Hounds prepare for ‘high-paced’ Spirit
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
Cole Perfetti is gone. So is Cole Coskey.
And Ryan Suzuki, Damien Giroux and Bode Wilde are also no longer in the lineup.
But Soo Greyhounds head coach John Dean sees little change in the way the Saginaw Spirit approach the game.
“They look like the Saginaw teams I’ve been accustomed to seeing over the last couple of seasons,” said Dean, whose club is slated to entertain the Spirit on Wednesday at 7:07 p.m. at GFL Memorial Gardens.
It’s the first of three straight at home for the Hounds (7-4-0-0), who’re also scheduled to face Guelph, both Friday and Saturday at 7:07 p.m. here.
Wednesday also marks the first time a United States-based team has crossed the border to play in Ontario this season. That same day, Windsor will travel in the opposite direction, visiting the Flint Firebirds.
The Spirit “play a very high-paced game,” added Dean, whose team swept back-to-back games with the Kitchener Rangers last week, before dropping a 4-2 decision in Guelph on Saturday. “They’re really good at pressuring pucks and really aggressive on the forecheck. That’s a well-coached hockey club and I expect a very difficult hockey game.”
Saginaw enters Wednesday’s action with a 4-1-1-0 record, having beaten Flint three times, while going 1-1-1-0 against the Erie Otters.
Regardless of the way in which Saginaw plays, the Greyhounds are at a point where “we’re focused on ourselves,” Dean said. “We need to make sure our foundational habits are really, really good. When we’re moving our feet, when we’re structured, competing hard, finishing our hits and when everyone wants the puck, we’re a good team.”
And not just ‘good,’ the coach added.
“We like our chances to win every night,” Dean said.
Sault native Cam Baber, Saginaw’s captain, called the players on the 2021-2022 club “an eager group.”
In an interview with Independent Media, Baber, an overage centre, praised head coach Chris Lazary, noting how he and his teammates “love being coached by Laz and we’re a group definitely interested in learning.”
Baber has three assists in six games to date while fellow Sault native Calem Mangone has scored twice and helped set up two others so far in his first Ontario Hockey League season.
Mangone was chosen No. 2 overall in the 2021 U18 Draft.
“We don’t have a Damien Giroux or Cole Perfetti” to lean on, Baber noted. “We’re definitely a more by-committee team this season. Everyone is buying in and both of our goalies have been unbelievable.”
Veteran Tristan Lennox sports a 2.52 goals against average and a .905 saves percentage while rookie Andrew Oke owns a g.a.a. of 2.76 and a saves percentage of .902.
Hounds’ overage defenceman Rob Calisti has some definite thoughts as to what the Soo needs to do to come away victorious on Wednesday.
Calisti talked about how he and his teammates failed to execute well on Saturday in Guelph.
“We were fumbling pucks and turning them over,” he explained.
He also spoke of how the Soo will need to be on its game against the visiting Spirit.
“We’ll have to play with speed, execute, be good on the forecheck and create plays in the offensive zone,” said Calisti, who has three goals and three assists in 11 games. “We also have to make good decisions at both blue-lines. When we do that, we believe there aren’t many teams who can beat us.”
Notes:
Going into Tuesday night’s Guelph at Kitchener contest, Hounds’ veterans Tye Kartye (10-7-17) and Cole MacKay (6-11-17) were part of a three-way tie for the OHL scoring lead.
Another Soo vet, Rory Kerins (7-9-16), was one point back.
Tanner Dickinson (3-11-14) is also among the league’s leading scorers.
