Penalty trouble sinks Wolves

The Sudbury Wolves were lucky to be in a 1-1 game at the end of the first period against the visiting Barrie Colts Wednesday night at Sudbury Community Arena.

The Wolves executed numerous passes that caused turnovers and were sloppy in their own end. The score could have been a lot worse and in favour of Barrie, but Sudbury goalie Troy Timpano was sharp and kept the Wolves in it.

Sudbury did manage to tidy up their loose play in the second period, but it didn’t help as a lack of discipline crept into the game on behalf of the Wolves and it ultimately did them in.

The Wolves gave the Colts seven power plays, and they ran with it. Barrie has the fourth best power play in the league and showed why as they pumped in three power-play goals on seven chances overall en route to a 6-2 victory and giving the Wolves their 15 loss in as many games.

Prior to the game, interim head coach Dave Matsos stressed the importance of staying out of the sin bin against the potent Barrie squad. The inability to stay focused and play within the rules was the difference in losing and winning for the Wolves. Matsos wanted the Wolves to take no more than two penalties. They took seven, all of which were simply unnecessary.

“We shot ourselves in the foot tonight because we were in the game and we took ourselves right out of it,” Matsos said. “They’ve been thriving on the power play all year and it’s been a real thorn in our side. Discipline was one of the things we talked about and obviously it cost us the game. The undisciplined ones are the ones that are really bothersome.”

The teams were evenly matched throughout the first frame as they exchanged late goals to make it 1-1. Joseph Blandisi tallied on the power play for Barrie, while Jeff Corbett scored on a tough angle shot.

Sudbury surged ahead in the second period when Travis Wood chipped a puck up and over Barrie goalie MacKenzie Blackwood to give the Wolves a 2-1 lead. It was all Barrie after that.

The Colts pumped in two goals in the second to take a 3-2 thanks to Blandisi and Roy Radke.

Barrie polished off the Wolves in the third period with three more goals, including two on the power play. Kevin Labanc, Brendan Lemieux and Andrew Mangiapane finished off the scoring for Barrie.

It left the Wolves feeling blue.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” Conor Cummins said. “I thought we had a pretty good first. We came out hitting. I think that’s how we stayed in the game in the first. At the end of the day, it wasn’t good enough. We got into penalty trouble.”

The Wolves have a day to get over the loss and move on. Sudbury hosts the Mississauga Steelheads Friday night. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

“At this point, we just got to keep battling through,” Cummins said. “We have to move onto Friday and hope for a better outcome.”

Game notes:
-The three stars of the game were: Joseph Blandisi (first) Kevin Labanc (second) and Troy Timpano (third).
-Sudbury scratched Austin Clapham and Ivan Kashtanov.
-Barrie scratched Rocky Kaura, Kody Gagnon, Josh Carrick, Chiwetin Blacksmith and Adrian Carbonara.