Dominant Hounds drub Petes
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo courtesy of David Pickering
They were a blend of fire and focus, playing their best game in recent memory.
The Soo Greyhounds scored four times in a span of 4:16 in the second period on Thursday, part of a superb performance against the Peterborough Petes.
Owen Allard and Justin Cloutier notched two goals each, Chase Reid had three assists and Nolan Lalonde posted his first shutout in a Soo uniform as the Hounds secured a 7-0 decision in front of 3,102 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
“We definitely needed it,” said Allard, whose club entered the game with no injured players on its roster for the first time this season. “We had a good start, got on the board early and kept the ball rolling. We showed our depth tonight as everyone contributed.”
“It was a motivated effort. We got attached to an identity we can find success with,” added head coach John Dean, shortly after the Hounds snapped a four-game losing skid (0-3-1-0), improving to 17-23-1-0 heading into a Friday (7 p.m.) contest in Kingston.
The trip concludes on Sunday (2 p.m.) in Ottawa.
Asked to explain the ‘identity’ he witnessed, Dean spoke of “hounding pucks and having a high shot volume.”
The Hounds registered a season-high, shots-on-goal total, outshooting the home side 51-36.
So, specifically, what did Dean like best about his club’s efforts?
“Our pace before problem-solving, our decision-making at the opponent’s blue-line, not over-passing the puck, having a shooter’s killer instinct, hunger in the blue-paint and hunger for rebounds,” the coach answered.
Dean also loved the way his group displayed consistency.
“We showed ourselves what works,” the coach began. “In the past we’ve gotten away from that. But we stuck to it tonight.”
With the victory, the Soo completed the two-game, season series with the Petes with a 2-0 record, having outscored their opponents by a combined total of 11-0. The Greyhounds were a 4-0 winner at GFL Memorial Gardens on Jan. 3.
“We had a lot of energy tonight. The juice in the dressing room was really high,” added Reid, who improved his stat line to 1-15-16 in just 13 games.
The first-year defenceman registered seven shots-on-goal and was a plus-4.
Reid has seven assists in his last three games.
“This was a really good way to start the weekend,” he added. “Our goal is to get six points.”
With the victory, the Hounds, who are eighth in the Western Conference, moved to within two points of Sarnia and Flint, who’re tied for seventh.
They’re also four points ahead of ninth-place Guelph.
The visitors got on the board at the 12:33 mark of the opening frame when Reid fired from the point and Allard put the rebound past netminder Easton Rye, going up high on the blocker side.
On the power play, 1:26 later, Brady T. Smith drove the net down the left wing and Travis Hayes deposited Smith’s rebound for a 2-0 advantage.
In the middle frame, Reid’s long stretch pass hit a Petes defender, but it still connected with Jordan Charron. On a breakaway, the first-year winger scored high to the glove side to make it 3-0 at 6:42.
The lead grew 1:56 later when, from the left corner, Noel Nordh found Allard open in front. The overage went high to the blocker side for his 10th of the season and fourth in three games.
The Soo made it 5-0 on Cloutier’s 20th at 9:37. Brady Martin’s long pass sent Cloutier off on a breakaway. His shot hit the post, but the rebound deflected off of Rye and into the goal.
That brought an end to the night for the Petes starter, who was replaced in net by Masen Johnston.
Cloutier notched his 21st goal at 10:58 off of a feed by Reid. From the right circle, the veteran winger went bar down on the stick side and the score was 6-0.
Marco Mignosa, with his 17th in the third period, capped the scoring on a night when Lalonde registered career shutout No. 4.
“It was great,” the overage goalie said of the experience. “That was some of the most fun I’ve had playing hockey in a long time. Everybody is so tight on this team, this is such an amazing group. That makes it extra special.”
Asked about the key to his performance, Lalonde, a Kingston native, talked about how he “just tried to play and not overthink it. That was my goal tonight.”
He also credited his teammates for sticking together defensively and not straying from the game plan.
Dean couldn’t hide his excitement over the veteran goalie’s success against the Petes.
“Super happy for him and it wasn’t easy,” the coach noted. “In the second half of the game, with a big lead, we gave up a lot of good chances.”
With the setback, the Petes fell to 10-25-2-5. Their four-game unbeaten streak in regulation (3-0-0-1) was snapped in the process.
Mignosa contributed a goal and an assist while Keegan Gillen added a pair of assists.
In preparation to face Kingston Friday, Dean said the Hounds “will wash this game. We won’t do a lot of patting each other on the back. It’s on to Kingston.”