Hounds determined to convince doubters
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
It’s apparently a widely-held belief among Soo Greyhounds players.
And as he and his teammates prepared for a three-game road trip, winger Landen Hookey verbalized it.
“Our record doesn’t show how good we are at all,” Hookey began. “I think we’re a really, really good team this year and I don’t think many people believe that. But I know all of us do.”
After their most-impressive weekend of the season, which included back-to-back home-ice wins over Saginaw and Owen Sound – both among the OHL’s best teams – the Hounds carry an 8-10-4-4 record into a Thursday (7 p.m.) clash in North Bay.
“We’ve been in almost every game this year. We have a really-solid team, 100 per cent,” Hookey added.
Fellow winger Justin Cloutier echoed his teammate’s thoughts.
“I truly think we’re a good team,” Cloutier said. “At the start of the season, some people were ranking us near the bottom of the league. We’re a younger team, but we have a lot of skill and a lot of heart and grit.”
And to that, Hookey added: “We have a lot to prove to people who doubt us.”
The Greyhounds hope to kick their recent turnaround into high gear on a trip that also takes them to Oshawa (7:35 p.m.) on Friday and Owen Sound (2 p.m.) on Sunday.
“We’re looking for consistency,” said head coach John Dean, whose team was 1-5-1-2 over a nine-game span, a streak which included a disappointing 10-6 loss in Hamilton on Nov. 27.
That was before the Greyhounds used GFL Memorial Gardens ice to beat Saginaw 4-3 in overtime last Friday, and Owen Sound 5-3 two days later.
“We have to take the approach we took at home on the road with us,” said head coach John Dean. “We have to find a way to replicate what we’re doing here in the Sault on the road.”
After viewing video of the Owen Sound game, Dean spoke about some of the things that stood out to him.
“I was excited about the relentless nature of our game away from the puck,” the coach began. “I thought we did a much better job in our half-ice game and taking away time and space.”
Asked if he believes his team played one of its best games of the season on Sunday, Dean said yes.
“It was in the ballpark. It was probably our best team effort,” he added. “We weren’t dominant for three periods. We’re nowhere close to where we need to be. But it was a really-good hockey game against a really-good hockey club.”
Cloutier talked about how he and his teammates felt they had a lot to prove after surrendering 10 goals in Hamilton.
Since that day, he added, the club has picked up its play.
“We’re a very confident group right now,” Cloutier said. “I’m really excited with the direction we’re going in.”
Hookey talked about the impressive chemistry he sees.
He also spoke of the Hounds players having fun.
“I’m really pumped about the way we’re playing,” added Hookey, who has been elevated to a spot on the team’s top line, providing grit and energy alongside centre Bryce McConnell-Barker and right-winger Kalvyn Watson. “This is a big weekend for us to show who we are and to show what damage we can do.”
While the Hounds aren’t talking about Charlie Schenkel’s injury, except to confirm it involves the player’s upper body, they are admitting he won’t return until after the Christmas break.
That means veteran Samuel Ivanov could start all three games on this trip.
Not so fast, said Dean.
“We’re not sure what we’re going to do with our goaltending yet,” the coach said on Tuesday. “Millsy (rookie Landon Miller) might get an opportunity this weekend. We’ll see what happens.”
Miller, who had been playing for the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Soo Thunderbirds, is presently serving as the Greyhounds backup.
Notes:
Following a request by the Greyhounds to review the play which led to the overtime goal against Saginaw, the OHL has changed the official scoring.
The goal has been credited to Watson, his fourth of the game, and taken from defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev, who was originally recognized for scoring the winner.
After the game, both players confirmed to Independent Media that Watson was the one who put the puck behind Saginaw’s Tristan Lennox.
Watson also scored once against Owen Sound, giving him five goals in two games and 12 on the season.
