Hounds create third period thunder
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Libby Hammond
At a time when Friday’s outcome was very much in doubt, the Soo Greyhounds proceeded to squeeze the will out of their opponent.
Locked in a 3-3 tie to start the third period, the Soo scored three times – on just four shots – in a span of 4:06, en route to a 6-3 victory over the Kitchener Rangers before 6,934 at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
“We were pretty elite,” head coach John Dean said of the quick explosion that proved decisive in what was a matchup of the OHL’s top two teams.
“We were dominant, we were dominant,” added Julian Fantino, whose team won its sixth in a row, while moving to within two points of the Rangers in the league’s overall standings.
The Hounds improved to 22-8-2-0 and have a game in hand on the Rangers, who fell to 23-8-2-0.
Kitchener was a gaudy 13-2-1-0 at home prior to Friday’s showdown.
“Those four minutes were huge,” Dean continued. “They’re a great indicator of what we’re all about.”
Fantino, who had been robbed a couple of times by Kitchener netminder Jackson Parsons, got things rolling at the 5:46 mark. Taking a feed from Brady Martin, Fantino ripped one through traffic, beating Parsons high to the stick side to put the Hounds up 4-3.
“Absolutely massive goal,” said Dean, whose club wound up scoring four unanswered, erasing what had been a 3-2 Rangers lead in the second period. “Julian is starting to show what he’s made of.”
Just 50 seconds later, Jack Beck found Matthew Virgilio cutting to the net. The second-year defenceman spotted Brenden Sirizzotti alone in front and the overage winger gave his team a two-goal advantage.
A Rangers turnover proved costly as the visitors made it 6-3 at 9:52. Marco Mignosa found Kirill Kudryavtsev, who fired from just inside the left circle. He beat Parsons on the stick side.
“I’m beyond proud,” Sirizzotti said of the Hounds, who’re slated to visit Guelph on Saturday (2 p.m.) before entering the Christmas break. “Tied after two periods, we just said let’s put everything on the line here. Those were the biggest two points of the season.”
The Rangers trailed 2-1 after the opening period, but tied the game at 8:31 of the second. Adrian Misaljevic fired from just above the right circle and, after a Charlie Schenkel save, Trent Swick deposited the rebound.
The home side took a 3-2 lead just over two minutes later on the power play. Swick made a nifty backhand pass to Tanner Lam, who was all alone on the left side of the Soo net.
But the Greyhounds tied it on the front end of a four-minute power play. Beck went cross ice to Sirizzotti and his pass in front was redirected home by Justin Cloutier. The Ottawa native’s 15th of the season at 18:56 sent the teams into intermission deadlocked at three.
“That set the stage for the third,” Dean said of the Cloutier power-play effort. “That goal came down to two or three guys winning 50-50 battles and Cloutier was a monster at the back post.”
The Greyhounds again competed without centre Owen Allard (Team Canada) and defenceman Arttu Karki (Team Finland), both preparing for the Boxing Day start of the world junior championship.
Centre Bryce McConnell-Barker (concussion) and winger Jordan D’Intino (upper-body injury) remain sidelined and will not play until after the Christmas break.
Kitchener skated minus centre Carson Rehkopf (Team Canada), the top scorer in the Canadian Hockey League, and winger Filip Mesar (Team Slovakia). Overage winger Mitchell Martin also missed the game due to injury.
Asked about his club’s deep and versatile roster, Fantino talked about how he believes “we have a championship team here. That’s been our goal since the start of the season. That’s how deep our team is.”
On a night when the Rangers held a 26-24 edge in shots, Tate Vader notched his first OHL goal and Alex Kostov, taking advantage of a clumsy Kitchener turnover, scored shorthanded for the fourth time this season. All have come over the last nine games.
Vader, a Gowanstown, Ont., native, tied the game 1-1 at 6:51 of the opening period.
Sirizzotti finished with a goal and an assist while Beck contributed a pair of assists and has three goals and eight assists over his last four games.
Misaljevic opened the scoring for the home team and finished with a goal and an assist. Swick had a goal and two helpers while Hunter Brzustewicz finished with a pair of assists.
After making some big saves for the winners, Schenkel drew the praise of Fantino, who called his teammate’s performance “unbelievable. He was lights out, lights out.”
Typical of the Hounds play this season, Connor Clattenburg blocked three shots in succession midway through the third period.
“Those are the things he’s willing to do,” praised Dean. “That gives the bench a big lift.”
Asked if this was the smartest team he’s coached in the Sault, Dean answered in the affirmative.
“Most mature, most intelligent and probably the best at making in-game adjustments and holding each other accountable,” he said.
