Joey Payeur
A visit to “Cheesehead Country” was just the cure for what was ailing the Fort Frances Lakers.
Mason Meyer scored twice, and Lucas DeBenedet reclaimed top spot in the SIJHL in all three major scoring categories with a three-point night, as the Lakers beat the Wisconsin Wilderness 6-2 on Saturday night in Spooner.
It was a far cry from a disappointing 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Iron Rangers here last Thursday.
That defeat dropped the Lakers two spots to No. 6 in the Canadian Junior ‘A’ Hockey League rankings this week—despite their 22-2-0-2 record giving them the best winning percentage of any team in the CJAHL at .885.
But it was a rejuvenated Lakers’ squad that took it to the Wilderness by building a 5-0 lead to send Wisconsin (1-24) to its 23rd-straight loss.
“The difference in the effort was night and day,” said head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan.
“We were moving our feet, pressuring, being physical, and the most improved part was taking care of our own end with some accountability,” he noted.
That was a trait Strachan felt was sorely lacking in the Iron Rangers’ game, which was bookended by trades the day before and afterwards.
The Lakers first dealt 20-year-old defenceman Billy Grillo to the Sarnia Legionnaires of the Junior ‘B’-level Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, then shipped 19-year-old forward Jason Berube to the Eliot Lake Bobcats of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The local squad got player development fees in exchange for both players, with Strachan proving to be a man of his word.
“If everyone’s shocked because we made a change, they’re going to be more shocked when we make more changes if we don’t start playing better,” Strachan had warned after the Iron Rangers’ game.
Grillo, from Hermantown, Mn., had six goals and five assists in 23 games with the Lakers this season.
Berube, meanwhile, spent only five games with the squad after coming over from the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
The Port-Cartier, Que. native had just one goal for the Lakers—despite getting substantial time on the power play.
The “DLM Line” of DeBenedet, Lyndon Lipinski, and
Meyer was held pointless against Minnesota in what has been a rare occurrence since its formation several weeks ago.
It was Meyer who served notice early against Wisconsin that things would be different.
After Kevin Kurm’s 11th goal of the season opened the scoring at 7:53 of the first on a Lakers’ power play that had gone 0-for-9 against the Iron Rangers, Meyer beat Wilderness goalie Griffin Strain at 14:07 for a 2-0 lead.
DeBenedet increased the lead at 10:10 of the second, then fed Meyer for his second of the night and 18th of the campaign at 17:24 on another man advantage to make it 4-0.
With that assist, DeBenedet moved one ahead of Meyer for the SIJHL lead in assists (26) while also holding top spot in goals (24) and points (50).
“We kept things simple,” Strachan said about the improved special teams’ work.
“We had speed and support out of our end and in the zone, we played our positions, moved the puck, opened up scoring chances, and put pucks to the net when we had opportunities,” he remarked.
Bryce Lipinski (11th) and Tanner Fricke (fifth) countered goals by Wisconsin’s Shane Billings and Justin Gregory (power play) to cap the scoring in the third.
Ryan Ferguson, who earned consideration for the Pizza Hut Player of the Week award (which went to Daniel Delpaggio of the Thunder Bay North Stars), finished with 28 saves.
It remains to be seen if that is the former Muskie’s last game for a while, though.
Ferguson had slipped behind Jordan Cartney for the starting netminding job in recent weeks, and his situation became more tenuous after the Lakers picked up goalie Ethan Wood from the Kingston Voyageurs of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League at the tail end of last month.
Ferguson got the start with Wood away for a family funeral and Cartney having struggled in the loss to Minnesota.
The Iron Rangers (15-8-0-3) ended the Lakers’ five-game winning streak thanks to the superb play of goalie Erick Majerle, who had 41 saves, as well as their brilliant penalty-killing that included fending off a two-man advantage and a double minor in the second period alone.
“We finally executed our game plan,” said Minnesota head coach Chris Walby, whose team held firm despite losing top-scoring defenceman Matt O’Dea to a first-period game misconduct for a check to the head and fellow blueliner Jay Routheau to a hand injury after the first.
A.J. Rupert had a pair for Minnesota while former Laker Tyler Tuneberg, Eric Madison, and Trevor Hoth added singles as the Iron Rangers watched a 3-0 lead trimmed to just one goal before scoring twice in the third to ice the win.
Berube, on a play that started with linemate Cam Gobeil absorbing a punishing hit to move the puck ahead, and Kurm replied for the Lakers, who still are without some key members.
Forwards Colton Spicer and Donovan Cousineau, along with defenceman Brandon Sinclair, continue to be out of action due to injury, with no timetable in place yet for their return.
The Lakers played in Ear Falls last night to open a home-and-home series with the English River Miners (11-13-2).
The outcome wasn’t known as of press time.
The Miners then head here for the return match Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
