THUNDER BAY – It’s time to shake off the Christmas rust.
For the most part on Thursday night, it fell away clean, the Lakehead Thunderwolves bursting out to a 3-0 lead, then hanging on for a 4-2 non-conference win over the Nipissing Lakers at Fort William Gardens.
Rookie defenceman Patrick Murphy led the offensive charge for the Wolves, scoring once and adding an assist as the team readies itself for next weekend’s return to OUA regular-season play
It was LU’s first action in more than a month, and at times it showed, Murphy said.
But all in all, not a bad effort, he said.
“It’s huge for sure,” the St. Catharines, Ont. native said.
“These games are good for us because you get that long break and you’re not sure how you’re going to feel coming back. Your hands might be a bit slow, your feet or whatnot. It’s nice to come out here and it looked like everyone got right back into it pretty quick as the game got going there. Maybe a little more rust to shake off, but I think it’s looking pretty good coming back so far.”
Lakehead coach Bill McDonald said the LU start was good, but as the game went on it was pretty evident the team hadn’t played in 33 days.
“I thought we looked a little sluggish in a lot of areas. I thought our work ethic was good for probably half the game,” McDonald said.
“One goal was kind of lucky, it went off the guy’s skate. I thought (goalie Devin Green) played really well.”
Captain Justin Sefton started the offensive ball rolling five minutes into the third, firing a bullet that eluded Nipissing goalie Domenic Graham. Dylan Butler doubled the lead on a pass from Murphy at the 13:43 mark and the Wolves took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. It could have been a three-goal lead, but Kelin Ainsworth couldn't connect on a shorthanded breakaway late in the period.
They’d add one more in the second, Brennen Dubchak pouncing on his own rebound and blasting it low past Graham, who made 31 stops on the night.
But while the Lakers (5-11-1) may on the outside looking in of the playoff picture in the OUA East, five points back of eighth-place Laurentian, Nipissing showed they might be able to muscle their way back into the chase.
Taylor Davis started their charge, ripping a one-timer past Green just shy of the four-minute mark of the third. Taylor then fed Erik Robichaud on a 2-on-1, who lifted it over the LU goalie’s shoulder and cut the lead to one with 8:38 to go in regulation.
Murphy came through when the Wolves needed him the most, teammate Cody Alcock sliding the puck to him on the diagonal in front of Graham, the one-timer whistling past the goaltender who had little to no chance on the play.
“I was wide open and (Cody) found me. I think it was just one of those plays where it was the right place at the right time,” Murphy said.
The two teams will lace them up again on Friday night.
Claw marks: Attendance for the game was 1,880. Through 11 games this season the sixth-place Thunderwolves (8-6-1) are averaging 2,035 fans a night. That’s down from 2,157 last year, a difference of 122 per game.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Sefton (Valiquette, Jenkins) 5:10. 2. Lakehead, Butler (Donnelly, Murphy) 13:43. Penalties: Bench minor LAK (too many men, served by Murphy), Springer LAK (tripping) 14:32, Staples NIP (boarding) 16:56.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Lakehead, B. Dubchak (unassisted) 3:25. Penalties: Springer LAK (roughing) 13:04, Springer LAK (tripping) 19:52.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Nipissing, Davis (Glass, Staples) 3:49. 5. Nipissing, Robichaud (Taylor) 11:22. 6. Lakehead, Murphy (Alcock, Ainsworth) 13:27 pp. Penalties: Alexander LAK (cross checking) 6:08, Mitchell NIP (roughing) 12:15.
GAME DATA – SOG – Nipissing 6-11-10-27, Lakehead 13-11-11-35; Power plays (goals-chances) – Nipissing (0-5), Lakehead (1-3); Goaltenders – Nipissing: Domenic Graham, Lakehead: Devin Green; A: 1,880.
