Flying high

The Lakehead Thunderwolves learned a valuable lesson from watching Team Canada collapse at the World Junior Hockey Championship on Wednesday – don’t sit on your heels with the lead.

It’s a good thing.

The Wolves scored three goals in the first 5:28 of the final stanza, then withstood a late charge by the visiting Lancers and went on to win 5-2 at Fort William Gardens Friday night, collecting their eighth straight OUA triumph.

Ryan McDonald, who scored his team-leading 11th of the season and added an assist, said he had about eight guys watching the junior final at his place Wednesday night, said the loss shocked the nation and showed what happens when good hockey player play bad.

“That’s hockey, and it shows if you let the foot off the gas what can happen,” McDonald said. “We kind of slipped up at the end there. It’s a good thing we had a five-goal lead. But whenever you can put five in the net it’s a good night.”

The Sault Ste. Marie native, who scored 23 seconds after Adam Sergerie made it 3-0 less than 90 seconds into the third, said the Wolves ability came to the forefront with the game on the line.

“Definitely our skill took over there. We moved the puck around really well and you could tell that when we move the puck around that we’re a tough team to play against,” said McDonald, adding that even the Windsor goals didn’t really cause much alarm on the Thunderwolves bench.

“Look at their second goal. It was a tough little break off (Brock) McPherson’s pads and the guy went back door. He made a good block to sacrifice himself, but they kind of got lucky. That was the game. We got the two points and we’re happy.”

LU coach Joel Scherban was particularly happy the way they played heading into the final 20 minutes with the lead, a situation that has caused some anxiety in the past.

He was even OK with the late penalties his team took, infractions that ultimately cost goalie Alex Dupuis the first OUA shutout of his two-year career when Kyle Nishizaki and Mike Lombardi scored power play goals exactly a minute apart late in the third.

“We had a great first half of the third period, and any time you play a two-game series, that’s going to happen. Obviously they’re not happy to be down five and they’re trying to send a message for tomorrow and we’re battling back and that happened. So no, I don’t think it was a lack of discipline.”

Scherban, whose squad fell twice to Windsor on the road in the first half, said it wasn’t about revenge either.

“We don’t look at it as payback. We moved on from that weekend. We have 11 games left now and every point matters, and we want to make sure we get two points every game. That’s the important thing,” he said.

The win helped the Wolves keep pace with front-running Western, who the Wolves will face twice next weekend away from the friendly confines of Fort William Gardens. The Mustangs top the OUA standings at 14-0-3, following a 5-1 win Friday night over Brock.

Victor Anilane opened the scoring for the Wolves in the first, netting a power play goal that beat Windsor starter Jim Watt for the only goal of the period.

Matt Caria, who had a goal and two assists on the night, doubled the lead in the second, slamming home a pass from Brennan Menard, giving LU a 2-0 edge after two.

Sergerie and McDonald struck early in the third, chasing Watt in the process, and McPherson rounded out the LU scoring at the 5:28 mark knocking one past replacement goalie Frank Dayus, who stopped seven of eight in a replacement role.

Windsor assistant Ryan Donally said it wasn’t the result the Lancers were looking for, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort.

“We played about 50 minutes of good hard hockey. I think if you look back, aside from the 10 minutes in the third period where we lapsed it was a pretty close game. And I think if you look, in the end the scoring chances were probably a little closer than the score indicated,” Donally said, noting the club will look to improve a scrambled effort in its defensive zone when the two teams his the ice again on Saturday.

Claw marks: LU forward Kris Hogg will likely sit Saturday’s rematch because of a left knee injury he suffered Friday night. Scherban wasn’t sure how serious the injury was, though Hogg did not immediately go to the hospital ... Arron Alphonso and Pierre-Marc Guilbault were one the sidelines for LU ... The Wolves will get scoring forward Jadran Beljo into the lineup next weekend against Western ... The paid attendance was announced as 2,811.
 
First period
Scoring: Lakehead, 1. Anilane 5 (McDonald, Caria) 13:27 pp. Penalties: Tapper WSR (high sticking) 9:45, Nishizaki WSR (hooking), Vandehogen WSR (roughing after whistle), Gamache LAK (roughing after whistle ) 13:15, Menard LAK (holding) 13:40.

Second period
Scoring: 2. Lakehead, Caria 9 (Menard) 4:59. Penalties: Sergerie LAK (high sticking) 6:03, Caria LAK (tripping) 7:28, M. Lombardi WSR (tripping) 9:47, Thorburn WSR (tripping) 15:08, McDonald LAK (hooking) 16:44.

Third period
Scoring: 3. Lakehead, Sergerie 7 (McPherson, Gamache) 1:26. 4. Lakehead, McDonald 11 (Caria, Anilane) 1:59. 5. Lakehead, McPherson 8 (Wilkins, Quesnele) 5:28 pp. 6. Windsor, Nishizaki 2 (Thorburn, Vandehogen) 17:03.7. Windsor, M. Lombardi 10 (Nishizaki, D. Lombardi) 18:03 pp. Penalties: Caria LAK (roughing), M. Lombardi WSR (unsportsmanlike conduct), D. Lombardi WSR (roughing) 5:05, Todd WSR (high sticking, misconduct). Maunu LAK (unsportsmanlike conduct) 13:17, Maunu LAK (double minor, spearing) 17:03.

Game Data – SOG – Windsor 8-8-10-26, Lakehead 5-9-11-25; Power plays (goals-chances) – Windsor (2-5) Lakehead (2-6); Goaltenders – Windsor: Jim Watt (17 shots, 13 saves), Frank Dayus (1:59 third), Lakehead: Alex Dupuis; A: 2,811.