Final days to determine Hounds fate
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
Five, three and two.
Funny how a grueling, six-month, OHL regular season can come down to just three, single-digit numbers.
In this case, five days, three games and two playoff spots up for grabs.
With a one-point lead over both Sarnia and Owen Sound, the Soo Greyhounds control their own fate as they enter the stretch run of the regular season.
“Our mentality involves winning all three games, finishing the season 3-0 and then in the playoffs, you can flip a coin,” said veteran defenceman Brodie McConnell-Barker, whose club is set to play its final road game on Wednesday (7:05 p.m.) in Sudbury. “It’s 50-50 in the playoffs and I think we can surprise a lot of teams.”
“These are the most-important games of the year,” added winger Justin Cloutier, whose club is at home to Saginaw on Friday (7:07 p.m.) before wrapping things up with a Sunday home clash against Sarnia (2:07 p.m.). “Our destiny is in our hands, depending on how we play in these last three games.”
When it comes to winning all three, which would give the Soo a five-game winning streak, what level of confidence do the Greyhounds possess?
“The confidence right now is at an all-time high,” Cloutier answered. “We’ve had great practices lately and, in our games, we’ve played a great brand of hockey.”
That was especially true last weekend. Playing three road games in three days, the Hounds defeated Sarnia 5-4 on Friday night, after losing 6-3 in Windsor 24-hours earlier. On Saturday, they played over whatever fatigue they were experiencing, stopping Flint 6-3.
Going into Wednesday’s clash, the Soo owns a 26-35-2-2 record, good for 56 points. Owen Sound (24-34-4-3) and Sarnia (21-31-6-7) have 55 points each. Both the Attack and Sting also have three games remaining.
Owen Sound has remaining road games left against Barrie, on Thursday, and Kitchener, on Friday, before playing host to Guelph on Saturday.
Besides visiting the Soo on Sunday, the Sting plays at Windsor on Thursday and is home to Flint on Friday.
The first tie-breaker is regulation and overtime wins combined. The Soo has 24, Owen Sound has 22 and Sarnia just 19. Should they wind up tied for seventh place – if the regulation/OT wins order doesn’t change – the Greyhounds would get the nod.
If the Hounds are tied for eighth place with one rival, a special one-game playoff would be staged next Tuesday at GFL Memorial Gardens.
At a critical juncture in the season, the Greyhounds captain said the approach will not change.
“We’ve been in this situation for the last month,” said defenceman Caeden Carlisle, whose club has been in a lengthy fight where every point has been significant. “We need to go out there with a killer instinct.”
And playing so many times in what felt like playoff games “has made us a stronger team,” Carlisle added. “We’ve gone through this together. Our camaraderie has never been better.”
McConnell-Barker spoke of how the games last weekend were eye-openers for the Hounds players.
They had a job to do, and they did it.
“The guys have really clicked,” the second-year defenceman said. “Spirits are up and we have good jam.”
Does that mean they believe they can beat anyone?
“Oh yeah,” McConnell-Barker said. “We’re predictable to each other. We’re playing a full 60 and not letting off the gas.”
And every player on the roster is contributing, he added.
“That’s how we’re finding success.”
Having gone through an injury-riddled season, one that has challenged the depth on a young team, the Hounds have relied on hard work to remain competitive on most nights.
Dean used the word “special” to describe this group.
“Some of the adversity we’ve gone through has hardened us in a good way,” he added. “The confidence these players have has been earned.”
But, the coach noted, the Hounds also realize that success isn’t free.
Dean talked about how his players have learned just how competitive they must be in order to win games.
And he discussed how good it feels as a hockey player to know that proper effort and proper habits lead to success.
Meantime, the return of injured netminder Nolan Lalonde, who’d missed over a month due to a lower-body injury before returning on March 7, has certainly given the Soo a boost.
Dean spoke of how the Kingston, Ont., native “settles our group down.”
The coach also discussed how vocal the overage is.
“He’s very good articulating to the group that he’s confident, so they should be confident, too,” Dean said.
As for the Wolves, who carry a 32-28-5-0 mark into Wednesday’s tilt, they’ve beaten the Hounds three times in five head-to-head meetings. The last time the clubs met was Feb. 26 when the Soo was a 6-3 winner on home ice.
“They’re a high-offence team that’s very good off the rush,” Dean said. “They’re scary with the puck on their sticks. It’ll be up to us to make sure their transition game is eliminated and we expect a very-difficult game.”
Forward Chris Brown is the only injured Greyhound (upper body). He’s listed as day-to-day.
