Dogs goalie gaining confidence

[hockey123]

Dogs goalie gaining confidence



Posted By BILL POTRECZ , STANDARD STAFF

Posted 4 hours ago



It's been a good week for Mark Visentin.
The 17-year-old netminder followed up a top-notch performance at the NHL-CHL Prospects Top Prospects game in Windsor Wednesday with a solid, 20-save performance to lead the Niagara IceDogs past the Mississauga St. Mike's Majors 2-1 in an Ontario Hockey League game Thursday night at Jack Gatecliff Arena.
Visentin, who made 19 saves and was the lone netminder at the Prospects game to not permit a goal, couldn't say enough about the chance to strut his stuff with and against some of the best junior players in Canada.
"It was one of the best experiences in my life," Visentin said after coming off the ice after being named the game's third star. "It was one of the most important games of my career so far, and I learned a lot from it. I gained a lot of confidence from that, and I'm going to try and keep that going here and help the team the rest of the season.
"It was a statement game for me. My role was to go there and make the statement that I'm good enough to be at the next level. It was crucial for me to go and play the way I did. I was very proud of how I did."
Visentin enjoyed playing for legend Bobby Orr.
"We talked. He was a great guy and really open," Visentin said. "He did a great job of keeping the atmosphere loose in the room. Obviously, it was a great honour."
Visentin also excelled in the skills competition and in a three-on- three game.
"It was a ton of fun," he said. "There were breakaways and two-on-nones all over the place so it gave me a chance to make desperate saves."
Niagara coach Mike McCourt figures the experience can only help Visentin, who is eligible for the 2010 NHL draft this summer.
"It was invaluable," McCourt said. "Ninety-nine per cent of this game is confidence and when you go there and play with your peers and the best at that age and do well, it's a confidence boost.

"He always believed in himself, but I think this took it to the next level."
Following the game, Visentin was "rewarded" for his strong effort when Johnson Andrews and Reggie Traccitto threw two plates full of shaving cream in his face while he was doing a television interview.
The first period was uneventful -- Mississauga out-shot Niagara 9-4 -- and ended up scoreless.
The Majors broke the scoreless deadlock early in the second when Riley Brace scored at the 48-second mark when his seemingly harmless shot deflected off Ryan Strome and past Visentin.
It was back to defence after that for the most part. In fact, Niagara recorded just seven shots on goal by the halfway point of the period.
Andrew Agozzino finally got Niagara on the board with 4:26 remaining with a short-handed breakaway goal. Niagara ended up with just nine shots on goal after 40 minutes.
The pace picked up slightly in the third and Niagara took the lead at the 11:06 mark when Strome scored on a rebound on a power-play. Strome's hustle caused the man advantage when he stripped a Mississauga defender of the puck and had to be hooked to prevent a scoring chance.
McCourt was pleased how well his team played in their own end.
"That was the plan," McCourt said. "They've given up the fewest goals in the league and everything you get against them, you have to earn. We knew we had to play that way. We were very sound defensively to only give up 21 shots."
The win improves Niagara's record to 15-26-2-3.The IceDogs are in Sarnia tonight and Windsor Sunday afternoon.
Ice chips:Alex Friesen (upper body) and Keith Maisonville did not dress for the IceDogs.... Niagara assistant coach Frank Girhiny was away at his son Christian's hockey tournament. Billy Burke took Girhiny's spot behind the bench.... Niagara entered Thursday's game ranked 17th in both penalty killing and power play efficiency.... The IceDogs are 3-2-1-3 in overtime and shootouts. Ottawa, Saginaw and Brampton have yet to win in overtime this season.... Matt Baldassara and Alex Cord engaged in a spirited battle that saw both tough guys land some hard shots.
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THE SCOOP
IceDogs 2 Majors 1
Standard Star of the Game:For the Niagara IceDogs: Andrew Agozzino (26); Ryan Strome (7).
For the St. Mike's Majors:Riley Brace (12).
Game stats:Shots on goal: by Niagara on J.P. Anderson 19, by Mississauga on Mark Visentin 21 ; Power plays: Niagara 1-for-4, Mississauga 0-for-3; Penalty minutes: Niagara 13, Mississauga 15.
Attendance:2,817.
Up next:Niagara visit Sarnia tonight and Windsor Sunday afternoon.