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OHL Kingston Frontenacs

Frontenacs Beat the IceDogs 5-2 for Their 7th Straight Victory.

December 12, 2021 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kingston Frontenacs News Release


The Kingston Frontenacs remained the hottest team in the OHL (16-5-3-0) against the Niagara IceDogs (6-15-0-1) skating away with a 5-2 win, extending a league-high win streak to seven games in front of the Meridian Centre crowd on Saturday night. Jordan Frasca scored a hat trick and Lucas Edmonds had three points to remain in second overall in the OHL scoring race.

Kingston scored two powerplay goals and three unanswered in the third, winning the middle of a three-in-three stretch. The victory put the Fronts first in the East Division with 35 points, going ahead of the Hamilton Bulldogs and tied them with North Bay for the Conference lead.

Workhorse Leevi Meriläinen got some much-earned rest with Spooner getting his third start in net for Head Coach Luca Caputi. He made 31 stops in the game and he played against Josh Rosenzweig in the IceDogs net.

First Period

The teams skated to a scoreless opening period with Niagara holding a 12-10 edge in shots with a couple Kingston penalties in the second half of the frame.

Niagara's Anthony Agostinelli was unfortunately forced to leave after the gate door came opened near the home bench when Gage Heyes rode the forward into the boards.

Kingston came out strong with the better chances on the opening 10 minutes, with three quality chances on the Niagara netminder. Lucas Edmonds let two good shots go from the slot as the visitors took an 8-4 lead on the shot clock.

With eight minutes left, Spooner stood his ground with four successive saves within 30 seconds off IceDog shooters before a pair of Kingston penalties tilted some momentum to the IceDogs.

Kingston went to the games' first penalty kill at 13:39 and the second with 3:03 left on the clock but only gave up one shot to keep the game close heading to intermission.

Second Period

The teams traded scores in an exciting middle twenty minutes with four goals in the frame setting up a 2-2 third.

Martin Chromiak got an assist, extending a point streak to seven games (6G,3A), setting up Jordan Frasca (14) to open the score just 1:25 into the stanza. The 1-0 goal was Frasca's fifth goal in his last six games.

It was tied when Cameron Butler (6) scored at 6:59. Spooner had made the first save on the play, but Dakota Betts and Brice Cook made quick passes after scooping up the rebound for the 1-1 goal.

A powerplay for Kingston came moments after the Niagara goal and went to an extended 1:24 five-on-three chance after Jake Murray was taken down at the IceDogs blueline at 8:01. Caputi took a timeout to get his powerplay fresh.

Edmonds (16) scored a beauty wiring a wrist shot past Rosenzweig's glove taking the 2-1 lead at 9:16. The fronts team leader took the puck off the rush across the Niagara blueline Kingston held 1:25 of time left on the powerplay after the Edmonds marker assisted by Lucas Peric. Spooner made a good save while on the man advantage on a Niagara two-on-one rush.

Braden Hache and Cameron Peters engaged in the Fronts zone after Hache had originally been called on a slash. Peters took exception to the original call and the two willing combatants dropped the gloves in spirited scrap.

Niagara leading goal scorer Danil Gushchin (16) scored from the top off the circle tying it 2-2 on the powerplay. Cameron Butler and Pano Fimis registered assists on the 12:40 strike.

The home team went to a fourth man-advantage, but Spooner made a great glove save as the penalty ended stopping a tipped shot from the slot by Brice Cook keeping the score even. The rookie goalie was busy making 27 saves through 40 minutes.

Chromiak fired a heavy one timer on the IceDog goaltender with two minutes left just before the IceDogs were whistled sending Kingston to a powerplay to close out the period. Rosenzweig gloved a top-shelf labelled shot by Edmonds on the Fronts best chance.

Third Period

Kingston began the final frame with 20 seconds of remaining powerplay time and would outshoot the IceDogs 13-6 scoring three times securing a seventh straight victory.

Another penalty call to Niagara sent the Fronts to fourth chance with an extra-skater six minutes into the period. Lucas Peric fired a seeing eye shot through skaters that Frasca (15) was able to get a stick on for the 3-2 lead. Edmonds had started the play with Chromiak assisting. Peric's second helper came on Frasca's second of the game at 6:12.

Niagara took another penalty, but Rosenzweig made a couple good saves keeping the home side within one goal for the last 10 minutes of the game before a penalty filled final eight minutes saw both teams taking bench minors.

The bench-minor powerplay for Niagara had Edmonds having the best chance on a shorthanded break. Spooner made a great blocker save off a wicked shot from 20 feet while on the penalty kill, before Kingston got their opportunity off a bench minor.

However, another call ended Kingston's chance when a five-minute major was handed to Chromiak after he collided with a Niagara forward in the IceDogs zone. The call was reviewed and changed to a two-minute minor as Chromiak was shown not to have intentionally hit the unsuspecting skater. For 1:15 the teams went to four-on-four before a 46 second powerplay for Niagara was left on the clock.

Francesco Arcuri (12) scored a big insurance goal to get the 4-2 lead at 17:46 after Edmonds found the Dallas Stars prospect in front. With the net empty, Frasca (16) was able to pot his third of the game to round out the 5-2 win. Edmonds got his third point of the game and defenceman Ben Roger was credited with an assist on the fifth goal for his first point as a Frontenac.

BMW of Kingston Hardest Worker

Lucas Peric (2A)

Three-Star Awards

Aidan Spooner (31 saves)

Pano Fimis (1A)

Jordan Frasca (2G)

Game Notes

Chase Costantino listed as day-to-day

Lucas Peric has four points (4A) in last two games

Captain Shane Wright is at Canada's World Junior Camp representing Canada

Goaltender Leevi Meriläinen will represent Finland's National Junior Team

LA Kings prospect Martin Chromiak points in six, being named to the Slovakian National Junior Team this week

Forward Zayde Wisdom (Philadelphia Flyers) is skating with the team listed week-to-week

Kingston head coach Luca Caputi formerly played for the Niagara as the only 50-goal scorer in team history

Team Stat Pack - GP (24)

(16-5-3-0) - 35 points - Lead East Division by one / Tied East Conference Lead (NB)

.729 Winning percentage tops in OHL

Leaders (Top/3)

Goals - Edmonds, Frasca (16),Chromiak (13), Arcuri (12)

Assists - Edmonds (31), Wright (19), Arcuri, Chromiak (18)

Points - Edmonds (47), Frasca, Chromiak (31), Arcuri, Wright (30)

PIMs - Haché (40), Poole (29,) Budnick (25)

Shots- Edmonds (116), Chromiak (91), Wright (86)

Powerplay Points - Edmonds (16), Wright, Chromiak (13)

Rookie Points - Soto (16), Ludwinski (15), Thibodeau (7)

Defence Points - Murray (18), Peric (15), Budnick (5)

On The Front

The Black and Gold wrap up a two-game road schedule tomorrow (December 12) against Mississauga in an afternoon affair at 2:00 pm against the stingy Steelheads.

The Frontenacs next home game is Friday, December 17, versus Jordan Frasca's brother Jacob as the Barrie Colts make their first visit of the season to Leon's Centre. The game is the last home game before the Holiday break.

Listen to all the action on 104.3 Fresh Radio with Frontenacs play-by-play voice Jim Gilchrist. Fans can also follow along with team social media channels at Twitter, Facebook and IG for updates.

All home game tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.ca or visiting the Leon's Centre box office. Group Sales and Flex Packs are also available for fans at www.kingstonfrontenacs.com.

Check out the Kingston Frontenacs Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 12, 2021


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