It’s going to be a very short playoff run for the Wellington Dukes if they don’t start hitting the scoresheet.

For perhaps the first time in club history, the locals have been shut out in the first two games of an opening playoff series and have fallen behind the Stoufville Spirit 2-0.

Spirit netminder Kyle Downey has been perfect so far through 120 minutes of play, stopping all 57 volleys sent his way by Dukes shooters.

Meanwhile, the Wellington goaltending situation at the opposite end of the rink has been a question mark. Dukes bench boss Kent Lewis went with Dario Cantini in Game One. While the Cap-Pelé, NB native was serviceable, stopping 39 of 42 shots by the Spirit, Wellington’s complete lack of offence in the opener made their netminding services moot.

Host Stoufville won Game One 3-0.

In Game Two, the Dukes skated around like they were waiting for the Lehigh Arena roof to collapse. The Spirit, much more eager and arriving in ill temper to loose pucks, methodically wore down Wellington in a 6-0 whitewash. Wellington starter Jacob Brown struggled, making 22 saves on 28 chances.

If Wellington had any designs of battling back from a 3-0 deficit in the third period of Game Two, they were dashed by a pair of Spirit power play goals in the opening three minutes of the final stanza.

Josh Bonnyman picked up his second of the series and added a helper in the third. Stoufville’s Lachlan Wells has three assists in the series thus far. The Spirit attack is balanced. A dozen Stoufville skaters have registered at least one point in 120 minutes of hockey so far.

Wellington attempts to find their offence in Game Three on Thursday night in Stoufville. If they continue to come up empty, the Dukes will be playing for their playoff lives on Friday at Lehigh Arena.