Joey Payeur
The Fort Frances Lakers have been physically punctual for their 7:30 p.m. face-offs this year, but more often than not haven’t mentally checked in until around 8:15 p.m.
That trend seems to be reversing of late, though.
The Lakers became the first team to hit the 20-win mark this season after beating the host Dryden GM Ice Dogs 6-2 on Friday and then the host Thunder Bay North Stars 5-2 the following night.
The key to both wins was big-time first periods—something that had been tough to come by.
The Lakers (20-7-1) only had scored 14 first-period goals in their first 26 games before catching fire to net eight over the weekend in stretching their winning streak to three.
“It’s always nicer to come in after the first period knowing your team was ready and having the lead,” said Lakers’ head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan.
“We have shot ourselves in the foot so many times this season and I believe the guys have changed something in their pre-game routine,” he noted.
“And so far we have come out of the gates much better our last five or six games.
“As a staff, we hope it is a part in our game we can continue to build on moving forward in the second half of the season,” Strachan added.
Despite the two road wins, the Lakers still dropped one spot in the Canadian Junior Hockey League weekly top 20 rankings to No. 14.
The Royal Bank Cup host Portage Terriers (MJHL), the Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL), and the Penticton Vees (BCHL) retained the top three spots.
Lucas DeBenedet kick-started Friday night’s game against Dryden with a power-play goal and an even-strength marker in the first before Carter Chorney made it 3-0.
Anthony Filoso’s power-play tally early in the second cut the lead to 3-1 but A.J. Kapcheck replied with his second of the season to snap a six-game scoreless drought.
Dylan Robertson’s second of the campaign early in the third made it 5-1 before DeBenedet notched another man-advantage tally to complete his hat trick.
“I believe it was only a matter of time before Lucas hit his stride,” Strachan said about last season’s SIJHL scoring champion, who had four goals in his first 10 games back with the Lakers before getting four in the two games over the weekend.
“He stepped up his level of play this past weekend as many players did and, as a result, he found himself having success.
“I believe he was not happy with his game in Minnesota when we lost bad,” added Strachan.
“Since then, he has come to work and when he plays at the level he is capable of, he is a hard player to contain with his skill set.”
Cole Golka, who was named Amyotte’s Awards & Promotions player-of-the-week Monday, cashed in a garbage-time power-play goal with 33 seconds to play to close out the scoring.
Devin Tappenden made 30 saves to earn the victory, giving him seven wins in his last eight appearances after only winning four of his first 11 outings this season.
Tate Sproxton stopped 21 shots for Dryden (14-13-2), which had its own three-game winning streak ended.
The opening stanza was even more enjoyable the following night in Thunder Bay as the Lakers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in handing the North Stars (17-10-3) their third-straight loss.
The North Stars also fell four points behind the first-place Lakers, who hold two games in hand.
Mason Meyer, Cota, Matt Vela, Josh Gouin, and DeBenedet all beat starting goalie Eric Mann during the massively one-sided first period that saw Fort Frances hold a 23-10 lead in shots.
Gouin, who had an assist Friday night, has stepped in for injured blueliner Aaron Wesley-Chisel (shoulder) the past three games and done well in his coach’s eyes.
“He is keeping the game simple, playing physical, and that is all we can ask of him,” said Strachan, whose team also played the weekend without forward Donovan Cousineau (thumb).
“His goal was nice,” Strachan added. “He read the play well, joined in the offence in the slot, got a good pass from [Colton] Spicer, and shot it high on the blocker side.”
The North Stars brought former English River Miners’ goalie P.D. Melgoza in to relieve Mann at the start of the second, which seemed to settle down the home squad.
Thunder Bay subsequently fired 20 shots at Lakers’ goalie Pierce Dushenko during the period but he was up to the task every time.
Nicholas Nigro netted a pair of power-play goals in the final five minutes of the third to close out the scoring.
With Dushenko’s 41-save performance against the North Stars, Strachan is encouraged his goaltending issues from earlier in the season seem to be smoothing themselves out.
“I believe, as a team, we played some of our best defensive hockey the first four periods of the weekend,” he lauded.
“On Friday, we limited Dryden’s Grade-A opportunities and ‘Tapp’ made the saves he had to when he was called upon for the team,” Strachan noted.
“I believe since Pierce has come, his game has improved,” he added.
“He didn’t receive many shots in the first period on Saturday, but after that he was very good in the net to, No. 1, keep the game 5-0 and then help with the victory.
“I believe our team let Pierce down Saturday,” Strachan criticized.
“He deserved to walk away with a zero on the board, but we let our level of play drop and then took some very unnecessary penalties at the end to give them power-play opportunities.”
The Lakers head to Ear Falls tomorrow to face the cellar-dwelling Miners (5-19-3).
Then they’ll face the North Stars this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena in their final game before the SIJHL’s two-week holiday break.
