Bulldogs dig themselves a 2-0 hole
By Josh Howald
Well, so much for getting the jump on the Walkerton Hawks.
If the Carruthers Nicol Insurance Kincardine Bulldogs expected a battered, beaten Walkerton team to show up for Game 1 of the Western Junior C League Championship series, they would have been surprised to see the battle-tested five-time champs arrive early in the second period of Game 1.
That’s when the ‘Dogs began digging. Because as well as the Hawks played, much of Kincardine’s 2-0 deficit is as much their own fault as it is Walkerton’s. A lack of discipline, coupled with some untimely meltdowns, sunk Kincardine in both Games 1 and 2 of the series. If the Bulldogs want to knock off the five-time league champs, they now must win four of five contests.
“It’s obviously not the start we wanted in this series,” said Kincardine head coach Jeff Alcombrack, who was moving forward immediately. “Game 3 is the biggest game of the year for us - we have to go get it done.”
It sure didn’t get done on the weekend. Game 1 saw Kincardine blow a 2-0 lead, while the Bulldogs survived Game 2 until overtime, thanks only to the goaltending of Gatlin Burt.
Things started well enough, with Chad Simpson and Mike Smailes each scoring to put Kincardine up 2-0 on the road. But Walkerton captain Drew Davidson set up Jordan Turcotte to cut the lead in half before Adam Alexander scored a shorthanded, unassisted goal to make it 2-2 headed for the third.
Davidson broke the tie early in the third, and Haden Campbell made it 4-2 minutes later. Davidson completed the hat trick to make it 5-2 before Austin Russell capped things off with a power play goal in the final seconds. It was Walkerton’s only power play goal, though not for lack of opportunities. Catto, Hughes, Dave Mercer and David Jones combined for 52 penalty minutes on their own.
Kincardine was better in Game 2. For two periods, anyways. The Hawks and ‘Dogs went back and forth with goals until it was 3-3 in the second period. The Hawks fired 24 shots at Burt in the third period of this game, but Burt shut the door to give Kincardine hope. That lasted about two minutes into the extra period, when Jay Thomson ended this one when he tipped a screened point shot off the post and behind Burt for a 4-3 win.
Hughes scored twice and Tanner Simpson added another for Kincardine. Assists went to Smailes, Catto, Joel Alton, Jamie Miller and Catto. Walkerton countered with Alexander, Campbell and Lamothe before Thomson’s winner. Burt made 47 saves, while Jeff Flagler stopped 26 shots. The previous night, Burt had 32 to Flagler’s 30.
“Sixty minutes of hockey,” said Alcombrack. “And discipline. We need to work hard for the full 60 minutes. We had too many passengers.”
As Alcombrack said, Game 3 is Kincardine’s biggest game of the season. The ‘Dogs will come home for a Sunday afternoon Game 4 either looking to even this championship series or fighting for their playoff lives.
“We need to play mistake-free hockey (Saturday night in Walkerton),” said Alcombrack. “Everyone can be better.”
Game 4 is Sunday at 4 p.m. in Kincardine. Provided the Bulldogs win one of the two weekend games, Game 5 will be Friday, March 15 in Walkerton. If necessary, Game 6 is Sat., March 16 in Kincardine at 7 p.m. and a seventh and deciding game would be the following day in Walkerton.