Frontenacs Smother Wolves In Game One

Anticipation was high at Slush Puppie Place last night as fans streamed into the building for game one between Kingston and Sudbury. That same energy was replicated on the ice as both teams came out of the dressing rooms like their hair was on fire.

The opening five minutes of the game brought to mind the first meeting between Canada and the United States at the Four Nations Face Off. Within minutes of puck drop, Seattle Kraken prospect Nathan Villeneuve called Gage Heyes to answer the bell after the latter crushed Noah Roberts along the boards.

Just over a minute later, Chase Coughlan and Ethan Miedema squared off for the second brawl of the game.

"We were one of the better offensive teams in the league, and I suspect it was part of their game plan ... It was a really physical game," said Head Coach Troy Mann. "I thought our guys did a good job. We can play that type of game."

While the two teams were evenly matched physically, Kingston bullied Sudbury in the first period, outshooting the Wolves 16-5 while potting a pair of goals. Cedrick Guindon scored Kingston’s opening goal of the playoffs after receiving a gorgeous tip pass from Jacob Battaglia.

"We've got to give credit to the guys stepping up, fighting, and finishing their checks leading up to the goal," said Guindon. "That was a big part of why we scored and a big part of why we had a successful game.

Battaglio, a Calgary Flames prospect, also featured on the Frontenacs' second goal of the period, feeding Vann Williams, who ripped the puck past Nate Krawchuk.

Both teams settled down in the second period, resulting in a drop in the frenetic pace during the second 20-minute segment. The only goal of the period went to Kingston’s Ethan Miedema, who scored on a pretty give-and-go play with Cal Uens to extend the Frontenacs' lead to three.

Worryingly for Sudbury fans, the Wolves were limited to just five shots for the second consecutive period. The swarming Frontenacs' attack bottled the Wolves up in their own end and stifling any offensive opportunities.

The Wolves' offense was anemic until the third period, when things improved marginally. The team took advantage of a powerplay opportunity, moving the puck along to Winnipeg Jets prospect Kieron Walton, whose blocked shot was hammered home by Chase Coughlan.

The Wolves certainly performed well when it came to special teams. They scored the only powerplay goal of the game on their first attempt of the evening while shutting down the Frontenacs' powerplay. This included a 5-on-3 scenario before which Troy Mann aggressively called a timeout. 

"I thought that if we could score 5-on-3, the game was over, that was my philosophy," said Mann. "That powerplay unit had been out there for a few seconds, so I thought, let's reset ... We just couldn't find the back of the net."

Before the goal, the only bright spot for the Wolves was Villeneuve, who flew around the ice like a cannonball, disrupting plays and creating offensive opportunities. Early in the third, he ripped a shot off the post and minutes later failed to score on a breakaway. 

Coughlan's goal restored life to the slowly suffocating Wolves, who finished the third with more shots than they had in the rest of the game. 

The push from Sudbury came a bit too late. Guindon sealed the game with an empty-net goal with just over a minute remaining in the game. He patiently wound his way through the neutral zone on a 1-on-2 rush before slipping the puck home at the last moment.

"I was just focused on getting the red line and trying to find open space," said Guindon with a smile. "As an older guy, I've learned from my mistakes like shooting it from my own blue and icing the puck."

With game one in the books, both teams will turn their attention towards game two on Sunday. While Sudbury will certainly make adjustments, Kingston can be happy that they started the post season with a victory.

"It really is a fresh start for game 2," said Mann. "I told the guys to enjoy this, but you have to reset tomorrow because I expect the same type of game plan from their [Sudbury's] perspective."