Greyhounds love start, result in Valentines Day game

It might have been Valentines Day, but the Soo Greyhounds certainly didn’t love everything about their game.

In the end, it was a shootout goal by Jacob Frasca that gave the Greyhounds a 5-4 Ontario Hockey League victory over the Sudbury Wolves Wednesday night at the GFL Memorial Gardens.

The overage forward skated in on Wolves goaltender Marcus Vandenberg and beat the veteran netminder glove side.

With the Wolves shooting second in the round and needing a goal, high-scoring forward David Goyette was stopped by Greyhounds goaltender Charlie Schenkel to give the home team the victory.

For Frasca, the veteran forward said he knew what he was going to do when he jumped on the ice as the Greyhounds shooter.

“I’ve done that move in the past and I’ve been pretty successful with it,” Frasca said. “Sometimes I like to hold it on that one side and maybe go backhand, but I thought there was an open spot there and I just picked the spot.”

The shootout winner gave the Greyhounds a win in a game that saw the team come out strong in the opening period, outshooting the Wolves by a 17-4 margin and taking a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes.

“We played very well away from the puck,” Greyhounds coach John Dean said of the opening period. “We showed a lot of poise and creativity inside of our structure with the puck. A lot of pace, a lot of confidence. A lot of positivity. There were so many good things. We transported the puck really well. We got to the net really well. Breakouts were clean. I was very happy.”

Dean said the second period saw things unravel some for the Greyhounds.

“The second period was uncalled for,” Dean said. “It just can’t happen.”

Wolves coach Ken MacKenzie said he was “disappointed” in the game.

“We definitely didn’t bring our ‘A’ game,” MacKenzie said, adding that the few positives in the game included battling back from a three-goal deficit and the play of Vandenberg in the loss.

“It’s definitely not the start we were looking for out here,” MacKenzie also said. “The Sault’s got a fast team. We know that. We’ve played them enough times out here and they get you running around in your own end, it makes the play difficult for you.”

MacKenzie added that the number of power plays they gave the Greyhounds was also an issue.

“You can’t give that team six power plays in a game and think you’re going to win a hockey game,” MacKenzie said.

The Greyhounds finished the night 3-for-6 on the man advantage in the win.

“We attacked,” Dean said when asked what the key to the Greyhounds power play success was in the win. “We were in attack mode. We talk a lot about momentum and forcing the other team to defend. The way teams are defending now, they’re very passive diamonds. They’re not letting you get to the inside, and it can fool you into playing a passive power play.”

The Greyhounds opened the scoring on the power play just over five minutes in as Brady Martin beat Vandenberg on a one-timer after a pass from Owen Allard.

The power play made it a 2-0 in the final minute of the opening period when Gavin Hayes redirected a pass in tight from Jack Beck past Vandenberg to finish off a three-way passing play.

The Greyhounds took a 3-0 lead at 11:45 of the second period as Jordan D’Intino beat Vandenberg with a slapshot from the high slot stick side.

Sudbury got on the board on the next shift as Noah Van Vliet took a pass as he skated into the left circle from Nathan Villeneuve and beat Greyhounds goalie Charlie Schenkel high short side. 

Sudbury made it a one-goal game with three minutes to go in the period, but only after a review during play. Villeneuve beat Schenkel high stick side from the slot on a 2-on-1 with David Goyette. The goal was waved off initially and play went on. Play was stopped 38 seconds later, and the goal was counted.

The Wolves tied the game on the power play in the third period when Quentin Musty took a pass in the slot from Goyette and beat Schenkel high stick side 1:40 into the third.

Sudbury took a 4-3 lead with the teams playing 4-on-4. Van Vliet took a pass in the slot from Nick Yearwood down low after a Sault turnover at 10:11.

The Greyhounds tied the game 1:35 later as Owen Allard redirected a pass in the slot from Travis Hayes on the right wing past Vandenberg with the Sault on the power play.

Travis Hayes was the lone multi-point player for the Greyhounds, picking up a pair of assists in the victory.

Schenkel made 17 saves for the Sault before stopping four of Sudbury’s five shooters in the shootout.

In addition to the two-goal night for Van Vliet, Villeneuve had a goal and an assist for the Wolves.

Vandenberg made 37 saves.

“He’s had two real good starts for us up here,” MacKenzie said. “Tonight, he gave us a chance to get the two points.

With the win, the Greyhounds will embark on their upcoming three-game road trip Thursday with a record of 34-15-2-1.

The team sits four points behind the Saginaw Spirit for first in the OHL’s West Division. Saginaw has a game in hand and is slated to play Thursday night in Barrie.

The Greyhounds return to action Friday night in the opening game of their road trip when they face the London Knights. The trip will also take the team to Windsor on Sunday afternoon before wrapping it up Monday afternoon with a Family Day game against the Sarnia Sting.

Sudbury falls to 30-15-3-3 with the loss. The single point for losing in the shootout gives the Wolves a four-point edge over the Brantford Bulldogs and North Bay Battalion atop the Eastern Conference.