With 13 consecutive losses, Wolves set new franchise record

The search for a second win on the season continues for the Sudbury Wolves as they dropped a 4-1 decision to the visiting Sarnia Sting Friday night at Sudbury Community Arena.

With the loss, the Wolves set a new franchise record for most consecutive losses with 13. It was clear after the game the players weren’t going to allow the record to faze them.

“I don’t care about the record,” Sudbury co-captain Nick Baptiste said. “What sucks is we didn’t win our game tonight.”

A team doesn’t pile up 13 losses in a row with lots of good things happening and lucky bounces going its way. No, the Wolves have had little go their way during the slump.

It continued in spades in the Sarnia game. Sudbury wasn’t out-played or out-worked. Luck was against them. The Wolves had solid opportunities to score goals, which included whiffed shots on open nets, a disallowed goal due to goalie interference, a goal post rung and a player fall during a break-away.

The Wolves pounded 42 shots, including 19 in the third period, compared to 41 by Sarnia. It just didn’t translate into goals. Sarnia goalie, and former Sudbury player, Taylor Dupuis was outstanding. Dupuis, playing just his second regular season game after missing the start of the season with a lower body injury, threw up a wall against Sudbury. He finished with 41 saves.

“We did have a lot of chances,” Sudbury head coach Paul Fixter said. “We had a goal not allowed and then they scored one very similar, so it’s a little bit crazy. We’re getting shots. We’re getting chances. We’re getting opportunities. We’re not getting goals.”

Sarnia held a 2-0 going into the first intermission thanks to two goals by Hayden Hodgson, including the opener on the power play 4:45 into the game.

Sudbury started to turn the tides in the latter stages of the second period, but an untimely short-handed goal by Sarnia’s Troy Lajeunesse, which made it 3-0 for the Sting really sucked the wind out of the sails.

The Wolves scrapped hard in the third period to make a game out of it. Frustration boiled over just past the midway mark of the period when assistant captain Nathan Pancel engaged Noah Bushnell in a spirited tilt. It sparked the Wolves as Baptiste put home a goal on the power play to cut the lead to 3-1. Moments later, Sudbury’s Dylan Callaghan went toe-to-toe with Sarnia heavyweight Joshua Chapman.

Despite a few more good chances, the Wolves couldn’t convert, and the Sting sealed the win up with an empty-net goal by Brandon Lindberg.
“Our results are not good enough,” Fixter said.

The Wolves are hoping to build off the third period in which they out-shot Sarnia 19 to 10 and showed more solid signs of team chemistry.

“That’s how we have to play and all the guys know that,” Sudbury goalie Troy Timpano said. “We got to play 60 minutes. That’s what it comes down to.”

With losses mounting, the Wolves are not ready to throw in the towel and give up.

“We’re staying positive,” Timpano said.

Baptiste sees the team starting to come together and being able to string three periods of solid hockey. It’s a slow and bitter process.

“It’s coming,” he said. “We have 10 young hockey players on this team. For the most part, I thought we worked well tonight. I think we have more to give and I think the guys know that. If we were to bring that effort from the third period constantly, we’re going to be successful. We’re going to get our breaks ... we’re going to start winning hockey games.”

The Sting finished dead last in the OHL in 2013-14. They will not repeat that performance.

“We’re still a young team and there is still a big learning curve for the players,” Sarnia head coach Trevor Letowski said. “We’re trying to be puck possession team and when we are on, we can be a dangerous team offensively. We have to move pucks around and skate hard. We went through a tough year last season. The guys have stepped up this season and they realize they can win games. It has them motivated.”

Game notes

The three stars of the game were: Taylor Dupuis (first), Troy Timpano (second) and Hayden Hodgson (third).
Sudbury scratched: Brady Pataki, Jacob Harris and Michael Pezzetta.
Sarnia scratched: Jakob Chychrun, Branden Trottier, Matteo Ciccarelli, Zachary Core and Jordan Kyrou
Earlier in the day, the OHL slapped the Sudbury Wolves with a $7,500 fine for “unprofessional and inappropriate” comments head coach Paul Fixter made after a game between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie on Oct. 22.