Hounds expect better – beginning Thursday
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
New and improved.
The Soo Greyhounds took care of the ‘new’ part of the equation by adding three players prior to the OHL trade deadline.
Now they’re working on the ‘improved’ part of it.
“We’re ready to go. It’s really coming along,” said head coach John Dean, prior to his club departing for a two-game trip which begins Thursday (7:05 p.m.) in Windsor.
The Hounds have played two sub-par games since adding forwards Gavin Hayes, Jacob Frasca and Justin DeZoete in a trio of moves made by general manager Kyle Raftis.
They fortunately received a tremendous goaltending performance from Charlie Schenkel last Friday, enabling them to pull out a 4-2 victory over visiting Guelph.
Hayes scored twice, including an empty-netter, in his Soo debut.
The Hounds also struggled 24-hours later, dropping a 6-3 decision to North Bay at GFL Memorial Gardens. Hayes made slick passes to assist on two Greyhounds tallies.
“Today, we had probably our best practice in a long time,” Dean said on Tuesday afternoon, a day before departing for Windsor. “We’re gaining some clarity through video, through just being together and by just going through reps together. It’s been a good week.”
Asked if the longtime Hounds players are building chemistry with the newcomers, veteran winger Marco Mignosa said there’s no doubt.
“One-hundred per cent, we’re getting used to how everyone plays,” added Mignosa, whose 17-25-42 stat line is second behind Jack Beck (16-35-51) in team scoring. “We’re becoming closer friends every single day, practicing with them and learning the systems. Teaching each other stuff helps a lot and it’ll show on the ice now.”
“I think we’re getting used to the new guys and they’re getting used to the team,” added veteran defenceman Caeden Carlisle. “Practices help and the first two games have helped, but we’re also hanging out with them outside of the rink.”
Carlisle went on to say he believes the club, with its new components, is beginning to jell.
“We’ve all done workouts, practices, cold tubs together. They’re in the mix,” he added.
While adding newcomers to the lineup is typically an early challenge for OHL teams, Mignosa said there are other reasons the club struggled last weekend.
“Our compete factor was not there at all,” said the Vaughan, Ont. native, whose club takes a West Division-leading 26-12-2-1 mark into Windsor. “We kind of went away from our systems and the way we should be playing. And we didn’t show who we really are.”
Carlisle said he expects the Greyhounds will play a lot better this week, in both Windsor and, on Friday, in Sarnia (7:05 p.m.).
“But I don’t think (the trades for) the new guys had anything to do with what happened last weekend,” the Mississauga native added. “We weren’t competing, we lost our identity. The little details weren’t there. We have to play a full 60 minutes of competitive, high-paced hockey.”
Dean also spoke of pace when asked to analyze his team’s weekend showing.
“We had turnovers from our D and we just lost our pace and intensity level,” the coach said. “We’re a fast-paced team that dictates the pace of play. But it felt very much like we went to skill first before speed. We have to be a speed-first team, with skill being second.”
When they step onto the ice on Thursday, the Hounds lead will stand at two points over second-place Saginaw (26-12-0-1), with the Spirit also owning two games in hand. Saginaw is set to visit Ottawa on Friday, the start of a three-game trip.
Asked about the status of injured centre Bryce McConnell-Barker, who’s been out since suffering a concussion during a Dec. 10 game against London, Dean said he’s day-to-day.
Is the Soo’s captain getting closer to a return?
“I do feel he’s getting closer,” the coach answered.
Questioned as to what the team has missed most in McConnell-Barker’s absence, Dean spoke of two key factors.
“Leadership and his pace of play,” the coach said. “And obviously, if he was playing it slots the rest of the team better. We have guys playing the middle right now who weren’t supposed to.”
Windsor carries a 13-22-3-1 record into Thursday’s clash. With 203 goals against in 39 games, the Spits are the only OHL team to have surrendered more than 200. That includes the 11 they gave up in an 11-3 loss to Saginaw last week. Just three days later, Windsor stopped Sudbury 11-7.
After the Spitfires started the season 1-7, they’ve done what Dean calls “an unbelievable job” of turning things around.
“This is a team that has some underrated skill and some great draft-eligible prospects,” he added. “They play a strict man-to-man in the D- zone and they make it very difficult for opponents t
