One great period of play does not a hockey team make.

Reciprocally, one awful period of play does not a hockey team make.

After taking all six points available to them on the weekend of Nov. 8-10, the Wellington Dukes looked to be in great shape to replicate that trick a second weekend in a row.

The Dukes skated into Haliburton and tamed the Huskies 8-5 on Thursday. At home the following night, Wellington neatly managed the challenge from the visiting Buffalo Junior Sabres and emerged victorious by a 5-3 score.

All that was left was a visit to venerable St. Michael’s College Arena. Considering Wellington was riding on the wings of a six game heater, the Buzzers were within reach, especially after the Dukes emerged from the first period with a 2-0 lead thanks to tallies from Ethan Murray and Zach Carrier.

But then, it all came crashing down for the Dukes in spectacular fashion.

Tough times in the second

Max Mahoney put St. Mike’s on the board with a shorthanded effort in the opening minute of the second. Wellington Captain Corey Jewitt restored the two goal bulge at 3:56 on a Dukes power play done right.

However, there was soon no joy to be found in Dukesville as the contest took an abject turn … if you are part of the Wellington faithful of course.

As if the postage stamp-sized ice at St. Mike’s was drastically tilted in the host’s favour, Wellington could do no right and the Buzzers could do no wrong. The Dukes surrendered five unanswered goals in just over ten minutes of play and turned a 3-1 lead into a 6-3 deficit. Of the four minor penalties called in the frame, three went to St Mike’s so it wasn’t as though the hosts spent most of the period with a man advantage.

The half dozen lamp lighters in a 20 minute span were all St. Mike’s needed.

Tyler Tsoukalas scored midway through the third to get Wellington to within shouting distance but that was all as the Buzzers won 6-4.

The Dukes won’t be considered the OJHL favourite if they score a half dozen goals in a period of play.

Conversley, they won’t be flagged amongst the dregs of the circuit for giving up that many in a single stanza. It’s an eyesore that caps off an admirable run of hockey for Wellington–one that’s got them right back into the top half of the Eastern Conference. Now they get to restart and string a few more games together.

Sharpening the Sabres

At home on Friday, it took until the mid way point of the game for the Dukes to establish their first lead. Rugged Toronto product Zach Mascard went driving to the Buffalo net at the 9:16 mark of the second and slipped the puck past Anthony Alessi to push Wellington ahead 3-2.

Dario Cantini was solid in the Wellington net, making 36 stops on the night in picking up his third win of the campaign.

If there was a Buffalo shot he would have liked to have back on Friday night, it was likely Cam Doran’s second of the night. Off a broken play in the Wellington zone, Mr. Doran picked up a loose puck in the high slot and fired to the right side of the net at 9:09 while Mr. Cantini was thinking left. With the score tied for the third time in the game, it was Mr. Murray who developed the winning solution. Ronen McFarlane and Zander Letrielle weaved some magic in the Buffalo zone and provided Mr. Murray time and space to tap home his second of the night at 11:05 to give Wellington a lead it would not surrender.

With Mr. Alessi on the Buffalo bench for an extra attacker, Mr. Mascard collected a clearing feed from Mr. Jewitt and deposited the puck in the yawning Jr. Sabres cage with 45 seconds left to salt the game away for Wellington at 5-3.

Offence a plenty in Haliburton

The night prior in Haliburton, the opportunistic Dukes were outplayed by the host Huskies but managed to get ahead and stay ahead in a crucial road win over the Pups.

Wellington’s Mr. Murray counted twice in the opening frame as did Haliburton’s Deandres De Jesus who potted a pair of power play goals.

The difference for the locals was Quinn McNamara’s third of the season which gave the Dukes a 3-2 edge after 20. Mr. Jewitt and Mr. Mascard had goals in the second which sandwiched a tally from Nathan Poole and Wellington was able to extend its lead to 5-3 after 40 minutes.

The track meet on ice at the SG Nesbitt Memorial Arena continued into the third. Wellington’s Ryan Schaap bulged the twine twice on back-to-back shifts at the midway point of the period to help open a 7-3 lead through about 50 minutes of play.

But nothing is ever easy against Haliburton. The Huskies produced a pair of goals in a 15 second span including Mr. De Jesus’s hat trick effort with just under four minutes to play to make things interesting as the final buzzer approached.

But with time winding down and a vacated mesh mansion staring him in the face, Mr. Jewitt slid an empty netter home with 1:35 left to make it an 8-5 Wellington final.

The Dukes have another chance at a six point weekend as they host Stoufville on Friday night and then travel to Mississauga on Saturday. The Niagara Falls Canucks make their first ever visit to Wellington on Sunday afternoon.