Greyhounds aim to regain confidence, swagger

by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies

When it comes to the Western Conference pecking order, the Soo Greyhounds have been spinning their wheels lately.

But the Ontario Hockey League standings are the last thing on John Dean’s mind these days.

The Hounds head coach has spoken of being more interested in getting his team playing well again, while restoring confidence in time for the start of the playoffs.

“Right now, there’s no doubt there’s a lack of swagger here,” said Dean, whose club has dropped three in a row, while losing ground to both Windsor and Flint in the West Division race. “This is one of those times in the year where it doesn’t feel great. But we’re in this together and we’ll sort it out as a group. It’s going to happen.”

With seven regular season games remaining, the Hounds hope to use Friday’s rematch with the Saginaw Spirit (7:07 p.m. at GFL Memorial Gardens) as a springboard to get themselves ready for the post-season. The Soo is also slated to play host to Sarnia on Sunday at 2:07 p.m.

After getting swept at home by Windsor on the weekend, the Hounds dropped a disappointing 2-1 decision in Saginaw on Tuesday. With a 33-21-6-1 record, the Soo is third in the division, six points back of second-place Flint (37-19-1-4) and nine behind first-place Windsor (38-16-3-3). Flint also has seven games remaining, while Windsor has eight more to play.

The Spits are slated to play host to Sarnia on Thursday night.

At present, the Soo is fourth in the conference, but just four points up on fifth-place Owen Sound (31-24-4-3). However, the Hounds have a game in hand on the Attack.

The top four teams in each conference are guaranteed home ice for at least the first round of post-season action. If the season were to end today, the Greyhounds would take on the Attack in the playoffs opening round.

“Playoffs are coming sooner than we think. We need to be ready to go into the playoffs with a swagger, with a belief we can beat anyone,” said first-year centre Owen Allard. “We have to play with consistency – that’s what we’re missing now.”

“For sure, we’re lacking confidence in the room right now,” added first-year winger Tyler Savard. “We’re trying to figure it out. We know how good we can be when we play our game.”

Savard also spoke of how opponents are out-competing the Greyhounds.

“Other teams want it more than we do right now, whether they’re fighting for a playoff spot or fighting for home ice in the playoffs” he added. “We need to stay on pucks, be physical, get more pucks on net and outwork our opponents.”

Allard talked about the Hounds dedicating themselves to a complete effort, beginning on Friday.

“We need to do everything right, focus on every shift and play a full 60-minute game,” he added. “We can’t think about the outcome. We just have to play hard, shift-by-shift. We need to play Hounds hockey and be relentless on the forecheck.”

Allard also addressed the lack of shots the Soo generated on Tuesday, outshooting the Spirit just 19-16.

“We need to get more pucks on net and out-chance them,” he said of the rematch. “You play better, you get more confidence. It’s a snowball effect.”

Both skaters said they believe the Greyhounds have the potential to achieve big things.

“We know that if we come to work every night, we’ll win nine out of 10 games,” Savard declared.

“When we’re playing our game, I think we’re arguably one of the best teams in the league,” Allard noted. “We haven’t really shown what our best is to Windsor or any of the top teams.”

Notes:
Hounds defenceman Ryan O’Rourke will miss Friday’s game while sitting out the second of a two-game suspension for slew-footing. That’s as a result of being assessed a match penalty last Sunday in the Hounds 5-4 loss to Windsor.

Dean also said first-year wingers Marco Mignosa (upper-body injury) and Ethan Montroy (lower body) will miss Friday’s clash.