Well-rested Hounds determined to shine
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
While it’s typically onerous, the Soo Greyhounds travel schedule has been even more difficult this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead of making road trips through Michigan and dealing with travel restrictions when re-entering Canada, the Hounds elected to remain in the province as they journeyed to visit most Ontario rivals.
And so, having six days between games heading into this weekend’s back-to-back showdowns with Windsor, has been a welcomed scheduling quirk.
More than that, of late John Dean has taken steps to freshen up his charges for the final 10 games of the Ontario Hockey League regular season.
After blanking Saginaw 3-0 last Saturday at the Dow Event Center, the Hounds head coach gave his team Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off, before resuming preparations for the Spitfires on Wednesday.
As well, Dean recently shortened the length of practice sessions.
“We’re trying to get as much done as possible in as short a time as possible,” the coach acknowledged. “We don’t want to spend a ton of time at the rink.”
Holding top spot in the OHL’s West Division, the Spitfires (36-16-3-3) visit the third-place Greyhounds (33-18-6-1) on Saturday (7:07 p.m.) and Sunday (2:07 p.m.) at GFL Memorial Gardens.
Winners of five straight, with 78 points Windsor is five points up on the Greyhounds and three ahead of second-place Flint (35-18-1-4). Both the Spits and Firebirds also have 10 games remaining.
The six-day break from action “means a lot – it’s very rare for us and it comes at a good time,” said Dean, whose club plays six of its final 10 on home ice. “Rest for us is definitely a weapon going into the playoff stretch.”
“It helps us a lot with nagging injuries,” added centre Rory Kerins (36-62-98), who’s about to top the 100-point mark this season. “The break gets our stamina back for the weekend. It’s been good to have a few days (without practice) in order to reset and recover for the weekend.”
That’s a luxury the Spits haven’t been able to enjoy.
Last weekend, Windsor swept Flint 6-3 on Saturday and 7-4 on Sunday, before beating Kitchener 7-5 on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Spits got by Saginaw 8-5.
By the time Sunday afternoon rolls around, Windsor will have played six times over a nine-day span.
Asked about resting for three days and then practicing for three more prior to Saturday’s clash, Greyhounds defenceman Caeden Carlisle spoke of how this week was much needed.
“We had a long road trip and it was successful,” he said of the Hounds winning two out of three last week. “The time off was kind of a reward and it allowed us to rest and heal. And the practices give us a chance to work on our game and get ready.”
The first-year rearguard also spoke of how “these games are big. We’re trying to catch Windsor and if we can beat them back-to-back, it would put us in a really-good spot.”
But while fatigue could be a factor for the Spits this weekend, past success is something they hope to draw on. In six head-to-head meetings with the Greyhounds, Windsor has five victories, including one in overtime and one in a shootout.
“These are two big games for points and positioning,” said Kerins. “We haven’t done particularly well against them, but we’ve had some really-close games. There’ve been games where we dominated and games where they’ve dominated us.”
“They’re well-structured,” Carlisle said of the Spitfires. “They’re also pretty physical. But if we play within our system, the chances will come from their breakdowns.”
While they’ve struggled of late without injured goalie Brett Brochu (ankle), London continues to lead the Midwest Division with a 35-18-2-1 record, good for 73 points.
Depending on total points, the champions of the West and Midwest Divisions will be slotted 1-2 when the Western Conference playoffs begin. Other teams follow, regardless of which division they play in.
When asked about competing for home ice in the postseason, Dean admitted it’s a “distinct advantage.”
However, he also talked of how “to be honest, with the incredible parity in the league this season, I’m not sure if seeding and home ice will prove to be as important as they’ve been in years gone by.”
The Soo coach also called Windsor a complete team.
“They score goals in bunches, they have some very elite players up front and a strong back end,” Dean added. “They’re one of the most-consistent teams in the league and for us, we’ll need to play a full 60 minutes. But we have a group that is very motivated right now.”
Notes:
The Hounds expect to be without a pair of wingers. Marco Mignosa (upper- body injury) and Ethan Montroy (lower body) are not expected to play this weekend.
Following the games with Windsor, the Soo is slated to visit Saginaw for a rare Tuesday clash (7:05 p.m.).
