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Time For The IceDogs To Show If They Are For Real

Last Wednesday night the Ice Dogs faced a crucial test.  They went to Belleville to face the Eastern Conference Leading Bulls on their Olympic sized ice.  This was a test that Niagara desperately wanted to pass so that they could prove they were ready to play with the leaders in the East.  The result, a hugely disappointing 8 - 1 loss.

 

Since then, the Ice Dogs faced Sudbury in St.Catharines.  This was a must win due to Sudbury's poor road record.  The result, a narrow but important 5 - 4 win.

 

Niagara's boys then went head to head with the lowly Kingston Frontenacs on Sunday.  Kingston's poor overall record might have suggested an easy win for Niagara but for one important fact.  Doug "Killer" Gilmour was now behind the Fronts bench.  Their improved play forced the Ice Dogs to face the dreaded shootout for the fifth time this season.  Fortunately for the 3011 faithful fans at the Gatorade Garden City Complex, Niagara passed the test and for the first time this year came away from the shootout with a win, thanks in no small part to the goaltending of Mark Visentin and some timely scoring by Alex Pietrangelo.

 

Niagara now has 5 wins in their past 10 games.  But guess who is coming to dinner on Thursday?  None other than the hottest team in the league, complete with a 16 game winning streak.  The last time these two teams clashed was in Niagara's cozy confines on September 27TH.  Matt Piva scored twice and led the Ice Dogs to a 4 -2 win.

 

But that was then and this (as they say) is now.  That loss was the first of five in a row for the Battalion.  But they were playing without Cody Hodgson and Evgeny Gravchev.  Since Butler's boys have had the benefit of their presence in the lineup, Brampton has been scorching hot as 16 consecutive wins in a row will attest. They currently sit two points back of the Conference leading Bulls, but have the benefit of three games in hand.

 

Niagara meanwhile, sits eight points behind Brampton, fourth overall in the Conference.  Like Belleville, they too have played three more games than Brampton.  If Niagara is going to improve its position and close the gap, this is a "MUST" win.  They face Hodgson and Gravchev for sure, but they might not have to face Brampton's other main weapon, Matt Duchene.  He was injured last weekend and thus his status for this game remains uncertain.

 

Like Brampton, Niagara has a few things going for them right now.  Alex Pietrangelo is back from St.Louis and playing like he has not missed a beat.  Witness a goal in the third period versus Kingston, followed by the game winning tally in the shootout.

 

Matt Sisca has found form and since sitting out one game as a healthy scratch has been scoring regularly enough to be named the OHL Player of the week one week ago.

 

Mark Visentin was between the pipes during both wins last weekend and looked sharp.  The downside might just be that John Cullen went down with an undisclosed injury and might not be available for a while.  Who would take his place remains to be seen.

 

And Drew Schiestel has been out for a while with that dreaded "upper body" injury which seems to be epidemic these days.  If he is healthy, then the Ice Dogs might very well have the most experienced blue line corps in the OHL.

 

What we have here are two teams who appear to be coming into this game on a high note.  Sixteen in a row would seem to be enough to suggest the Battalion are for real.  Niagara on the other hand has yet to prove they are for real.  There would be no better time (it would seem) to prove they are ready to compete on a consistent basis.  The question for Mario's team therefore is;  "Are you ready for it?"

WHY THE ICE DOGS SHOULD NOT TRADE ALEX PIETRANGELO

 
A hero's welcome is certain to greet Alex Pietrangelo as he makes his home return this Saturday against the Sudbury Wolves.  The big defenseman, repatriated from St. Louis recently,  already has 1 goal and 3 assists in his two starts.  The question remains as to how long his Ice Dog tenure will be considering that trade talk has heated up with both Petro and some up and comer named John Tavares being enticing bargaining chips.   It stands to reason from this vantage point that holding onto Pietrangelo would be in his and the teams best interest.  Here's why:
 
1. GM's and other management pay close attention to the attendance gate for every home game.  People are predicting an Ice Dog sell out for his home return and improved attendance going forward.  If that trend rings true, then the Ice Dogs could ill afford to trade their star.   
 
