After feasting on Ontario Junior Hockey League opponents at the start of the season, it’s been a famine in recent days for the locals. They have managed a pair of regulation ties, but a spate of bad starts, injuries and terrible scheduling have made life difficult for the Wellington Dukes (7-5-2, 16 points).

Caught in a Hurricane

After posting a 2-0 win over visiting Haliburton to kick off October, the Dukes visited Newmarket for the first time in nearly a decade on October 4 to take on the relocated Toronto Jr. Canadiens who adopted a previous but familiar team moniker.

The Hurricanes were quick to the net in the first period, firing three goals past Wellington starter Colby Booth-Housego, building a lead the hosts would never relinquish.

Leading Wellington goal getter Zach Carrier responded for the Dukes with seconds remaining in the first to give the visitors a glimmer of hope but Nathan Phillips’s powerplay tally at the midway point of the second was more than enough for the Canes on this night.

Wellington’s Beckham Brooks tacked on his second of the season in the 6-2 loss.

Being Quiet

In front of 44 souls at the Herb Carnegie Arena in North York on Tuesday afternoon, the Dukes looked for a reset but could never stay ahead of the Blueshirts.

Down 1-0 after one, Mr. Carrier and Ethan Murray scored back-to-back in the first half of the second.

But the Rangers had an offensive eruption of their own, retaking the lead with goals from Johnny Ringas and Matthew Babiy.

Wellington evened the ledger with time winding down in the middle stanza. Defenceman Cole Ellis picked up a rebound in the high slot and fired the puck past Nicolas Morvan with ten seconds left to make it a 3-3 contest after 40 minutes.

The Dukes came out on fire in the third with Max Morin following up on a Zach Mascard rush 10 seconds into the frame to push Wellington ahead 4-3.

Evan Snyder tied it for the hosts in the eighth minute and Mr. Babiy’s second of the contest with under five minutes left put North York ahead to stay.

Scheduled Loss

The Dukes had an inexplicably short turn around following the setback from the Rangers. Hockey organizers know games are won and lost at the preseason scheduling meeting and Wellington’s 6-5 overtime loss to St. Mikes Wednesday afternoon could be labelled as a scheduling loss. After a bus ride home from North York the night before, the Dukes were on home ice hosting the Buzzers at 2:30 p.m. on a glorious, sun soaked Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Murray opened the scoring 30 seconds in to give Wellington a short lived lead before the Buzzers buzzed the Dukes net for four tallies. St. Mikes chased Mr. Booth-Housego early in the first and Royden Smith was pressed into service after playing 60 minutes the day prior in North York.

Down 4-1 after the first 15 minutes of play, Wellington sandwiched a pair of goals around a St. Mikes score in the final five minutes. Carson Albert scored his first OJHL goal at 14:28. Mr. Morin had goals in back-to-back games thanks to a marker at 17:23. At the buzzer, St. Mikes led 5-3.

Wellington chipped away. Christian Armstrong had a power play goal in the second to get the locals to within one.

In the third, Vince Albanese’s third of the season was a game tying effort and the contest went to overtime deadlocked at 4-4.

After a scoreless four-on-four period, the game went to a three-on-three overtime frame. Wellington would pick up a penalty in the early going and that’s all St. Mike’s needed. While the Buzzers didn’t score with a man advantage, the puck never left the Wellington end and Jake Goddard bookended St. Mike’s scoring with his second of the game at the 2:24 mark of period five.

Bad Start

The Dukes were hamstrung by another bad start on Friday in Lindsay. The Muskies fired four pucks into the Wellington net by the time the buzzer rang out at the Lindsay Recreation Complex signalling the end of the first period. Wellington played musical goaltenders in this game with Mr. Smith leaving the crease in the fourth minute of the first before Lindsay had even bulged the twine. Mr. Smith returned to the net, promptly gave up two goals on the next two shots and was again replaced by Mr. Booth-Housego.

Down 4-0 after one, Wellington once again tried to play comeback and it was a new addition to the roster who made an immediate, high leverage impact.

Sired by former Dukes 30 goal man David Campbell, Wellington picked up forward Liam Campbell from the Chatham Maroons and waited a period before exploding onto the scoresheet. Mr. Campbell notched a natural hat trick in the second to make it 4-3 in favour of the host Fish. Of note, Mr. Booth-Housego got tangled up with a pair of skaters in his crease at the midway point of the second, forcing Wellington to go back to Mr. Smith.

In the third with under five minutes left, Mr. Carrier made a power move along the goal line and Mr. Ellis was there to deposit the loose change.

Given the horrendous start and the goaltending issues, the 4-4 regulation tie felt more like a win on this night.

For the second straight game, Wellington played a scoreless 4-on-4 period and then took a penalty in the 3-on-3 session, creating a 4-on-3 man advantage. Cole McLean’s first of the year on the powerplay sent the Lindsay fans home happy and the Dukes back to Wellington with a single point in tow.

Another Bad Start

On Sunday, the Dukes again gave up four goals to the visiting Aurora Tigers in the opening frame en route to a 7-5 loss. The Dukes were actually down 5-0 through nearly 40 minutes of play before Mr. Carrier finally solved Aurora starter Matthew Humphries with exactly two minutes left on the clock.

Zach Mascard (2) and Evan Erwin lit the lamp in the third as the Dukes tried to comeback but it was too little, too late.

Mr. Carrier had a goal with a second left on the clock to make it a 7-5 final.

Worse Finish

In their most recent outing, the Dukes managed to avoid a porous first period and trailed the Stoufville Spirit 3-2 at the end of 40 minutes Monday night.

But then the roof caved in. The Dukes gave up a handful to the hosts as the Spirit won this one, galloping away from Wellington in an 8-2 drubbing. Mr. Carrier and Mr. Mascard had the goals for Wellington. The Dukes were without a backup netminder in the medical absence of Mr. Booth-Housego who could be in sick bay for a while.

After hosting Newmarket Friday, the Dukes welcome Burlington to Lehigh Arena Sunday.