Marty Williamson said if his Barrie Colts played the way they did in a 4-1 win over the Windsor Spitfires the night before, they wouldn't need to do anything different Sunday afternoon on the road against the Niagara IceDogs.
It wasn't an exact carbon copy, but the Colts were certainly close enough with another impressive performance in a 5-1 win over the IceDogs at the Meridian Centre.
The Colts continued to put their five-game losing streak behind them with a second-straight win over one of the OHL's top teams, dominating the IceDogs through 40 minutes with a strong forecheck and strong skating.
Barrie outshot Niagara 40-24, including 31-6 at one point late in the second period.
“I had a couple of problems in the second period with just a couple of things. I didn't think we were as physical as we were for the other parts, but I really like the direction our team is taking right now,” said Williamson, the Colts' general manager and head coach. “It's nice to get a couple of confidants wins and playing the right way.
“It's what they needed when you lose five in a row, and a lot of credit to that dressing room getting themselves straightened out and coming with purpose every shift.”
It was another complete team effort.
Barrie got some big stops in goal by Sam Hillebrandt, shut down a potent Niagara offense in the third to protect a one-goal lead, and got two big goals from Emil Hemming whose offensive game is beginning to heat up.
“It just shows how good of a team we are together,” said the Finnish import and Dallas Stars’ first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
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The win moved Barrie (26-14-1-1) to within a point of Niagara (26-14-2-1) atop the Central Division standings with a game in hand.
Every point in head-to-head games could prove to be the difference between the teams down the stretch.
“They sure are,” Williamson said of every game being big. “We played two of the top teams this weekend and we were able to get four points, and this is a good point to start rolling.”
The Colts came out of the gate strong with a 2-0 first-period lead on Anthony Romani's second in as many games and Hemming's first of the night on a stellar cross-ice pass from Tristan Bertucci that the Finnish winger tapped in on the door step.
Barrie outshot the IceDogs 16-5.
They took it the IceDogs in the second again, outshooting them 16-6, but Owen Flores was once again stellar and kept Niagara in the game.
Ryan Roobroeck would notch his 30th of the season with just 21 seconds remaining in the second to cut the lead to 2-1 and give the home team momentum they would carry into the third.
Hillebrandt held the fort until goals by Hemming, Beau Jelsma, and Riley Patterson less than two minutes apart late would put this one on ice.
“It was a little bend and don't break type of thing and Hillebrandt made some good saves for us,” said Williamson of his team's ability to hang on to the lead in the third. “We knew they were going to come out hard in the third. I wasn't happy at all with the goal that we gave up. I told them they were going to come (at us) and think they just got to play a period, but we got some nice finish (on the goals).”
This is what Williamson believes his team can do every night.
“We can play off some defense and we can score four or five goals a game and that's what we want to maintain,” he said. “I believe one leads to another. When you play good defense and you get purpose, the goals come.”
The goals are certainly beginning to come for Hemming after a slow start. The speedy winger, who helped Finland win a silver medal at the recent world championships in Ottawa, now has nine goals and four of those have come in his last six games.
“I changed the curve on my stick, so that's the secret behind this,” said Hemming tongue in cheek of his recent scoring run. “I'm just feeling good. The games at the world juniors gave me a lot of confidence out there. I'd say that's the biggest change.”
Williamson is happy to see his forward finally get rewarded.
“I think he's starting to feel really comfortable,” he said of Hemming. “You know, Emil is a shy guy and it's taken him a while just being with his teammates to get warm and comfortable. He got to go back and see his countrymen (at worlds) and play in a good tournament. He seems like he's in a really good place for me right now.
“I'm really happy with his game. He's a really good kid and it's nice to see him rewarded with back-to-back nights with big goals for us.”
Hemming said playing the last couple of games with Brad Gardiner and Bode Stewart has certainly helped. The three have meshed fairly quickly.
“We have a great line there,” said Hemming. “We feel good. We have a lot of speed on that line, and we take advantage of that. We have a lot of chemistry on that line. I just enjoy playing with these guys.”
On Wednesday, the Colts will be looking to avenge a 5-2 loss in Owen Sound two weeks ago.
“We know very well there are no easy games in this league,” Williamson said. “We got to go into Owen Sound, and they smacked us the last time. They can outwork anyone, so these are good baby steps getting to where we want to be for playoff hockey.”
Game time at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre is 7 p.m.
ICE CHIPS: Barrie's nine goals in his last two wins surpassed the six it had over its five-game skid. . . .Gabriel Eliasson (sick) missed a second-straight game. . . Bertucci had two assists and now has four points in his last two games after going pointless during the losing streak. . . Kashawn Aitcheson also had an assist and was a plus-three for a second-straight game. . . Hillebrandt has stopped 55 of 57 shots he's faced over his last two games.
