Wings "Rocked" in ugly loss

By Tom Hoffman

Ugly losses seem to be the norm when the Wings visit Toronto's Air Canada Centre. And this game was really no exception. After a quick start, things went downhill very fast for Philadelphia as the Toronto Rock waltzed off with a 19-11 win in front of 10,256 fans Friday night.

The first quarter would end up being the highlight of the evening for the Wings. Philly would jump out to a quick 2-0 lead in the game's first minute on goals from Dan Teat and Kyle Sweeney. After the Rock tied the game on scores by rookie Stephen LeBlanc and Scott Campbell, the Wings would regain the lead courtesy of Geoff Snider. That would be the last lead of the evening for Dave Huntley's squad as the Rock tallied four of the next five scores to take a 6-4 lead after the first 15.

Mat Giles would get the Wings (1-4) within a goal but the Rock would answer with six straight goals to take a 12-5 lead in the third quarter. Sweeney and Kyle Wailes would add goals to get the Wings within five but the Rock would continue to toy with and have their way against the Wings struggling defense and would not allow the Wings to come back and make a game of it this evening. After surrendering 18 goals on 53 shots, Brandon Miller was relieved and Rob Blasdell would see his first playing time of the 2010 season.

Kyle Sweeney and Dan Teat each scored twice for the Wings in the losing effort. With Saturday's home game with Orlando postponed due to an impending Winter Storm, the Wings will return home next weekend to face the Buffalo Bandits in what right now appears to shaping up to be a big divisional battle: one for the bottom of the NLL's Eastern Conference.