RECAP; Greyhounds shut down Rangers in first of two
by Peter Ruicci | Photo by Bob Davies
Known more as an explosive offensive team, the Soo Greyhounds play without the puck on their sticks proved critical on Wednesday.
“That was the difference,” agreed head coach John Dean, whose club defended well and created turnovers, while also keeping play in their zone to the perimeter.
The result was a 3-1 victory over the Kitchener Rangers before 2,664 at GFL Memorial Gardens.
“I think that was our best defensive game of the year,” added Hounds rearguard Jacob Holmes, whose club held the Rangers to just 11 shots through two periods, en route to a 35-22 advantage overall. “We played within our defensive structure and outworked them in the 50-50 battles.”
“We asked for a more committed effort to our play without the puck,” Dean said. “We were really, really strong away from the puck tonight.”
Indeed.
The Hounds also stymied their opponent’s effectiveness on the rush. Holmes credited his team’s gap control.
The victory improved the Soo to 6-3-0-0 heading into a Friday clash with the Rangers (5-2-0-0), who have lost two straight, at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium (7:30 p.m.).
The Rangers were expected to travel to Sudbury on Wednesday night, before completing the rest of their journey on Thursday.
The Greyhounds’ plan was to leave the Sault for Kitchener on Thursday morning. The Hounds complete a two-game trip on Saturday (7 p.m.) in Guelph. The game for the Storm will be that club’s third in three days.
Three minutes after letting a 1-0 lead get away in the second period on Wednesday, the Greyhounds moved in front for good.
Marc Boudreau was cruising in front of the Rangers goal when he redirected a point shot from Tyler Savard.
The puck wound up going through the five-hole of Kitchener netminder Pavel Cajan for a 2-1 Soo lead at the 6:03 mark.
Tanner Dickinson, who had an earlier assist, added an insurance marker with 1:59 left in regulation to cap the scoring.
“Sav just shot it on net and me and Bryce (McConnell-Barker) were driving to the net,” said Boudreau, who admitted he was a “bit surprised” to get the tipped shot past Cajan.
The Toronto native went on to call it a “huge goal. That shifted the energy to our side.”
The Soo opened the scoring with a power-play marker at the 12:12 mark of the first period.
Positioned at the right post, Cole MacKay redirected a Ryan O’Rourke shot over the glove of Cajan for a 1-0 lead.
Kitchener tied the game at 2:57 of the second period when Carson Rehkopf found himself all alone in front of Hounds netminder Samuel Ivanov. Matthew Sop found Rehkopf, who went forehand to backhand before beating Ivanov, who had little chance on the play.
Dean spoke of how Boudreau’s line was on the ice for the Rehkopf goal and had “heard about it from me” after returning to the bench. “But I love when players go out and respond in a positive way.”
Asked about his team’s play defending the rush, centre Rory Kerins said he was impressed.
“We tracked back well and didn’t let them get much on the rush.”
Ivanov took care of the rest. Though he wasn’t tested much during the first two periods, the first-year goalie made a couple of big saves as Kitchener pushed in the final period.
“The guys in front of me were amazing,” said Ivanov, who talked about how his goal this season is to try and change the way people perceive players taken in the Under-18 draft.
The Hounds grabbed the netminder, who now sports a 5-2-0-0 record, with the fourth overall choice in the 2020 U18 Draft.
Meantime, at the other end of the arena, Rangers’ head coach and general manager Mike McKenzie lamented the fact his team wasn’t able to generate more offensively.
“I thought we were out-skated, outclassed, and outworked for at least 40 minutes of the game,” McKenzie said. “That’s what happens when teams play harder and quicker. You end up not generating much and chasing the puck a lot.”
Another key for the Hounds, as it’s been for much of the season, was the face-off work by Kerins. The veteran pivot finished 17-for-23 in the circle.
“I’ve always been pretty good at draws,” he said. “I take pride in that and want to see myself at the top of the league in face-off percentage.”
Notes:
After clearing waivers, Greyhounds winger Dominic Mufarreh left the club on Wednesday to consider his hockey future.
The 19-year-old (2002 birth year) Livonia, Mich., native had not appeared in a game this season.
