Make it five in a row for the Sudbury Wolves.
Some timely scoring from players not named Kieron Walton and Nathan Villeneuve combined with another very solid outing for goaltender Paolo Frasca (38 saves on 41 shots) propelled the local juniors to a 4-3 win over the visiting Kitchener Rangers Tuesday night.
That victory improved the Sudbury record to 14-19-1-0, good for 29 points – and while that is technically equal to the Brampton Steelheads (and well up on the Oshawa Generals), the Wolves do hold two games in hand over the former.
A tally from Jack Pridham of the Rangers less than two minutes in might not have been the post-Christmas start coach Scott Barney was looking for, but by the end of the first, strikes from Blake Clayton, Liam Ladds and Artem Gonchar got that back and then some for the homeside.
Dylan Edwards pulled Kitchener to within one with the only goal of period two but Luca Blonda restored the two goal advantage, netting his first of the year early in period three and the Wolves would sustain one late counter from Pridham, picking up the win despite being outshot 41-19.
“I thought the key tonight was our goaltender, making some saves when we needed them,” said coach Barney. “I thought Frasca was great in there, especially in the second period.”
For Blake Clayton, who knotted the contest at 1-1 with his fifth of the year, the offensive production that included an assist on the Gonchar goal is honestly just a welcomed bonus to his game. “I really value defense first because that’s what I am here for, that’s my role on the team,” noted the 18 year-old native of Burlington.
“But when offensive chances come, it’s nice to capitalize on them.”
That sentiment could have easily been shared by defenseman Luca Blonda.
The first round pick in 2024 who entered the league as a highly-touted smooth skating puck carrying blueliner netted five goals in his rookie campaign – but had been held off the scoresheet this year as he continued to work on rounding out his game to better handle the defensive requirements of his position in the OHL.
“It’s great to see him get a goal there,” said Barney, as the just-turned 17 year old from Sault Ste Marie got the monkey off his back. “If you go back to our last ten games or so, he’s not our biggest guy – but he is strong. He’s often got the most bumps and hits, some of the stats we track as a team.”
“He’s playing a lot of minutes and a lot of those minutes are on the PK – and that’s a credit to him,” Barney continued. “Last year, he wouldn’t have been used in those situations. There’s still room for improvement, but that’s the case for every player.”
Fast forward to period three and the second Pridham goal with 2:14 to play makes things interesting.
Pulling goaltender Mason Hriczov with 2:04 showing on the clock, the Rangers control play in the Sudbury zone for the next 90 seconds, stymied either by Paolo Fasca or a concerted Wolves shutdown effort.
With just under 30 seconds to play and Kitchener having already taken their timeout out, the Wolves' staff opt not to use theirs's – even though their five man unit is remaining on the ice.
This bold move may very well have sealed the Rangers’ fate.
“Me and Desi (assistant coach Andrew Desjardins) and Drake (Berehowsky – assistant coach) chatted there,” explained Barney. “Our guys seemed fresh. We were just standing in our box – and if we take a timeout, it gives them (the Rangers) time to reset. If you noticed on the faceoff, they weren’t completely ready to go.”
“It was just a belief we had in our guys,” Barney continued. “Villy (Nathan Villeneuve) was great on the draws on the left side and Pharsy (Alex Pharand) won a bunch of draws on the right side.”
(I am not entirely sure how hockey players ever manage to come up with a suitable nickname for any teammate whose name already ends in a "Y" or an "I")
The Wolves have a chance to extend their win streak in Barrie on New Year’s Eve before returning home Friday to host to North Bay Battalion, completing a home and home with their Highway 17 rivals on Sunday afternoon on the road.
