Moir blanks Mustangs

Things just got confusing in hockey's OUA Western Conference.

All season long the Western Mustangs have been in the driver’s seat, just waiting to peel away from the pack. But the Lakehead Thunderwolves (16-5-2), whose defensive engine has sputtered most of the way, have shifted into high gear of late and are on the verge of taking the pole position as the playoff qualifying race winds down.

On Friday night they won their fifth straight OUA contest, disposing of the Mustangs 4-0 at Fort William Gardens, and pulled to within two points of Western Conference-leading Western (18-5-0). The win also clinched the Wolves a spot in the top four in their division, guaranteeing home-ice advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs.

Matt Caria had a goal and an assist to pace the Wolves, while Kyle Moir made 33 saves to pick up his second straight save and extended his shutout streak to 1:21:28.

It’s a far cry from a team that allowed 21 goals in three games, including a pair of lopsided losses to these same Mustangs, to start the second half earlier this month.

“As a team we just started really focusing on our defensive play. Those two games against Western and that one game against Windsor just weren’t acceptable, the amount of goals and scoring chances we were giving up,” Moir said. “We really tried to tighten up and so far we showed we could do that.”

Looking inward, Moir, 23, acknowledged there’s been plenty of room for improvement in his own game, and he’s just glad it’s finally starting to click.

“Every game I’ve been trying to get a little bit better. Sometimes there’s a bump on the road, and the score just doesn’t quite go your way, but you’ve still got little things you can build on during that game. I just kind of kept going,” he said.

Moir and the Wolves couldn’t have picked a better time than now to channel their defensive energies.

With Western, Lakehead, Laurier and Waterloo separated by just four points in the standings, a loss or two could have dreadful repercussions come playoff time.

“It was a great team effort,” said LU coach Joel Scherban. “Our players are much more committed to playing the game the right way, to make sure we’re getting pucks deep and not turning it over, making sure we’re playing great defensively, blocking shots. For the last four games we’ve played really well defensively.”

Scherban said the improvement can’t be pegged to any one thing in particular, perhaps just an overall adjustment on and off the ice.”

“I think the players deserve most of the credit. They’ve committed themselves to doing what it takes. We knew we weren’t going to win games in shootouts down the stretch and into playoffs and nationals. We’re really focusing on defence, and with our skill we know we’re still going to get our scoring opportunities,” he said.

The game, played in front of a season-high 3,495 fans, was a tight one until the Wolves broke it open midway through the second.

Andy Hyvarinen, fighting to earn more playing time, staked his claim with a precision wrist shot that beat Western’s Keyvan Hunt just 71 seconds into the contest in the penalty-free first. 

Rookie Matt Caria doubled the LU lead 8:04 into the second, a shorthanded marker with Pierre-Marc Guilbault in the box. Three minutes later the paroled Guilbault pounded home his 10th of the season to make it 3-0. Ryan McDonald rounded out the Lakehead scoring late in the third. Western had a couple of wide-open chances in the final stanza, but couldn't hit the net, the most telling being Jason Furlong's failure to hit an open net two minutes into the period, with Moir nowhere in sight.

Western coach Clarke Singer said his team wasted a chance to open ground on the rest of the Far West Division.

“We had an opportunity tonight to get a couple of points and pull away a little bit, but Lakehead played a great game. They were solid, it was a great 60-minute effort by them. I just don’t think we had a great effort,” Singer said.

Claw marks: Leading scorer Brock McPherson was the most notable scratch for the Thunderwolves on Friday night. McPherson has a lower body injury. Other scratches included defencemen Bryan Wilson and Mike Thibert and forwards Devin Welsh, Brennan Menard and Arron Alphonso ... Welsh, who serves in the naval reserves, is the inspiration behind the Wolves decision to send an autographed Lakehead jersey to Afghanistan to provide a morale boost to troops. Welsh said it’s a way to support the cause and that a photograph of the jersey in Afghanistan will be sent back to Thunder Bay ... Lakehead will be looking to even the regular-season series against the Mustangs on Saturday night. Game time is 7:30 pm.

First period
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Hyvarinen 3 (Sergerie, Zulyniak) 1:11.  Penalties: None.

Second period
Scoring: 2. Lakehead, Caria 4 (Sagert, Maunu) 8:04 sh. 3. Lakehead, Guilbault 10 (Zulyniak, Caria) 11:20 pp. Penalties: Snow WES (misconduct) 5:25, Hunt WES (delay of game) 6:03, Guilbault LAK (interference) 6:24, Swit WES (roughing) 10:49, Piva WES (misconduct) 15:49, Hogg LAK (spearing double minor), Martinelli WES (unsportsmanlike conduct) 20:00. 

Third period
Scoring: 4. Lakehead, McDonald 4 (Hogg) 18:32. Penalties: Caria LAK (interference) 7:07, Martinelli WES (roughing) 8:07, Turner WES (trippin) 14:19.  

Game Data – SOG – Western 16-8-9-33, Lakehead 21-11-10-42; Power plays (goals-chances) – Western (0-3), Lakehead (1-4); Goaltenders – Western: Keyvan Hunt, Lakehead: Kyle Moir; A: 3,495.