Live Game Blog: NIA vs. OTT- Mar. 7
Tonight, the IceDogs welcome the Ottawa 67’s to the Meridian Centre.
The 67’s are one of the teams the IceDogs are battling with for playoff positioning, and they are still catchable.
The IceDogs have struggled against the 67’s this season, having lost all three of the previous meetings and getting outscored 12-6. All three of those games, however, were played before the start of the New Year, when the IceDogs caught fire.
The IceDogs come into this game having won five straight, while the 67’s have lost two in a row. Trailing the 67’s by just five points, this is a huge game in the race for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the IceDogs.
Brandon Hope will be in net for the Dogs, while Liam Herbst goes for the 67’s.
Let’s check the lines!
NIAGARA ICEDOGS
PERLINI-VERHAEGHE-JENKINS
FITZMORRIS-MALETTA-HO-SANG
DIFRUSCIA-AAGAARD-GILLARD
CORNEIL-LANGDON-PAQUETTE
DUNN-HAYDON
MANTHA-SIEBENALER
MIKULOVICH-WILKIE
HOPE
MORAN
OTTAWA 67’S
BELL-TODD-KONECNY
MEIGHAN-SALITURO-ADDISON
BARRON-STUDNICKA-CRAIEVICH
GRAHAM-MCDONALD-FANJOY
MIDDLETON-DE HAAN
VLAJKOV-GUY
PITTMAN-DAVIS
HERBST
LAZAREV
FIRST PERIOD
0:36: DiFruscia hits Aagaard rushing up the middle of the ice. He gets a good chance but his stick is lifted at the last second.
1:46: Another good chance for the Dogs. Herbst makes a nice save on a Fitzmorris one-timer.
3:48: Herbst absolutely robs Gillard. Nice play by Dunn to get the pass across, but somehow Herbst got over in time to keep it out.
7:12: On a delayed penalty, Haydon feeds Perlini cross-ice with a pass. His shot hits the iron. The 67’s finally touch the puck and the IceDogs heads to their first power play.
7:26: It doesn’t last long. Dunn gets called for high-sticking. We’ll play four-on-four.
8:41: 1-0 IceDogs
Nice pass by Mikulovich as he feeds a wide open Aagaard out front. He makes no mistake putting it in the empty net before Herbst can get over! IceDogs strike first!
11:07: Tic-tac-toe passing play by the Dogs and Herbst has to make a tough save on Perlini. Lots of chances for the Dogs so far this period.
14:00: 2-0 IceDogs
A mad scramble in front of the 67’s net and finally DiFruscia beats Herbst with a backhander! IceDogs lead by two!
15:33: 3-0 IceDogs!
It’s all IceDogs right now. Fitzmorris to Maletta to the back of the net and it’s a three goal lead!
17:58: Another great shift from the IceDogs. Perlini-Verhaeghe-Jenkins had the 67’s pinned deep in their own end for at least a minute straight.
18:19: Ho-Sang dances around with the puck and then feeds Fitzmorris at the side of the net. Fitzmorris with a great diving effort to try and redirect it in, but Herbst makes the save.
SECOND PERIOD
0:13: 4-0 IceDogs
What a start to the period! The IceDogs take advantage of a turnover and Aagaard gets his second of the game!
2:34: 4-1 IceDogs
The 67’s get one back. Konecny fires a shot past Hope and the lead is back to three.
3:49: Jenkins and Verhaeghe both get a good chance on the doorstep, but the puck trickles wide.
4:23: Hope has to make two good saves on a partial break for the 67’s to keep the lead at three.
6:06: 4-2 IceDogs
On a delayed penalty, Barron scores off a one-timer. The IceDogs lead by two.
7:47: Verhaeghe gets a chance on a breakaway but Herbst sprawls to keep it out.
8:55: Huge hit by Mikulovich on Konecny in front of the Ottawa bench. The crowd loves that.
10:15: Herbst with an acrobatic save to keep out a puck that took a strange bounce off a point shot.
12:00: IceDogs head to a lengthy power play. Guy heads to the box for four minutes for high-sticking.
14:50: Another great passing play by the Dogs but Maletta’s one-timer hits the post. That would’ve been a pretty one.
16:04: 5-2 IceDogs
Good passing from the Dogs leads to a scramble in the crease. Verhaeghe is there to swat it home and the IceDogs lead is back up to three!
17:50: Haydon crushes Craievich. Oh my what a hit. Wow.
18:36: 6-2 IceDogs
Mikulovich’s centering pass goes off a 67’s player out front and past Herbst. We’ll take it! IceDogs lead by four!
19:16: Herbst robs Jenkins. What a save.
THIRD PERIOD
2:31: A couple of good saves by Hope as the 67’s put on the pressure. The IceDogs are headed to a power play, however, as Studnicka gets called for high-sticking.
4:37: 7-2 IceDogs
Hat-trick Aagaard! Jenkins sets him up and he buries it! What a game for the Dane.
7:10: Good save by Hope on a quick shot by Davis from the top of the circles.
8:20: The IceDogs will be shorthanded here. DiFruscia gets four minutes for roughing and a ten minute misconduct. Todd gets two minutes for roughing and a ten minute misconduct. Game is starting to get chippy.
9:02: What a save by Hope. Wow. Robbed a sure goal.
9:41: 67’s will get a five-on-three. Mikulovich to the box for delay of game.
10:24: 7-3 IceDogs
On the power play, de Haan’s point shot changes directions and beats Hope. IceDogs lead by four.
11:18: Dunn wires one from the point that hits the bar.
11:44: 8-3 IceDogs
IceDogs get it right back! Verhaeghe gets his second of the night as he finishes off a nice passing play!
14:32: Some more slick stickhandling by Ho-Sang. He feeds Corneil cross-crease but Herbst gets over in time to keep it out.
19:17: Graham with a nasty crosscheck to the back of Paquette’s head. He’ll sit the rest of this one out.
20: 00: Six straight wins for the IceDogs! They take this one 8-3 over the 67’s!
GAME SUMMARY
SCORING
FIRST PERIOD
NIA AAGAARD (11) (MIKULOVICH) 8:41
NIA DIFRUSCIA (20) (GILLARD, AAGAARD) 14:00
NIA MALETTA (20) (FITZMORRIS, DUNN) 15:33
SECOND PERIOD
NIA AAGAARD (12) (DIFRUSCIA, GILLARD) 0:13
OTT KONECNY (28) (GRAHAM) 2:34
OTT BARRON (12) (FANJOY) 6:06
NIA VERHAEGHE (32) (DIFRUSCIA, SIEBENALER) 16:04
NIA MIKULOVICH (4) (DIFRUSCIA, JENKINS) 18:36
THIRD PERIOD
NIA AAGAARD (13) (JENKINS, HO-SANG) 4:37
OTT DE HAAN (4) (GUY) 10:24 PP
NIA VERHAEGHE (33) (PERLINI, DUNN) 11:44
SHOTS
NIA 16 – 16 – 10 = 42
OTT 10 – 10 – 12 = 32
PPS
NIA 0-for-4
OTT 1-for-2
