After opening their season by winning six of their first seven games, the Wellington Dukes will shuffle off to Buffalo Thursday in search of their first win in three weeks.

The Dukes (7-6-3) managed a point in a rare 3-3 draw at home on Sunday against the visiting Burlington Cougars but wins are proving difficult to come by lately.

Wellington last busted into the win column on the first day of October with a 2-0 win over Haliburton.

The locals have been bit by the injury bug since their last win. They’ve also surrendered 44 goals in eight games.

Rookie netminder Royden Smith, 16, has been left to his own devices most nights. The play of the young squad in front of him has left Wellington’s coaching staff wanting more.

Wellington recalled 15-year-old Toronto Marlboros wunderkind Nolan Hardy for Sunday’s contest and the Oshawa native was full credit for Sunday’s 3-3 tie, tasked with killing a Wellington penalty to end the second overtime frame. The OJHL moved away from shootouts as nearly every game is decided during the first or second overtime. In fact, the last time Wellington tied at home was on October 16, 2022.

Signs of Life

If there was a glimmer in Wellington’s game against the Cougars, it was that the club had one goal lead at the end of the second period and with under five minutes to play. But they couldn’t hold back the Cats to bust an eight game winless streak.

After a scoreless first, the Cougars started the scoring parade with a Sean-Matthew Goyette goal at the 4:41 mark of the second.

Wellington battled back with some good looks at the Burlington net and finally cashed in off an offensive zone faceoff.

Burlington starter Carter Vicente stopped Justin Doak’s point shot. The Burlington starter needed to be sharp on a rebound attempt by Sacha Trudel. The goalie made two quick saves but Ethan Murray tapped home a loose puck at 9:42.

The Dukes got their first lead in the game late in the second stanza whilst on the powerplay. Rookie Christian Armstrong went coast-to-coast and knifed a backhanded effort past Mr. Vicente with 2:14 left in the period to push the locals ahead after 40 minutes.

Burlington’s Reid Forster tied the game at 4:15 but the Dukes jumped back into the driver’s seat just over three minutes later.

Zach Mascard came out of the Burlington corner with purpose, driving to the slot and banging in his own rebound at 7:20 to establish a one goal cushion.

Mr. Hardy came up with a number of high quality saves through the third to keep his team in the lead but a pair of gaffes and a weak clearing attempt gave the Cougars an opening they capitalized on. Lucas Muhn found Ethan Brassard in the slot and the Brampton native snapped the puck low to the short side for the equalizer.

Both teams came up empty on power plays in the extra sessions.

Caught in a Hurricane

On Friday, the Dukes hosted a Newmarket club for the first time since 2019 and it was the visitors skating off with a 4-1 decision.

Nathan Phillips staked the visitors to a 2-0 lead with goals in the first and second period.

Wellington finally lit the lamp at the midway point of the second to make it 2-1. Liam Campbell notched his fourth of the season as linemate Sacha Trudel forced a turnover behind the Hurricanes net.

Mr. Campbell cruised to the slot area and fired a wrist shot past Newmarket starter Hayden Duncan at 12:12.

Wellington’s third volley of the frame produced a goal. The ice was tilted in Newmarket’s favour for most of the evening. In fact, the only positive through 40 minutes of play for Wellington, other than Mr. Campbell’s tally, was the sparkling play of Mr. Smith. The Toronto native made 27 saves through 40 minutes.

Despite being outplayed, Wellington was only down a goal in the third period. When they picked up a power play halfway through the third, it seemed like they might climb back into the contest. But it was Newmarket getting a short handed goal. Chase Yanni threw the puck to the Wellington net from the goal line and the biscuit inexplicably ended up in the basket at 7:37.

Mr. Phillips capped off his night with a hat trick effort that was fired into a vacated Wellington net to make it a 4-1 final for Newmarket.

After playing the Junior Sabres in Buffalo Thursday, the Dukes are in King City on Friday to try and quell the Rebellion. Wellington’s next home game is Monday, October 27 when they host Pickering.