Hounds penalties ‘killed us for sure’
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo courtesy of Natalie Shaver (OHLImages)
He’s an OHL rookie.
But that didn’t keep Jordan Charron from speaking his mind on Sunday.
“Some of the guys are maybe playing selfishly and not playing for their teammates. We need to get our heads out of our butts,” said Charron, minutes after the Soo Greyhounds gave Saginaw nine power-play opportunities. “We took some dumb penalties that cost us.”
The Soo’s lack of discipline paved the way for the Spirit to score five unanswered third period goals, en route to a 5-2 victory over the Hounds in front of 4,162 at the Dow Event Center.
“The penalties killed us for sure,” added Charron, whose team wasted what could have been a memorable performance by netminder Nolan Lalonde. “We should have come out with a W.”
Based on his post-game comments, it was obvious the steady stream to the penalty box left a bitter taste in John Dean’s mouth.
While his club surrendered just one power-play marker, all of the PK work certainly left many of the club’s key players fatigued.
Not only that, 10-minute misconducts handed to Caeden Carlisle and Brady Martin stressed the club’s defensive corps and its group of forwards.
Besides being outscored 5-0 in the third, the Hounds were outshot 16-6 in the period.
“Complete lack of discipline. You’re not going to win giving any team nine powerplays, let alone the Saginaw Spirit,” said Dean, whose club was outshot 48-25 and lost 44 of 66 face-offs. “It tires a lot of guys out.”
At 14:27 of the second period, Martin was assessed his misconduct as well as a double-minor for roughing. Chase Reid drew minor penalties for roughing and slashing and Carlisle was handed his misconduct.
While he didn’t get into specifics, Dean spoke of how “there’s no need at all for two of the three penalties in that scrum.”
“I’m both angry and disappointed,” added Hounds winger Justin Cloutier. “We were undisciplined – including me – and that really cost us tonight.”
Cloutier talked about how he “can’t take that penalty. I shouldn’t have gotten it,” in reference to a slashing minor he was whistled for at 13:06 of the third period.
The Soo’s penalty-killing was certainly stout in the early going when the visitors were handed four minor penalties in a row in a span of fewer that eight minutes.
The Spirit was unable to convert on a pair of 5-on-3s. One lasted 1:32 and the other was for 28 seconds.
Asked if he wanted to comment on the officiating, Dean said he would not “re-referee the game.”
Despite surrendering four goals, Lalonde shone in defeat.
Dean said his overage netminder, who played for the Spirit a season ago, was “incredible. He gave us a chance to win a game and we just continued to go into the box. I’m very disappointed for him.”
The Soo opened the scoring at 17:17 of the opening frame when Travis Hayes patiently waited before feeding Marco Mignosa. The veteran winger fired from just inside the left circle, beating Kaleb Papineau high to the glove side.
The lead grew to 2-0 early in the second when Brady R. Smith also displayed patience from the goal-line extended on the left wing. He found Charron in front and the Ayr, Ont., native shoveled it home through the five-hole.
After Marco Mignosa was whistled for a double minor late in the second, the Spirit connected for a power-play goal at 2:42 of the third. Dimian Zhilkin banged home the rebound of a Michael Misa shot.
The home side tied it five-minutes later when Jacob Cloutier, who was left all alone in front, beat Lalonde on the glove side.
Later, Cloutier, younger brother of the Greyhounds star, was allowed to walk in on the right wing. He scored up high at 12:47 to make it 3-2.
Less than four-minutes later, Zayne Parekh’s shot from the top of the right circle appeared to hit a Soo player in front before entering the goal.
Kristian Epperson’s empty-net tally capped the scoring.
Parekh finished with a goal and an assist while Misa and Sault native Caleb Mangone contributed two assists each.
“It’s going to be a tough practice on Tuesday,” promised Dean, whose players have a mandatory off day on Monday. “They’re going to have to work.”
Asked how to solve the discipline problem, Justin Cloutier said it’s up to the Greyhounds veterans.
“It has to start with the leadership group – me, too,” he said. “We obviously can’t be the ones taking penalties. The older guys have to be better.”
Cloutier also spoke about the play of Lalonde.
“We kind of screwed him tonight, to be honest with you. He comes back to Saginaw and he did his part,” Cloutier said of how the goalie wanted to beat his former team. “But we didn’t do ours.”
Notes:
The Hounds were again without centre Owen Allard, who’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Forward Chris Brown is also out (upper body).