RECAP; Hounds Sting Sarnia in rematch
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
John Dean challenged his players on Saturday and the men who wear the skates responded.
Going hard to the net, finishing checks and playing with a lot more urgency and determination, the Hounds stopped the Sarnia Sting 5-3 before 500 at GFL Memorial Gardens.
That avenged a disappointing, 3-0 loss to the Sting 24 hours earlier.
“They got challenged for sure. Challenged to do the little things, the things that aren’t fun,” said Dean, who was frustrated – if not angered – on Friday, following his team’s performance. “I’m proud of their response.”
“He came in and told us to look at each other and give the effort for each other,” said winger Kalvyn Watson, whose slick passing set up a pair of goals. “When you have a game like that (on Friday), when things don’t go your way, it was important to get on them early.”
Tyler Savard, who contributed a goal and an assist, said it was obvious his club got outworked and out-competed in Friday’s game.
Dean “wanted us to go out there and have fun,” added Savard, whose team improved to 25-14-4-1, still one point back of Flint (27-14-0-2), a 5-1 winner over Erie on Saturday.
The Firebirds also have a game in hand on the Soo.
Windsor (23-13-2-2), a 5-2 winner over London, is third in the division, six points back of Flint, but with three games in hand on the Firebirds and four in hand on the Hounds.
Savard also noted how Dean wanted his players to be difficult to play against – especially with the Sting able to dress just four defencemen.
“As a group, we felt we had something to prove,” Savard said. “We were ready from the puck drop. We were ready to compete and we finished all of our hits. Hitting was a big thing, their D didn’t want to go back and get the puck.”
Two goals, in particular, were critical for the Greyhounds.
Skating without star defenceman Ryan O’Rourke, who suffered an upper-body injury while on the receiving end of a check to the head on Friday, the Soo wasted little time solving Sting netminder Ben Gaudreau.
Just 33 seconds in, rookie winger Marco Mignosa snapped a shot from the slot that beat Gaudreau low to the blocker side through traffic.
After being blanked one night earlier, that goal certainly gave the home team an early emotional boost.
“I think it definitely gave us a lift. We were focused on getting a good start,” said Mignosa.
With his visiting grandmother and uncle in attendance, Mignosa, a native of Vaughan, Ont., said that made scoring his 11th goal extra special.
“For us to get one early,” added Dean, “that takes pressure off of you, for sure.”
Later, with the Soo protecting a 3-2 lead, Keegan McMullen went hard to the net and redirected a Rory Kerins feed for his sixth goal of the season.
That came with 14.7 seconds left in the second period and sent the Greyhounds into intermission with a 4-2 advantage.
“That was a huge turning point,” said Sting head coach Alan Letang, whose club fell to 16-18-3-1. “If we would have gone into the third down 3-2, maybe we frustrate them and they might figure that here we go again tonight.”
Rob Calisti, with his 16th goal – tops among OHL defencemen, scored on the power play, while Owen Allard wrapped up the Hounds scoring.
Like Watson, Kerins finished with a pair of assists.
Theo Hill was a standout in defeat, scoring a pair of goals. On a night when the visitors were outshot 38-26, Nolan Dann, on the power play, was the only other shooter to beat Tucker Tynan.
Dean praised the line of Allard between Savard and Watson, while also saying the rookie centre has gained the coaching staff’s trust.
Asked about the Soo’s impressive start, Letang said he wasn’t surprised. He spoke of how, going into the game, he figured whoever was leading after the first period would go on to win.
“I expected them to come after us hard and they did come after us hard,” Letang added. “They knew we only had four defencemen and they got every puck deep. I wouldn’t expect anything less from one of the top teams in the league.”
“Our guys were determined not to be defined by yesterday’s game,” said Dean whose team returns to action on Wednesday, playing host to Flint in a 7:07 p.m. start.
On Friday, the Hounds begin a three-game trip in London (7 p.m.). They’ll also visit Owen Sound (7:30 p.m.) on Saturday and Guelph (2 p.m.) on Monday.
“The things the guys were celebrating on the bench were parts of the game that go unnoticed most of the time,” the coach continued. “Guys were finishing hits, guys were blocking shots, guys were getting above pucks.”
Asked what that told him about his club, Dean didn’t hesitate.
“It tells me they understand what matters, and what it takes to win.”
Notes:
Asked if O’Rourke suffered a concussion on Friday, Dean said that particular injury hasn’t been diagnosed. He also said the captain is “day to day.”
