OA Lalonde is more than A-OK
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
FULL PHOTO GALLERY | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Honestly, what more could Nolan Lalonde have done on Friday?
Not only did the Soo Greyhounds overage netminder make a series of huge saves – he stopped back-to-back breakaways by Chris Thibodeau less than a minute apart in the second period – the Kingston native also scored a late goal into an empty Flint net.
You read that right.
The result for the Hounds was a 5-3 victory over the Firebirds in front of 4,043 at GFL Memorial Gardens.
“That was pretty great. It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Lalonde, believed to be the first Hounds goalie to score a goal since the team entered what was then the Ontario Hockey Association, in 1972. “That was the third or fourth time I’ve tried to do it.”
Seeing Lalonde score “was one of the coolest moments of my coaching career,” said Hounds bench boss John Dean, whose club won its third in four starts, improving to 19-24-1-0 heading into Sunday’s 2:07 p.m. home start against London. “(Assistant coach) Brendan Taylor and I exchanged high-fives on the bench.”
With the Soo ahead 4-2 and Flint goalie Nathan Day on the bench for a sixth attacker, Lalonde stopped the puck behind the net and lifted it down the ice.
His dramatic goal gave the home side a 5-2 advantage with 1:21 left in regulation.
“He’s an unbelievable goaltender and a great person,” added Hounds rookie Carson Andrew, who notched his fifth goal of the season. “He brings great energy for the boys.”
Asked about Lalonde’s defensive game, Dean used one word in particular.
“Incredible,” said the coach, whose eighth-place club moved to within a point of both Flint (18-22-2-2) and Sarnia (16-20-3-5), locked in a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference.
Both Guelph and Owen Sound lost on Friday and the two have fallen eight points back of the Hounds.
Meantime, Dean went on to explain how Lalonde, who had posted back-to-back shutouts in his previous two starts “gives us an opportunity to make mistakes and gives us much-needed time to find our way back. We gave up too many chances against. But when you goalie makes big saves, the team wants to rally around him.”
“I thought I was good. But without the team it wouldn’t be possible,” said Lalonde, a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect. “The guys have my back and I have theirs.”
Along with the breakaway saves on Thibodeau, Lalonde also robbed Matthew Wang on a breakaway with 40 seconds left in the opening period.
He thwarted Thibodeau with a slick pad save, when the Flint player found himself alone in front for a one-timer with 8:20 left in regulation.
Those type of stops “definitely give you one of the best feelings in hockey,” said Lalonde, acquired from Kingston, along with three draft choices, just before the overage trade deadline.
The deal cost the Soo the services of OA netminder Charlie Schenkel.
And while Schenkel was serenaded with chants of ‘Charlie, Charlie, Charlie’ during impressive home starts, Lalonde got the same treatment on Friday – ‘Nolan, Nolan, Nolan’ – from the hometown faithful.
The Soo opened the scoring midway through the opening period. Justin Cloutier carried the puck down the right wing, dropped it for Travis Hayes and the second-year player, who was a standout on Friday, found Caeden Carlisle.
The overage rearguard fired from the high slot and beat Day low to the glove side.
Early in the second, the Soo made it 2-0. Hayes stole the puck in the neutral zone before feeding Brady Martin. The Elmira, Ont., native fired low to the stick side for his 16th of the season.
The Hounds went up 3-0 at 8:46 as Andrew created the scoring chance and then had two whacks at a rebound in front. The second attempt eluded Day on the stick side.
“That felt great,” said the rookie, who had gone 13 straight games without a goal prior to this one. “I think it built some momentum for us – especially in such a big game.”
Eight minutes later, with the teams skating 4-on-4, Owen Allard patiently waited for Marco Mignosa to speed into the high slot.
Mignosa made a right-to-left deke before slipping a backhander past Day. That made it 4-0.
Flint finally got on the board at 11:15 of the final period. With the clubs again skating 4-on-4, Kaden Pitre was allowed to wheel around the offensive zone. He finally found Sam McCue on the left side of the goal and he ripped it past Lalonde just inside the post on the glove side.
Prior to that goal, over three games, Lalonde hadn’t allowed a tally in over 171 minutes.
Five minutes later, former Hound Alex Kostov beat Lalonde from the top of the right circle to make it 4-2.
Flint capped the scoring with 7.1 seconds to play. Hayden Reid made it 5-3 with a shot from a bad angle.
“Absolutely, we needed to finish more of our chances,” said Firebirds head coach Paul Flache, whose club was outshot 32-24. “We had opportunities we didn’t put in the back of the net. But give Lalonde credit.”
Dean spoke of how Hayes, who hustled all night and finished with a pair of assists, was the best player on the ice.
“It was a big game and we found a way to win,” said the Michigan-born winger. “The coaches have been talking to us about finding ways to win. We made a lot of ‘refuse to lose’ plays tonight and it paid off.”
