Powerplay connects twice as Hounds drop Bulldogs

Story by soogreyhounds.com  |  Photo courtesy of James Egan Photography  |  Post-Game audio provided by Brad Coccimiglio (Sootoday.com)

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON-
Looking to put a halt on a five-game skid, the Soo Greyhounds made progress they can build on while picking up two points in the West Division standings on Saturday Night.

Erasing a 1-0 deficit midway through the first period, the Hounds scored three consecutive goals including two on the power play as they defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2.

The victory finishes off the season series with Hamilton with each club picking up home ice wins.

“I really liked our game.  What we were missing in our game the last couple weeks, our work our compete.  When they scored first we kept working and got ourselves back into it.  Our specialty teams were good tonight, our power play scored a couple goals, our PK killed theirs off” began Head Coach Drew Bannister.

Hamilton opened the scoring 11:24 into the first period when Stephen Harper picked up the puck at the Greyhounds blue line after an awkward pass made possession easily available, and he went in all alone before beating BRANDON HALVERSON for the 1-0 lead.

Just forty-seconds later the Hounds would tie the game.
BORIS KATCHOUK fired a shot blocker side past Charlie Graham to even the game at 1-1.
For Katchouk, it was his 5th goal of his rookie campaign and 1st in the last seven games played.

The Hounds took their first lead of the night at 15:33 when COLTON WHITE sent the puck cross ice to MAKAR TOKAREV who’s quick release resulted in his 1st career OHL goal, and a 2-1 Greyhound lead.
That goal came on power play and had the Hounds sitting in the lead after the first period.

Early in the second the Hounds penalty kill went to work for the first time, minus a few seconds shorthanded in the first, and would see TIM GETTINGER and TYLER HORE outwork the Hamlton defenders while being outnumbered to kill off some valuable time.

Later, on the second shorthanded situation, Ben Gleason found iron before Maurizio Colella did the same late it the period as the 2-1 lead stood.

The Greyhound lead was extended to a pair of goals just sixteen seconds into their second power play of the game.  BLAKE SPEERS high shot beat Graham at 16:51 giving the Hounds the 3-1 lead.
Assists went to GUSTAV BOURAMMAN (the game’s 1st star) and MAC HOLLOWELL.

Speers goal was the second power play goal of the game for the Hounds as they went 2-for-4 on the man advantage.

“Obviously it’s been a difference maker in a lot of games in the negative for us.  Tonight it was a positive for us and again our penalty kill has been really good.  It was just so-so on the road but it was great for us.  We killed off two or three consecutive in the second and again those specialty teams were very good” started Bannister when asked of the specialty teams tonight.

“We had some guys step up.  To see Blake score a goal which was a big goal to separate us a little bit and get us going a bit when we played a lot earlier on in the second in our zone it was a big goal for us” he continued.

Stephen Harper would make it a one goal game, and cut the Hounds lead to 3-2 when he redirected a shot from in front at 9:36 for the visitors for his 2nd of the night.

Then in the final minute, hard word by GABE GUERTLER and BLAKE SPEERS ate time off the clock by keeping Hamilton stuck deep in their own zone and while delaying the visitor’s opportunity to pull the goalie for the extra attacker.

The final buzzer would sound with BRANDON HALVERSON turning aside 33 of the 35 shots he faced in a solid outing, and Greyhound victory.

With the win the Hounds pull back to .500 record with 5 wins, 5 losses and 2 overtime losses on the season, good for 12 points.

“It was a group effort today.  Everybody came and we were a different team in the fact that we came to the rink expecting to win, not hoping to win” concluded Bannister.

ATTENDANCE – 3,922

RED STAR THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1-Gustav Bouramman, SSM
2-Stephen Harper, HAM
3-Makar Tokarev, SSM

To view the complete game summary CLICK HERE.

GAME NOTES;
•F Hayden Verbeek left the game late in the second period after being on the receiving end of a kneeing minor penalty.  Word from the team is that he left with a lower body injury and will be re-evaluated at the beginning of the week.

UP NEXT;
The Greyhounds continue their home stand this coming Wednesday Night – October 28th – with the first meeting of the season against the Sudbury Wolves.

Puck drop at the Essar Centre is set for 7:07 p.m.

Tickets are available at the Essar Centre Box Office (Monday to Wednesday) or online at www.essarcentre.ca or by phone at 1.866.775.9422