Coming off two tough losses to division opponents Barrie and Brampton last weekend, the IceDogs will look to get back on track when they travel to Peterborough on Thursday night to take on the Petes.

The IceDogs open the weekend in Peterborough for their first game versus the Petes since Niagara’s season debut, in which they were beat 7-1. However, the atmosphere will be a bit different this time around, as Peterborough is recovering from a 9-1 trouncing by the Oshawa Generals Sunday night, a game that saw the Petes enter the first intermission down by five goals. Losing has become a trend in Peterborough as of late; prior to Sunday night’s game, the Petes were bested in two consecutive shootouts to the Sarnia Sting and Ottawa 67’s. Their three weekend losses were preceded by two additional losses, yielding a five-game winless streak, games in which they have been outscored 31-17. 

A reason for the Petes’ recent downturn could be the loss of one of their most integral players, Slater Koekkoek. The sophomore defenceman suffered a dislocated shoulder in the team’s November 27^th loss to Windsor and in his absence, Peterborough has surrendered 19 goals. Koekkoek, who was rated as one of the top prospects for this year’s NHL Entry Draft, leads his team in minutes played.

However, all is not lost for the Petes’ season. Co-captain Matt Puempel is the team’s leading scorer, with 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points and Alan Quine is just one point behind Puempel, with 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points. Also, OHL veteran Austin Watson, who was riding a 10-game point streak earlier in the season, has five points in his last four games played.