR, his role will increase.  Spooner a 2^nd round pick of the Boston Bruins was an invite to Team Canada’s Selection Camp this past December but could not participate after being diagnosed with mononucleosis. Ryan also is looking for more playoff succsesse, never making it by the 1st Rd in his OHL Career with both the Peterborough Petes & Kingston. Sting GM called Spooner "one of the elite players in all of junior hockey".  In order to acquire him they had to pay a very high price. That being said they feel that Spooner is another piece that will help them contend for an OHL Championship this season.”

That high price they paid was rookie centreman Ryan Kujawinski. The 6'2" 195lbs, 16 year old was Sarnia’s 1st Rd selection in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection, 4th overall, giving the Fronts a 1st rounder from 2011 draft after trading Max Domi to the Knights of London.

“This is part of the rebuilding process,” said General Manager Doug Gilmour. Kujawinski brings an imposing size, he's a good skater for his size and loves to shoot the puck, and in the words of Gilmour has "a ton of potential". Ryan recently competed for Team Ontario at the U17’s in two games with Kingston he has already matched his goal total he had with the Sting in 29 games.  In Kingston he will get more ice and be a big part of this team moving forward.