The Soo Greyhounds’ struggles continued post-holiday break as they surrendered a third-period lead and fell to the Saginaw Spirit
After struggling out of the gate following the Ontario Hockey League’s Christmas break in a pair of games on home ice, the Soo Greyhounds looked as though they were turning the corner on Saturday night.
The turn didn’t last and the team ultimately learned the hard way the importance of complete efforts in winning games.
In the end, Greyhounds coach John Dean called their latest setback “a tough one to swallow.”
The Greyhounds gave up a pair of power play goals on a double minor late in the second period, a period in which they were outshot 19-2, and ultimately dropped a 5-3 decision against the Saginaw Spirit on Saturday at Saginaw’s Dow Event Center.
“Can’t take periods off,” Dean said. “Way too many lost battles in the second period. You’re not going to win a lot of games when you lose 50-50 battles. It doesn’t matter how good you think you are.”
In the second period, Dean said the Spirit were able to generate multiple opportunities off their shots.
“Every shot seemed to generate a second opportunity and a third opportunity,” Dean said. “We didn’t do a good job clearing net front and didn’t do a good job of making plays to exit our zone, so we defend all the time.”
Overage forward Marco Mignosa agreed that the Greyhounds inability to win battles in the game was a major issue.
“Especially in the second period, Mignosa said. “We got totally worked and the game shifted to their momentum.”
Dean also called special teams “disastrous for us” in the second period.
Dean also spoke of the last seven minutes of the game and puck management being an issue in a stretch that saw the Greyhounds give up three unanswered goals, including the game winner with just under three minutes left in the game.
“It’s not about making plays at that point,” Dean said. “It’s about managing the puck and managing the scoreboard and we couldn’t do it.”
The Greyhounds opened the scoring in the first period as Quinn McKenzie scored on a loose puck in the slot after Callum Croskery tried to hit Jeremy Martin driving to the net, but the pass was partially blocked and ended up on the stick of McKenzie. The goal came 4:59 into the contest.
In a second period that saw the home side carry the play, Saginaw would take a 2-1 lead thanks to a pair of goals on a double minor to Sault forward Carson Andrew with just under six minutes left in the frame.
Saginaw got on the board at 15:15 as Dimian Zhilkin tucked the puck in at the side of the goal past Landon Miller’s outstretched leg to get the Spirit on the board.
On the next shift, James Guo got the puck and beat Miller glove side from the high slot on the second half of the double minor. The goal came 46 seconds after Zhilkin’s goal.
The Greyhounds would tie the game at two 1:49 into the third period as Brodie McConnell-Barker scored his first goal of the season. The blueliner stepped into the right faceoff circle and beat Shurygin 5-hole to knot the game up.
The Greyhounds would take a 3-2 lead at 5:33 as Jakub Winkelhofer entered the play late and took a pass from Mignosa before beating Shurygin high stick side with a shot from the high slot.
The Spirit tied the game at three with 4:40 to go in regulation time as Brody Pepoy took a pass in the slot from Carson Harmer in the left corner and beat Miller with a shot stick side.
Saginaw would then retake the lead on Zhilkin’s second goal of the night with 2:51 to go in the game. Zhilkin followed up the play after the puck deflected off the end boards toward the front of the net and, as he got to the side of the Sault goal, the forward would tuck the puck past Miller to give the Spirit a 4-3 lead.
Nic Sima would cap off the scoring with an empty net goal at 18:28.
McKenzie had a goal and an assist for the Greyhounds while Mignosa also had two points, assisting on a pair of goals in the game.
Miller made 29 saves.
In addition to the two-goal night from Zhilkin, Egor Barabanov assisted on three goals for Saginaw.
Harmer added a pair of assists for the Spirit in the victory.
Shurygin stopped 26 shots.
With the OHL’s trade deadline looming on Friday, and Thursday at noon for overage players, the Greyhounds are set to play three games at home next week, beginning on Wednesday night when the team hosts the Sudbury Wolves at the GFL Memorial Gardens.
The team will then host the Ottawa 67’s on deadline day Friday and the Niagara IceDogs the following night.
With Saturday’s loss, the Greyhounds fall to 21-14-1-1 on the season and remain in third in the OHL’s West Division. The team also sits fifth in the Western Conference standings.
With the victory, the Spirit improve to 13-17-3-4 as they continue to battle for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
After suffering an injury in Wednesday’s game at home against the Flint Firebirds, Brady Smith sat out on Saturday night.
Dean said Smith is day-to-day.
Veteran forward Travis Hayes also missed Saturday’s contest. An illness kept the 18-year-old out of the lineup.
Hayes is also day-to-day.
Following Team USA’s elimination in the quarterfinals at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Minnesota, Dean said the Greyhounds expect Chase Reid to be in the lineup on Wednesday night.