The Ontario Hockey League today announced that goaltender Mark Visentin of the Niagara IceDogs is the Boston Pizza OHL Player of the Week for the week ending March 7, extending the streak to three straight weeks for a goaltender to claim the honour.  Visentin helped the IceDogs’ playoff push with a 3-0-0-0 record and a goals-against-average of 1.30 and save percentage of .963.  The record came despite the fact that the IceDogs were out shot in all 3 games and Visentin also faced 30+ shots in all three games. 

In all, the sophomore goaltender from Waterdown made 103 stops on 107 shots over the weekend and was also a perfect 3 for 3 in stopping Battalion shooters in a 2-1 shootout victory on Thursday night.  

With the 3-0 record on the weekend, Visentin has also seriously helped Niagara’s playoff chances, moving them into sole possession of 7th place in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of the 9th place Oshawa Generals with only three games remaining for both teams.  The weekend also puts the IceDogs only one point back of the 6th place Peterborough Petes, with the IceDogs having a game in hand.

The IceDogs picked up a critical six points in the standings against Eastern Conference opponents over the weekend beginning with a 2-1 shootout win over the Brampton Battalion on Thursday night.  Visentin made 34 saves including 13 in the third period and stopped all three Battalion shooters to preserve the win as the game’s second star.  On Saturday night his 40 saves earned him third star honours in a 4-2 win over the Sudbury Wolves in another critical Eastern Conference matchup.  His week finished with first star honours Sunday in a 3-1 win over the Battalion with 29 saves.  The IceDogs have now moved into sole possession of seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings with 57 points with three games remaining.  They sit one point behind the sixth place Peterborough Petes, and one point ahead of the eighth place Sudbury Wolves, and four points ahead of the ninth place Oshawa Generals. 

Visentin, a 17-year-old from Waterdown, ON, is playing in his second OHL season with the IceDogs.  Eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Visentin competed in the 2010 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and currently has a goals-against-average of 3.09 and a save percentage of .909 in 52 games this season. 

Visentin and the IceDogs will be back in action again this weekend as they finish the regular season with a pair of home contests, followed by road game to finish out the season. 

The IceDogs play host to the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors in one of the IceDogs possible first round playoff matchups on Thursday night, with the IceDogs looking to build upon their 4-2 record against the Majors so far this year.  The IceDogs will then play host to the visiting Belleville Bulls on Saturday night in their final regular season home game, with the game scheduled for a 7:00pm start.  Finally the IceDogs close out their regular season with a trip to their old stomping grounds in Mississauga for a second matchup with the Majors on Sunday afternoon.

Tickets for both remaining IceDogs home games are still available, but seats are going fast!  Don't miss your chance to see the IceDogs as they continue their push for the playoffs, get your tickets today!