With back-to-back road wins over the Peterborough Petes and Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, the Niagara IceDogs will seek a weekend sweep when they host the Kingston Frontenacs on Saturday night.  The IceDogs will be without four key players as goaltender Mark Visentin, defenceman Dougie Hamilton and forwards Ryan Strome and Freddie Hamilton will be in Calgary for Team Canada's National Junior Team Selection Camp.  

This season has been quite a difference from the early success the Frontenacs enjoyed last fall. The Frontenacs, who are currently ranked 19th overall with a 7-19-2-2 record in 30 games, did not lose their 19th game in regulation until their 47th game of the season.  Kingston has the second worst record in the OHL when they are leading after the first period (4-4-1-1) and are the only team in the league who hasn’t won when they are tied after the first or second period.  By comparison, the IceDogs are 9-0-0-1 when leading after the first period, 6-4-0-1 when tied heading into the first intermission and 3-0-0-2 when tied heading into the second intermission.

Coming off of a 7-4 loss to the Brampton Battalion in Kingston on Friday night, the game was the Fronts’ fifth-straight loss and seventh in nine games, including a 5-0 shutout by the IceDogs on November 18th.  The streak includes an 8-1 thumping by the Belleville Bulls, who scored six unanswered goals in the third period. 

While the team as a whole is struggling, Tyler Brown and Ryan Spooner have been shining beacons in Kingston.  The team’s leading scorers, with 33 and 32 points respectively, Brown and Spooner have given Frontenacs fans something to cheer for in this trivial season.