Hounds D’Intino has lifted his game

It was nearly a year ago, Apr. 28, 2022, when the Soo Greyhounds entered overtime in Game 4 of their Western Conference quarter-final with the Guelph Storm.

Guelph had won 6-3 two days earlier to trim the Soo’s best-of-seven series lead to 2-1.

And after rallying from a 4-0 deficit to tie the fourth game 4-4, the Storm had momentum going into OT, with a chance to even the series 2-2.

But at 12:40 of the extra frame, Jordan D’Intino took a feed from Ryan O’Rourke, moved in from the left point and let fly from the top of the circle. His shot beat Guelph goalie Owen Bennett high to the glove-hand side.

The Soo went on to win the first-round series 4-1 and Hounds general manager Kyle Raftis looks back at that goal as a key in D’Intino’s development.

“He was really coming on strong at the end of last season,” Raftis told Independent Media. “And after that OT winner in the playoffs, he got a lot of confidence from that.”

D’Intino, a London, Ont., native, finished the 2021-2022 playoffs with two goals and an assist in 10 games. During the regular season, his first OHL campaign, the winger scored seven times and set up seven others in 55 appearances.

This year, the Hounds fourth-round draft choice in 2019 has turned into an indispensable member of a team fighting to stay alive in the Western Conference playoff race.

Now playing far more often at centre than the wing, the 19-year-old (2003 birth year) has notched 21 goals and 15 assists in 57 games.

“I’d say my game has definitely been better than it was last year,” said D’Intino, who prefaced his comments by saying the team’s performance is more important than individual accomplishments. “I think I started to pick up my game and play the way I wanted to at the end of last season.”

D’Intino went on to explain how playing with pace has helped his growth.

A year ago, he added, he struggled moving his feet on a consistent basis.

“I was thinking things would come, instead of moving my feet and making them happen,” D’Intino said.

He also credits additional opportunities for the boost in his production.

D’Intino has been impressive both as a penalty-killer and on the Soo’s power play this season. He has six power-play goals and has scored twice while skating shorthanded.

Asked about his increased offensive production, D’Intino credits the fact he’s gotten more opportunities and has focused on bearing down on his chances.

He’s also spent time working on his shot – which is impressive – while noting how he has “more confidence with the puck, that’s for sure.”

“Jordan is a 19-year-old with the ability to score a goal at any time,” said Hounds head coach John Dean, whose club is desperate for wins as it prepares to begin a four-game homestand on Wednesday against Sarnia (7:07 p.m.). “Anytime you have a guy who can pull the trigger like he can and put the puck in the back of the net, that can change the complexion of a game. He has one heck of a shot.”

Dean spoke of how D’Intino can take greater advantage of his skill set when he’s playing with both consistency and pace.

The coach also talked about the fact the Greyhounds believe D’Intino is more effective skating in the middle than he Is on the wing.

And Dean explained how the six-foot-two, 192-pounder touches the puck more often when he’s playing centre, while also being more engaged in the play.

“We’re pushing him to be elite on a consistent basis because we think he’s capable of that,” Dean added.

Going into this week’s action, the Hounds (17-26-9-5) are six points back of Kitchener (25-26-4-0), owners of the eighth-and-final conference playoff spot. The Rangers have 13 regular season games remaining while the Soo has just 11.

D’Intino would like nothing more than to be a difference-maker in helping his team grab a series of victories.

“We need every point we can get in every game,” he said. “There’s a belief in the room that we can do it.”

After Sunday’s 3-0 loss in Kitchener, Dean refused to concede anything, not even the fact his team is in a difficult position with time winding down.

“We’re not even close to that point,” the coach said. “We have 23 guys ready to scrap it out.”

Following the Sarnia game, the Hounds play host to Guelph on Friday and Oshawa on Saturday, both are 7:07 p.m. starts.

A week from this Wednesday, the Soo is slated to entertain the Sudbury Wolves. If there is a bright spot moving forward for the Greyhounds, it’s the fact eight of their final 11 games are at home.

Notes:
Connor Clattenburg will miss Wednesday’s contest as he completes a two-game suspension after receiving a slew-footing match penalty in last Friday’s 7-3 loss in Guelph.

Saturday’s game marks the 31^st annual Battle of the Sections. On that night, the Rotary Club will be passing the bucket through each section of GFL Memorial Gardens. Monies raised go into the community to help fund Rotary’s work with its special children’s projects. Prizes will be given to fans sitting in the winning section.