Double overtime thriller extends Hounds to 3-1 series lead

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

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON-
It took eighty-seven minutes and twenty-four seconds to determine Thursday Night between the Hounds and Sarnia Sting.
And as a result, the locals head to Sarnia with a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference Quarter-Final series.

“We scored on the first one (powerplay) and the last one.  Again I just go back to the character we have in that room.  I’m just proud of the way they played and competed.  The way they competed tonight, they (Hounds) came ready to win a hockey game.  Losing to them wasn’t an option, they wanted to win that hockey game and you could see by the way we pushed in the third to tie the hockey game up, and we had opportunities to win” began Hounds Head Coach Drew Bannister when asked about seeing the powerplay come through in double overtime.

“And again, Halvy was outstanding for us and made some real big saves in overtime for us.  As a group, that’s a character win, character builder for us.  This group continues to amaze me and the steps they’ve made.  I’ve said it before I just love to watch the growth of this group” he continued.

After killing off a shorthanded situation less than a minute into the game, the Hounds would open the scoring on their first powerplay on the night

At 8:01 of the first period, BLAKE SPEERS skated in close to the goal and picked his spot through a crowd high past the left side of Graham for the 1-0 lead.
GUSTAV BOURAMMAN and BOBBY MACINTYRE picked up the assists following tremendous effort to keep the puck alive in the offensive zone.

Sarnia would answer back quickly, just over two minutes later, when Matt Mistele redirected home his 5th goal of the series to tie the game.

The Sting would score the second period’s lone goal on their 15th shot of the game, when PAVEL ZACHA picked up a loose puck in front and deposited it home for Sarnia’s one and only lead on the night.

BRANDON HALVERSON kept the lead to a single goal later on in the period turning aside Nikita Korostelev point blank in one of his many big saves on the night.

The Hounds saw a tremendous opportunity to tie the game earlier in the third period while shorthanded when COLTON WHITE knocked the puck free through neutral ice creating a shorthanded two-on-none for the Hounds.
The third year Greyhound defender passed the puck to BOBBY MACINTYRE, who accompanied him on the play, but the low shot was turned aside.

But for the London, ON product (WHITE), he would score the game-tying goal midway through the period.
After the play started to the right of Charlie Graham, WHITE circled the goal and beat him to the left side for his 1st career playoff tally, and a 2-2 game.

The Hounds weathered a shorthanded situation shortly thereafter, and would go a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill on the night, as the game moved into overtime.

And while both teams had powerplay opportunities in the first overtime session, ZACH SENYSHYN may have had the best opportunity to score with 7:15 to go on an attempt wide

“The character in that group, and the adversity we’ve faced I had no question in my mind in that the group in there.  In the overtime they were prepared, they battled” started Bannister before continuing on his thoughts.

“I could just see the energy our room.  When we walked in our room after the first overtime the energy in our room was unbelievable.  I had to leave them a little bit longer before I talked to them just so they could settle down.  Unbelievable energy” he added.

So now after eighty-minutes of hockey, double overtime was up.

MORGAN FROST had an attempt less than five minutes into 2OT, and then minutes later HAYDEN VERBEEK was stopped point blank minutes later as the Hounds continued to press.

Just under seven minutes into the period, Sarnia rearguard Kevin Spinozzi was tagged with a minor penalty after pasting FROST into the boards to the right of the Sting goal.

That is where the thriller would be capped off.

Twenty-eight seconds into the man advantage, GABE GUERTLER redirected a GUSTAV BOURAMMAN point shot home for his 3rd goal of the post-season to erupt the 3,808 inside the Essar Centre and be the hero in the Greyhounds 3-2 double overtime victory.

“We had a lot of opportunities five-on-five, and five-on-five is where we’ve been able to create opportunities and win hockey games.  And we had opportunities to win that hockey game five-on-five” said Bannister.

“It was nice to see our powerplay to come through there at the end, I mean we had more opportunities, we were 2 for 7.  And our penalty kill did a fantastic job” he concluded.

The Hounds will now head south on Friday in preparation of Saturday’s contest at the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre, and a chance to seal their opening round playoff series.

ATTENDANCE – 3,808

RED STAR THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1- Brandon Halverson, SSM
2- Colton White, SSM
3- Pavel Zacha, SAR

Stats courtesy of the ontariohockeyleague.com
BOXSCORE RECAP  |  PLAY-BY-PLAY RECAP

UP NEXT;
The Hounds take their game south to the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre this SATURDAY, April 2nd for Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarter-Final series.
(Hounds lead best-of-seven series 3-1)

Game time is set for 7:05 p.m.

Fans can hear all the action beginning with the Bay Mills Resort & Casino’s pre-game show on Rock 101 (101.3 FM, www.rock101.net) beginning at 6:35 p.m..
This game will also be simulcast on Oldies 93 (93.9 FM)

Action can also be watched LIVE on SHAWTV (Cable Channel 10) starting at 7 p.m.

COMPLETE SERIES SCHEDULE
Sarnia Sting (2) vs Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (7)
Game 1 – W 6-3
Game 2 – W 5-2
Game 3 – L 2-5
Game 4 – W 3-2 (double overtime)
Game 5 – Saturday, April 2;  SSM @ SAR, 7:05 p.m.
Game 6* – Sunday, April 3;  SAR @ SSM, 7:07 p.m.
Game 7* – Tuesday, April 5;  SSM @ SAR, 7:05 p.m.
* denotes “if necessary”