Hounds Hilton hammers home a pair
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
FULL PHOTO GALLERY | GAME HIGHLIGHTS
When it comes to absolutely perfect timing, Charlie Hilton’s most-recent performance could have made Swiss watch-makers jealous.
Having not scored since Dec. 18, Hilton notched a pair of key goals on Wednesday, helping the Soo Greyhounds stop the Sudbury Wolves 6-3 in front of 3,520 at GFL Memorial Gardens.
“It feels great to get the monkey off of my back. It’s a relief,” said Hilton, whose club is 3-0-1-0 after four games of a critical, seven-game homestand, which continues on Friday against Brampton (7:07 p.m.). “Maybe it was my lucky night and hopefully, I can keep it up.”
“I’m so happy for Charlie. Obviously, his goals were huge,” added Hounds head coach John Dean, whose club improved to 24-32-2-1, taking sole possession of seventh place in the Western Conference playoff race. “We’ve been tough on Charlie, demanding a lot of him. That’s because we see a lot of potential in him.”
Sarnia (19-27-4-7) fell two points back of the Soo on Wednesday, after dropping a 6-2 decision to Flint.
The Hounds have nine regular season games remaining, two fewer than the Sting.
With 49 points, Owen Sound (21-30-4-3), a 5-1 winner over Niagara, is tied for eighth place with Sarnia. The Attack has 10 games remaining.
Guelph (18-29-5-4) remains 10th with 45 points after dropping a 5-4 shootout decision to Barrie. The Storm has 12 games left to play.
The Hounds were flat in the first period on Wednesday and found themselves in a 2-0 hole.
They roared back in the middle frame, outscoring the visitors 4-1.
“Pace,” said Dean, was the difference.
He spoke of how the Hounds “adjusted our forecheck in the second so we could be a little more aggressive. We took away time and space.”
That was true, the coach added, in both the offensive and neutral zones.
“And our D started moving the puck extraordinarily quickly in the second and third periods,” said Dean, whose team wound up outshooting the Wolves 43-24.
Winger Travis Hayes, who contributed a goal and an assist, talked about how the Hounds leadership group was vocal during the first intermission.
“We knew what was at stake and we were determined to play harder,” he added. “We know every game from here on out is a big one.”
The strong play in the middle frame – the Hounds held a 19-9 edge in shots – carried over into the third.
“When we get leads, we’ve talked about sticking with it, not backing off and keeping our foot on the gas,” said Hilton, a six-foot-five, 220-pound, Oshawa native.
“We weren’t at all passive in the third,” added Dean. “We really pressed in the third.”
But when the Hounds did surrender a chance, it was of the highest quality.
With the Soo up 5-3, Landon Miller made a brilliant pad save on Kieron Walton at the side of the goal with 2:45 left in regulation. Seconds later, on a 2-on-1, he thwarted Walton again.
Asked about the way he read plays on Wednesday, Miller talked about how “it’s just noticing patterns and understanding what the other team is trying to do, based on how many guys are in the play.”
The veteran goalie, who’s started six straight in the absence of injured overage Nolan Lalonde, said he felt good on Wednesday.
“We’re taking one game at a time and I’m happy to contribute to the playoff push.”
Miller agreed he should have stopped Sudbury’s opening goal, a high shot from Marshall McCharles which beat him on the glove side.
Less than six minutes later, at 8:29 of the first, Nathan Villeneuve took advantage of a turnover and beat Miller on a breakaway.
But the tables began to turn early in the second when Hounds rearguard Spencer Evans fought Sudbury’s Hudson Chitaroni, a Sault native, at the 29-second mark.
The home side seemed to gain energy from the tussle and Jordan Charron, on a slick feed from Brady T. Smith, made it 2-1 at 2:16.
Hilton, after Brady R. Smith gobbled up a Wolves turnover, tied the game at 5:54. After Nate Krawchuk made a pad save on the speedy Smith, Hilton banged home the rebound to tie the game 2-2.
The Wolves took the lead 10 minutes later on a Chase Coughlan redirection.
But less than a minute later, at 16:18, Brady Martin banged home a rebound to again tie the score.
Just 59-seconds after that, Hilton, who had intercepted a pass, used Martin as a decoy on a 2-on-1. The big winger went low to the stick side for his second of the night and fourth of the season.
That made it 4-3.
“I’ve been working on shooting low,” Hilton offered.
At 5:32 of the third, Hayes, with his 18th of the season, made it 5-3 on a tap-in. That followed a slick feed by Chase Reid.
Martin completed his two-goal night with an empty-net tally in the final minute. The Elmira, Ont., native has 29 goals on the season, tying Marco Mignosa for the club lead. He also contributed an assist.
Mignosa finished with a pair of assists and drew praise from Dean for his leadership.
He kept telling the guys: “All gas, no brakes,” Dean said.
With the setback, the Wolves fell to 26-25-5-0. Head coach Scott Barney said his club “had a great first period. But when you turn four pucks over on their sticks, and they put them in your net, those are things that are unnecessary.”
Barney went on to say the Wolves “need to protect pucks and not throw them blindly into areas.”