2. Related to point number one is that the Ice Dogs did a great job of making their players ambassadors for the community.  Led by guys like Swift, Legein a and Caputi, the Ice Dogs became real heroes.  It makes sense to have Petro as your community centrepiece.  He's a high NHL pick, and more importantly is a genuinely nice guy. 
 
3. Trade partners are limited.  Right now the top four teams are London, Windsor, Brampton and Belleville.  London and Windsor appear to be major players and are gunning for star power.  Brampton is on a heck of a run right now, but likely waits to make a move.  Belleville would be a nice fit.  Imagine Petro partnered with P.K. Subban.  Do they have the pieces to trade?  Dave Brown likely demands a package of draft picks and one or two roster players in any deal.
 
4. In a middling Eastern Conference, the Ice Dogs are not that far off, having lost only two of twelve in regulation.  After Brampton and Belleville, teams are bunched up.  The 3rd seed brass ring is clearly up for grabs.  
 
5. The Ice Dogs need Petro.  Right now the Ice Dogs D is struggling.  Fletcher, Schiestel and Josh Day have all struggled on the back end.  You cannot blame the Ice Dogs' goals against average solely on young goaltending.  There have been defensive breakdowns a plenty!  Petro will play 30 minutes a game for the Dogs, will play in all situations and be better for it at next years St. Louis camp.
 
I believe the Ice Dogs will make a deal or two and a deal for Alex Pietrangelo may be too good to pass up.  It is just not a guarantee that Petro will be in different colours come the New Year.

Steve Clark
TV Cogeco

TV Cogeco Programming Note

 TV Cogeco will be having its annual Rotary TV Auctions over the next few weeks. Please note the following conflicts. 

 Saturday November 22nd vs Sudbury will not be seen in Niagara Falls

 Sunday November 29th @ Barrie will not be seen in St. Catharines

 Friday December 5th vs Sarnia will not been seen in Welland/Pt. Colborne/Fonthill/Ft. Erie

 Saturday December 6th vs Windsor will not been seen in Welland/Pt. Colborne/Fonthill/Ft. Erie

Time to Give Credit Where Credit is Due

We are now approximately one third of the way through this OHL Season.  So as I was driving alone in my car one day I heard Bob McCown on the Fan 590 elaborating once again an idea that he feels is long overdue in the NHL.  And the more I thought about it, the more I thought, why not try it out in the OHL.

 

Simply put, it is an idea that hockey purists (hello Ed Burkholder?) out there are bound to hate.  But it is one I think, that is worthy of serious consideration.  It should give credit ultimately to true success in League Play.

 

For a number of years now, in an attempt to keep teams from playing ultimately for a tie in the dying minutes of a close game, we have seen the advent of sudden death, four on four overtime for five minutes.  The idea of course is that both teams will go all out in an attempt to gain one extra point in the standings by winning in OT.  Fewer players on the ice should provide extra skating room and more offence.  At least that is the theory.

 

Furthermore, if a win is not produced in OT, then we send it to the dreaded Shootout, which goes on until a winner is finally decided.  Losers in OT or Shootout shouldn't go home empty handed, so the loss is rewarded with one point in the standings.

 

In my mind, I agree with Bob McCown.  Why should a loss be worth only one fewer point than a win, just because the game could not be decided in Regulation Time?  Let's really encourage teams to go all out to win in 60 minutes.  And the way to accomplish this you ask, is to change the way we reward wins and losses.

 

Let's award 4 points for a win in Regulation Time, 3 points for a win in OT and 2 points for a win in the Shootout.  If you still must provide a reward for surviving sixty minutes, then you can still award one point for a loss in OT or by Shootout.

 

I would suggest that you will see fewer teams simply "hanging on" for OT or a shootout, because I think you will see more offensive creativity from coaches in the dying minutes or during extra time.  The reason of course would be the extra incentive of more than just a one point difference.  This would be especially true I would suggest in tight playoff races late in the season.  And in the end, this would be more fun for the fans.

 

Listed below are the current standings (at the time of writing) compared to the 4-3-2-1 format.  I would love to hear you the fans on this, so I encourage your comments.

