Newcomer Dario Cantini made 23 saves and rugged winger Sacha Trudel had a pair of goals at the Wellington Dukes doubled up on the host Pickering Panthers 4-2 Friday. For Mr. Cantini, it was his first Ontario Junior Hockey League win.

The much-needed victory busted a three game slide and moved Wellington back into a playoff position at 8^th in the Eastern Conference at 10-8-0.

After niether team lit the lamp in the opening stanza, both teams counted in the second.

Panther Blake Wright broke the ice at 8:23 but Mr. Trudel countered at the 12:25 mark when he stripped the puck off a Panther skater and beat Pickering starter Ian Michelone for a shorthanded effort.

Deadlocked through 40 minutes, Wellington’s quick strike offence went to work early in the third.

Ben Vreugdenhil and Zach Mascard fired goals 1:18 apart in the opening 5:23 to provide the visitors a 3-1 lead.

Pickering’s Joey Zhang got the hosts to within a goal with just under six minutes to play but that was all for Pickering on this night.

Riley Noble and Ryan Schaap teamed up to feed Mr. Trudel who deposited the puck in to the yawning cage for his second tally. Mr. Trudel also added an assist on Mr. Vreugdenhil’s tally, giving the Montreal, QC native a three point outing.

Wellington has a busy weekend ahead as they host Cobourg on Friday, travel to Lindsay on Saturday and host Aurora on Sunday afternoon.