Greyhounds talk of need to be better
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
The Soo Greyhounds are closer to their floor than their ceiling.
That seems to be the consensus among Hounds players as they prepare for Wednesday’s clash in Sudbury (6 p.m.), the opener of a three-game trip.
“We definitely feel we’re a lot better than our record shows,” said centre Brady Smith. “But we’ve been inconsistent.”
“Obviously, our record over the past few games hasn’t really shown what kind of group we are,” added winger Jordan Charron, tied for second in the OHL in goal production with 11. “It’s been a little frustrating.”
Good one period, shaky the next.
Good one game, problematic the next.
An 8-6-1-0 record has been the result with the Greyhounds hopscotching between wins and losses.
“I agree we’re closer to our floor, but our guys have to take some ownership over that,” said head coach John Dean, whose club is also slated to visit North Bay on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Oshawa (7:05 p.m.) on Saturday. “It’s time to present a consistent brand of hockey. Our standard has to come up.”
Smith and Charron agreed.
The second-year centre spoke of how the Hounds need to be a “half-ice, quick-up team,” one that backchecks hard and gets into transition quickly. “We have to get pucks to the net and focus on building a full 60 (minutes).”
Charron talked of “building more opportunities in the offensive zone and finishing our chances. We also have a lot of turnovers and mistakes in games and we have to limit those.”
Dean said he doesn’t question his team’s willingness to work hard.
But he said the Hounds don’t always realize what that means. They don’t seem to realize what level of commitment to their foundation it takes to consistently succeed in a league as tough as the OHL.
“I don’t think we understand the expectation,” added the coach, whose club blew a late lead and dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to Peterborough last Friday at GFL Memorial Gardens. “We don’t understand there’s more to do, more to give. The details need to be better, the level of engagement needs to be higher.”
And it’s the veterans, Dean added, who need to pull their socks up.
The coach spoke of how first-year players Noah Laus, Tobias Zvolensky and Ryan Kaczynski “have been standouts the last three or four games. It’s our older guys who need to revisit their standards.”
In other words, the Soo’s best players must be their best players.
“We need to demand it of ourselves to take a step, demand it of ourselves to play to our identity,” Dean said.
Sudbury enters Wednesday’s contest with a 4-8-1-0 record.
Asked about the Hounds power play, a meagre 2-for-34 over the last six games and 19th overall in the league (11.9 per cent), the coach agreed it needs to be much better.
But he spoke of how both areas of special teams need work, noting how the Soo’s penalty-killing is also not a positive. The Hounds are in a three-way tie for 13th place (75 per cent).
“We’re in the bottom third of the league in both. Special teams is a major issue for us, period.”
To that end, Tuesday was a special teams day at practice with a major focus placed on both PP and PK.
“Of course, we’ve made some changes and will continue to do so until we find something that works,” Dean said. “And that includes both personnel and approach.”
The return of newly-minted captain Brady Martin from the NHL’s Nashville Predators should help in both areas.
But the coach certainly doesn’t want that to be a crutch for his other players.
“We need to simplify things and we need to be relentless and demand the best of ourselves,” Dean added. “We need to be savages, to be hungry on both the powerplay and the penalty-kill.”
The status of injured players remains largely unchanged. Brodie McConnell-Barker is day-to-day (illness), Calum Croskery is still month-to-month (upper body).
However, forward Carson Andrew, sidelined with an upper-body injury, could be out longer than the 4-6 weeks the club originally announced 10 days ago.
“Might be more like 6-8 now,” Dean lamented.
On this trip, the Greyhounds will also be minus assistant coach Brendan Taylor, who’s off to the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Truro, N.S.
“We’re so proud of him,” Dean said of Taylor, who’s slated to serve as an assistant coach for Team Canada Red. “We’re happy Hockey Canada recognizes what an elite coach he is and we want him to bring home the gold medal.”
