Fronts drop 6-3 game to Steelheads

The Kingston Frontenacs (24-27-1-2) dropped a 6-3 decision to the Central Division Mississauga Steelheads (28-22-5-0) on Friday night at Leon’s Centre. The inter-conference foes met for the third of four times in the season series with Kingston holding a 2-0-1-0 record heading to the final matchup on Mar 11.

A pregame ceremony was held for the Frontenacs Annual Military Appreciation night with a faceoff dropped by local members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Frontenacs wearing their CADPAT camo jerseys. The game-worn jerseys are available on auction at DASH (dashapp.io).

Mississauga took a 2-0 lead early to the first intermission on goals 95 seconds apart by Mason Zebeski and Kasper Larsen. The visitors registered another early tally in the second for a 3-0 lead before Nathan Poole got Kingston on the first of consecutive Fronts goals. Quinton Burns added the second tally in the middle frame to cut the Steelhead lead to 3-2 before a last-minute goal in the frame by Angus MacDonell had the visitors a 4-2 lead into the second intermission. Luke Misa and 67 added a pair in the third with Kingston’s Mitchell Brooks adding a last-minute goal for the 6-3 final.

Frontenacs’ Gage Heyes registered his first career multi-point game on three assists, with Ethan Miedema adding a pair of helpers.

Colorado Avalanche prospect Ivan Zhigalov got the start in goal for Kingston in his 37^th appearance, making 24 saves on 30 shots. The visitors countered with Alessio Beglieri seeing 25 Kingston shots with 28 saves.

The visitors took the 1-0 opening goal coming with a wrist shot by Zebeski (5) from the faceoff dot just over three minutes after puck drop. Mississauga went up a pair 65 seconds later on an off-angle shot from the corner that beat Zhigalov over the shoulder. Larsen (4) earned his second point of the first frame with the tally at 4:36 as the visitors would take the 2-0 lead to the intermission after a powerplay-less first period.

A second early tally from the start of a period had Mississauga up 3-0 when Porter Martone (13) buried a shot after looking off a pass on an odd-man rush just 1:31 into the second frame.

Kingston got on the board on the first of two goals in the middle period, at 3-1, on a great play by Ethan Miedema making a no-look behind the back pass from the corner finished off by Nathan Poole (4) one-timing a high laser over the Mississauga goaltender. Miedema took over the team assist lead with the helper at 5:09 and Gage Heyes added his first of three assists of the game.

A second apparent Kingston goal was waived off for incidental goaltender interference and reviewed after Kingston coach Luca Caputi challenged the play.

Defenceman Quinton Burns (2) was able to finish off a breakaway chance by Miedema to get Kingston within one score with Miedema and Heyes each earning second assists of the period on the 3-2 goal at 16:45.

Zhigalov made a great save in the final minute of the second period just moments before a turnover at the Kingston blueline led to a breakaway opportunity for MacDonell (24) making it 4-2 heading into the second intermission on a shorthanded tally for the Steelheads at 19:42. It was the firsts of three consecutive visitor tallies.

In the third, Luke Misa (12) took advantage of another turnover at the Kingston blueline before ripping a low shot past Zhigalov for the 5-2 score at 2:43 with Justin DeZoete (10) adding a 6-2 tally 13:35.

Burns and Zebeski dropped the gloves in the neutral zone as the game grew more heated midway through the period. Kingston would go on third man advantage on the same whistle on a hooking call.

Mitchell Brooks (4) got Kingston a 6-3 final score on a tally with ten seconds remaining with third star Gage Heyes credited a third assist, marking a fifth point in the last five games for Heyes.

The Fronts take off for a lengthy one-game road date in Hamilton tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm, before returning to Leon’s Centre at 2 pm on Sunday to battle the Windsor Spitfires and conclude the three-game weekend. Fronts point leader Ethan Miedema and former Kingston captain Shane Wright face their former teams for the first time.

Scorers:

KGN: Poole (4), Burns (2), Brooks (4)
MIS: Zebeski (5), Larsen (4), Martone (13), MacDonell (24), Misa (12), Dezoete (10)

Powerplays:

KGN: (0/4) – shorthanded goal against
MIS: (0/1)

 

BMW of Kingston Hardest Worker

Ethan Miedema

 

Three Star Awards

1. Angus MacDonell MISS – (1G,1A)
2. Kasper Larsen MIS – (1G,1A)
3. Gage Heyes KGN – (3A)

Fronts Notes:

• Kingston Frontenacs Hockey Club officially bid to host the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Kia
• F Gage Heyes – pts in 3 of last 5 gms (1G,4A)

 

Team Stat Pack – G.P. (54) (24-27-1-2) 51 pts

 

Leaders:

Goals –Thibodeau (15), Soto (13), Miedema (12)

PPG – Ludwinski, Soto (5), Miedema (4)

Assists – Miedema (27), Ludwinski, Hemstrom (25)

PPA – Hemström (11), Burns (9), Outwater (8)

Points – Miedema (39), Soto (36), Hemstrom (35)

PPP – Ludwinski (12), Hemström, Soto (11), Burns (10)

SOG –Thibodeau (109), Miedema (98), Soto (93)

Plus/Minus – McGowan (+4), Burns (+3), Lemieux (+1)

PIMs – Burns (88), Budnick (62), Uens (41)

 

On The Front:

The Fronts continue a three-game weekend travelling to Hamilton tomorrow, Feb 25, at 4:00 pm, before returning to Leon’s Centre on Sun, Feb 26, taking on former captain Shane Wright and the Windsor Spitfires at 2pm, with the game marking Fronts point leader Ethan Miedema taking a first skate against his old mates.

96.3 Big FM and 104.3 Fresh Radio are your exclusive home for play-by-play with Jim Gilchrist and Kingston Frontenacs Hockey! Fans can listen live to all the games at https://frontenacs.leanplayer.com/. Fans can also tune into the game at https://watch.chl.ca/ (subscription needed).

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