 

And yes Ed Burkholder, Bob and I just might be crazy!

	Current Standings As Of
	November 12, 2008
	Eastern Conference
Rank	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	SL	Pts
1	Brampton Battalion	20	14	6	0	0	28
2	Belleville Bulls	21	13	6	1	1	28
3	Ottawa 67's	21	11	9	0	1	23
4	Sudbury Wolves	18	9	7	1	1	20
5	Oshawa Generals	20	9	10	0	1	19
6	Peterborough Petes	21	9	11	0	1	19
7	Niagara Ice Dogs	21	6	8	3	4	19
8	Barrie Colts	19	8	10	1	0	17
9	Mississauga St.Mike's Majors	18	7	10	0	1	15
10	Kingston Frontenacs	21	5	12	4	0	14
	Western Conference
Rank	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	SL	Pts
1	Windsor Spitfires	21	19	2	0	0	38
2	London Knights	20	14	5	0	1	29
3	Guelph Storm	21	12	7	1	1	26
4	Saginaw Spirit	18	12	6	0	0	24
5	Sault Ste.Marie Greyhounds	19	10	8	1	0	21
6	Erie Otters	20	10	9	1	0	21
7	Sarnia Sting	19	9	8	1	1	20
8	Owen Sound Attack	19	7	8	3	1	18
9	Kitchener Rangers	18	7	9	1	1	16
10	Plymouth Whalers	19	6	11	2	0	14
	Revised 4-3-2-1 Standings
	As of November 12,2008
	Eastern Conference
Rank	Team	GP	W	OTW	SOW	L	OTL	SOL	Pts
1	Belleville Bulls	21	12	0	1	6	1	1	52
2	Brampton Battalion	20	11	1	2	6	0	0	49
3	Ottawa 67's	21	11	0	0	9	0	1	45
4	Sudbury Wolves	18	8	0	1	7	1	1	36
5	Peterborough Petes	21	7	2	0	11	0	1	35
6	Oshawa Generals	20	7	1	1	10	0	1	34
7	Barrie Colts	19	7	1	0	10	1	0	34
8	Niagara Ice Dogs	21	6	0	0	8	3	4	31
9	Mississauga St.Mike's Majors	18	6	0	1	10	0	1	27
10	Kingston Frontenacs	21	4	1	0	12	4	0	23
	Western Conference
Rank	Team	GP	W	OTW	SOW	L	OTL	SOL	Pts
1	Windsor Spitfires	21	17	1	1	2	0	0	73
2	London Knights	20	11	3	0	5	0	1	54
3	Saginaw Spirit	18	10	1	1	6	0	0	45
4	Guelph Storm	21	8	2	2	7	1	1	42
5	Erie Otters	20	10	0	0	9	1	0	41
6	Sarnia Sting	19	8	1	0	8	1	1	37
7	Sault Ste.Marie Greyhounds	19	5	4	1	8	1	0	35
8	Owen Sound Attack	19	5	1	1	8	3	1	29
9	Kitchener Rangers	18	5	1	1	9	1	1	27
10	Plymouth Whalers	19	4	0	2	11	2	0	22

DO THE DOGS NEED A VETERAN 'TENDER?

During Saturday's our local roundtable entitled Between the Bluelines, Al, Ed and I debated whether or not it was time to trade for a veteran goaltender.  Ed was very direct in saying that it was time to make a move for a veteran tender, while I agreed with Ed but was not quite as vociferous.  I pointed out the 6 games (now 7) in which the Ice Dogs have gone to either a shootout or OT.  The Ice Dogs, by the way, are a dismal 0-7 in those games.  While people will point out that the Ice Dogs get a point in those games, do you really see the Ice Dogs high-fiving over an OT loss or a shootout loss?  Bottom line is those are losses and points taken off the board for the Ice Dogs.  Win half of those games and questions about whether or not the Ice Dogs get a veteran 'tender likely are not raised.   Of note in those losses I would consider at least 2/3 of the OT goals scored against the Ice Dogs as "softies" while between them John Cullen and Mark Visentin have allowed 9/13 goals in the shootout.  You can spin them any way you want, but those are pretty dismal.  Both goaltenders have had their shining moments in net.  Poor John Cullen was brilliant on Thursday but the lasting image is of him being woefully out of position on the OT winner and then throwing a bit of a temper tantrum on the ice that may have done John McEnroe proud.
 
