Waxers shot themselves in the foot this time with two goals coming off of bad turnovers in the neutral zone. At 4:16 on the first the Waxers realized very quickly that flicking the puck aimlessly into the neutral zone will be capitalized on very quickly by the Dukes. Dukes then went up 2-0 on the powerplay, but then something clicked and the Waxers seemed to realize they could play with the Dukes. Their speed caused tons of problems for the Dukes, but the Dukes were able to capitalize on the Waxers turnovers to win this one. The fourth goal was a killer as Mark Cornacchia turned the puck over at his own blue line and gave up a 2-1, which ended up in the back of the net. Waxers had a lot of chances in the 3rd, but they just couldn't get that bounce or break to go their way
In all honesty I wasn't overly impressed with the Dukes after what I've read on here. They are a very good team, but they have been made out to be head and shoulders above the Waxers and in fact they aren't. If Waxers can come out with a strong effort on Sunday then this could be a damn good series.
Thanks to the Duke fan loud mouths who decided to chirp the Waxer players as they came off the ice at the end of the game. Pretty classy in my eyes. This was a clean; well played game with zero incidents and you gentleman had to chirp up the players as they left the ice. It takes a certain individual to come away victorious. It takes another certain kind to win with some class. And yes I am one of those ones who posts on the internet. I have pieced together the mystery of the keyboard.
You know, everytime the Dukes win a game you hear the same dribble, we just need a bounce or a break to go our way, if we just come out and skate hard, their not head and shoulders above the rest. Bottom line is they are good enough to be 9-0 in these playoffs having beaten two good teams to get out of the East. In talking to a player last night, this is the fastest team Wellington has played all season, but "caused a ton of problems" I think not. If your waiting for breaks and bounces to go your way it could be a short series, the Waxers were on the power play for 6 minutes of the last 10:46 of the game, and just did'nt get the job done, and lastly "head and shoulders above the rest", nowhere on this blog has anyone stated that, they do play hard and play as a team and maybe at the end of the year they might be the best but there's a long way to go.
P.S. If your waiting for the Wellington fans to be any quieter Sunday, don't hold your breath, this is Junior A hockey and they do pay their money.
I will be heading to the game in Wellington on Easter Sunday to catch this one. I have watched the South for years and really enjoyed it, but the parity between teams is too much, which I why I am a Wellington fan now.
Matty, hopefully you don't make it to Wellington because if you thought the fans were loud in Markham you haven't heard anything yet.
As the Guns 'N Roses put it
"Welcome to the Jungle"
I still believe that out of all the divisions, the East is by far the toughest. Anyone can beat anyone on any night, as many teams found out this year. In the other divisions you can almost look at the teams and predict which teams will be 1,2,3 and which ones will be in the bottom.
Boy are the Markham fans in for a treat at the Duke Dome. I don't mean they will be mistreated in any way, but the Duke Dome will be rocking!!!!! We are very enthusiastic when we are cheering on our boys!!!!
"I still believe that out of all the divisions, the East is by far the toughest. Anyone can beat anyone on any night, as many teams found out this year. In the other divisions you can almost look at the teams and predict which teams will be 1,2,3 and which ones will be in the bottom."
Every year on here I see people from the East go on bla bla bla we are tougher than everyone else. Yep. I remember when I first followed the Buzz I watched them knock off Port Hope, then I watched them knock off Bowmanville, then last year Aurora knocked off Wellington. And yet this year the same tripe comes out. Wellington is a good team ... but why must you make such outlandish comments when the fact is it has been years since an east team won its own division? Sure they may this year ... but a little humility goes a long way.
You really think you can predict which teams will be one two three. Funny ... I wouldn't say any more than you could about the East. I predicted Wellington to take it this year ... with Kingston right behind them. I was right. I predicted the Buzz to take the south, with Vaughan right behind them. I was completely wrong! I predicted Huntsville to take the north with Newmarket right behind them. Again I was wrong.
Ok call be bad at predicting. But ... I will argue that, if anything, the East is the most predictable division by far right now. You have a 'super power' in Wellington, and very little serious competition. There is much more parity in the south right now. A month before the end of the season any of three teams could have won the south. Fact is ... Vaughan folded in the playoffs, St. Mikes reavealed their achilles heal (goal tending) ... and Markham 'got game' so to speak.
From the looks of the game sheet I'm not convinced the Dukes will take it. From the looks of the gamesheet for Game one Markham looks to be very much still in the hunt. Don't underestimate them. St. Mikes did .... and then couldn't get a puck in edgewise after beating them two games in a row. Literally! Rank is a good goalie. Don't underestimate him. He got 'better and better' in the series against St. Mikes. If the Buzz had had him in their net ... well lets just say that things probably would be very different right now.
Wellington has goaltending? I am waiting to see it. If that was the best the Dukes goalie could do, I don't give them much hope. If that was an off game for him, maybe I'll agree with you. He didn't impress me.
I think if the Waxers can play with the confidence they had in the second and third periods, they'll have an even shot in this series.
Where did I say I had a problem with the loud fans? I thought it was great, but the actions of about three fans were uncalled for at the end of the game. If some incident had occured in the game then it would have been understandable, but to rub it in just because you beat a team is pretty classless. These fans are most likely the same fans who disappear when the Dukes lose.
Winning in a sweep or 5 games doesn't suggest to you that people think the Dukes are head and toes above the Waxers?
I see the Waxers got over it.
I suspect Matty has pretty much forgotten about it as well.
So, what was the atmosphere like at the end of game two in Wellington ?
Also, I doubt there was much of anything from the Wellington fans after tonight's game.
This series is far from over. I do not see either team going away just yet.
Markham wins the all important game three and regains home ice advantage.
Go Wax !
Go Leafs !
Go Raptors !
Go Argos !
How about them Cowboys !
WEXDOG is a Cowboys Fan
09,11,01
Lest We Forget
11,11,11
This message has been edited by wexdog on Mar 25, 2008 11:27 PM
Say what you want. But you have no idea what you are talking about.
The Buzzers had the highest scoring defensive pair in the whole OPJHL. Do you remember Burlon rushing up to assist on a goal in the second last game ... beautiful! (and he wasn't part of the pair I just mentioned).
Markham only won their last games by one goal each time ... so the Buzzers defense must have been doing something right.
Especially since, we agree on one thing .... the Buzz did not have a goalie.
They had everything else. Just no goalie.
Give them a goalie ... and you have Wellington down 3 already to the Buzz as of March 25th.
(Watch the news ... there is a good chance that Burlon will be the second defenceman to be drafted by the NHL off the Buzzers in as many years. Some scouting sources have him going in the first round, but that might be wishful thinking).
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