Predators won two of three last weekend

After 180 minutes of hockey and 1,030 kilometres travelled, the Niagara Predators finished last weekend earning four of a possible six points. 

The three-game stretch started on a high note, with a 5-2 victory at home against the North York Renegades, who hold down first place in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League’s Southern Division. 

“This is a big one,” Predators owner, head coach and general manager Robert Turnbull enthused following the win. “This is like a playoff game, it’s huge. We implemented a little forecheck system. We worked on doing some things differently. They earned this win.”

Niagara’s power play was firing on all cylinders, scoring three out of a possible five times with the man advantage. In addition, they held high-scoring forward Santino Foti to just one assist, frustrating him to the point he took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the third period, disqualifying him for the Renegades Saturday game versus Plattsville. 

Noah Caperchione scored two of those power play goals, in addition to the Predators first even-strength marker early in the first. 

“I’ve been reminding him to play his position,” said Turnbull. “When he plays his position, he puts himself in place to take the man and get the puck. It’s one of the hardest things to do at any level of hockey, to learn how to play without the puck. He’s now doing that, and we’re learning to get the puck to him.”

The loquacious Caperchione, who is an electrical apprentice outside of the arena, scored three goals in the previous Sunday’s 5-4 victory at Plattsville, giving him seven over the two games. There’s no doubt he’s holding the hot stick for the Predators right now. 

“During the time off (December and January) I’ve been constantly working,” Caperchione told The Local. “It took me a couple of weeks to get back into the rhythm, but I’m starting to feel like my old self. Position in this game is absolutely crucial. It’s what generates your chances. Trying to stay underneath the puck, giving the defence some outlets rather than trying to get the breakaway. It’s working.”

Though the Renegades were the first to score less than four minutes into the game, Caperchione answered with two that period, and the Preds played a physical, dominating game that seemed to leave North York addled.

Alexander Page in particular was doling out body checks at every opportunity, rattling the boards in the process.  

“North York has a couple of bruisers,” said Turnbull. “I had to remind Page to bring it down, bring it down, don’t get sucked into something. You have to give him kudos. He did a great job.”

It was the first chance for the home crowd of just under 100 to see the 6’7” Morgan Penwell in net for Niagara. He’s an imposing figure, filling up the maximum amount of space between the pipes. He turned back 29 of North York’s 31 shots for his second win since joining the team this month. 

Interestingly, down 4-2 with 4:21 left to play, North York pulled goalie Garin Janiuk in favour of the extra attacker. Penwell and the defence came up huge, stopping shot after shot, until Caperchione added his fourth of the night on the empty net with two minutes to play. 

For Saturday’s road trip to Windsor, Turnbull turned over the reins to assistant coaches Connor Shipton and Samantha Marson, staying behind at his home in Pickering. It was a chance for the 21-year-olds, both of whom have aspirations for a career behind the bench or in the front office, to gain some experience. 

The four-hour bus journey may have resulted in a slow start for the Preds. They gave up two early goals to the Aces, and were down 4-3 by the end of the second period. 

“They were a little sluggish out of the gate, trying to find their legs, trying to find their hands,” Shipton admitted. “They did pull through, but there were certain times they were trying to do too much on their own, not using their linemates. It took us a little while to get going and to find our game.”

By the third period Niagara had finally found the formula to keep Windsor’s first line, featuring GMHL leading scorer Kory Silverio, who had four assists, off the scoreboard. Page tied it up eight minutes in and Caperchione scored the winner with just over seven minutes remaining.

Jason Humphries, Dante Massi and Brenden Morin each added a goal for the Preds. The line of Caperchione, Massi and Reese Bisci have been the de facto leaders of the team recently. 

“They gel really well together,” Shipton said. “Reese has stepped up big-time with Mario (Zitella) being out with an injury. He’s using his speed, creating opportunities, pressuring guys, being in the right position defensively. He’s really taking advantage of this opportunity. And Noah and Dante, they’ve been as they’ve been all year, playing hard and getting opportunities.”

All that travel may have caught up to the team Sunday for the rematch with the Renegades at the Canlan Ice Sports Centre at York University. The tables were turned as North York outshot Niagara 38-37 and dominated the Predators down the stretch en route to a 6-2 victory. 

“As much as they wanted to play their best hockey, some of the kids didn’t get home Saturday until 2:30 to 3 a.m.,” Turnbull explained Monday morning. “I was pleased with the way we played in the first and second period. Everybody, goaltenders, defence, forwards, was doing their job.” 

Humphries and Caperchione both scored in the first period, trading off goals with Lucas Stafford and Brandon Stojcevski of the Renegades. After that, it was all North York on the scoresheet, with three of their next four goals coming in the third period. 

As that third period began, the fatigue began to be evident. Complicating matters was the larger European ice surface in North York, which the Renegades took advantage of as well. The fatigue certainly resulted in a lack of discipline in the final frame. 

Niagara took four penalties in the third, leading to two North York power play goals that put the game out of reach for the Preds. Defenceman Brett Lee was charged with unsportsmanlike conduct, leaving him unavailable for Niagara’s next two games. The Preds did come alive at one point when they were at full strength, and Morin rang the puck against the goal post, but Renegades goaltender Nicholas Lewicky played strong in net to keep the Predators from scoring. 

With seven games left in the schedule between now and March 6, Turnbull is happy with what he’s seeing as the playoffs loom around the corner. With St. George losing 11-10 Sunday to Windsor, the Preds are only a point behind the third-place Ravens. 

“Friday night was huge, and for the team to come back Saturday for the win with a short bench was big too. My biggest fear is if we lose another player or two, we’ll have a tough time beating the top teams. Everyone has to play well, but our best players have to play their best.”

Defenceman Josh Davidson should be returning, and Turnbull hopes to have forward Mackenzie Okumura in the lineup some time this week. In preparation for another three games coming up the team will focus on honing their power-play and penalty-kill techniques in upcoming  practice sessions. 

This Wednesday, Niagara has a rare mid-week game in Durham. They return to the Meridian Credit Union Arena Friday night at 7:30 p.m. to host St. George, and close out the weekend with a visit to the Plattsville Lakers. Three games spaced out for time and fewer kilometres to travel should bode well for the Predators.