Back to the original question of whether or  not the Ice Dogs need a veteran goaltender.  Certainly the goalie landscape changed with the trade of Trevor Cann to Peterborough.  Now teams have a sense of what personality their team will take on.  This is of course, thrown out the window if you are the Osahawa Generals who got pounded 10-2 by Peterborough and then beat Kitchener 5-3 on the road and then thumped Barrie 5-0 at home, which I'm sure has their Coach Chris DePiero scratching his head.    Bottom line for the Ice Dogs is that they are not far away from being in the upper echelon of the conference.   Outside of Belleville and Brampton, teams are bunched up and a goaltender can be a difference maker.  The Ice Dogs know that all too well when they got Sebastian Dahm from Sudbury last year.  
 
Thanks to the advent of fantasy sports, everyone thinks that they can be a GM and the pulse of the Ice Dog nation seems to lean toward demoting Visentin and making Cullen the back-up.  Sounds good on paper, but what you are doing is telling two young goaltenders that their roles have been reduced and they are demoted.  What does that do for the make-up of a young goaltender?  On the other side of the coin, the OT and Shootout losses are piling up and there has got to be a measure of frustration on the team that they have not closed the deal in OT or the Shootout.
 
If you are truly developing a young team, then you ride it out and stick with the young 'tenders knowing that there will be some long nights at the office.  If you feel you have a shot at the upper part of the conference, then it is imperative to grab a veteran goalie.  That much you owe to your veterans, and you need to pull the trigger on that deal sooner rather than later.. 

Dave Brown, over to you.
 
Steve Clark
TV Cogeco   
 

Crunch Time

It may seem that we are well into this year's hockey season.  And yet the reality is that it is still early days.  Despite this, the season has already arrived at a critical juncture for a number of players selected last June in the NHL Draft.  NHL Teams can keep their picks in the lineup for nine games before their salaries kick in against the cap.  Hard as it might seem to believe it is "crunch time" already for these young men.

 

At the time of writing, Sarnia's Steven Stamkos, Peterborough's Zach Bogosian and Guelph's Drew Doughty all have seven games under their belts with Tampa, Atlanta and L.A. respectively.  WHL graduate Luke Schenn has put in eight games with Toronto already and Alex Pietrangelo has logged only three games due to being placed on the Injured Reserve List by St.Louis.

 

None of these players show any signs that they are about to return to their Junior alma matre.  In fact, the Leafs have announced that they plan to keep Schenn in Toronto.  Of the remaining four, it is probably a pretty safe bet their careers in the NHL are now secure.  Thus, the NHL's gain is Junior Hockey's loss.  A loss for Canada that is, come this December, when it is time to select this year's edition of Team Canada.  How great would this fearsome five look with a red maple leaf on their chests?

 

One might also say "Crunch Time" has arrived for the Ice Dogs as October draws to a close.  Niagara has just come off a huge victory against the Spirit this past Saturday.  They got a solid effort from everyone, despite being out shot 38 to 28.  The defence needs to tighten up and allow fewer Shots on Goal.  The good news was that Mark Visentin came up with some tremendous saves when called upon and that was a very welcome sign that perhaps the fortunes of the Ice Dogs are about to turn in their favor.  But to win consistently, the team collectively must play better in support of their young netminders.

 

Niagara can score.  No doubt about that.  They currently sit with the second highest total "goals for" in the East with 52.  Only Oshawa with 57 has more.  But, they have allowed the highest "goals against" in the East with 64.  If the Dogs are to win more  frequently they need to continue to be the creative offensive team they have demonstrated themselves to be this year, while at the same time cutting down on the goals against.

 

This young Niagara Team can still easily move up in the standings and compete with virtually any team in the League.  But to do so, they must start now before losing any more ground on the leaders in the standings.

 

Crunch Time is here indeed!