Frustrating finish to homestand for Greyhounds (12 photos)

Frustration has set in for the Soo Greyhounds.

After opening a three-game homestand with a victory over the Flint Firebirds on Wednesday, the team has lost two-straight following a loss Friday against the Saginaw Spirit and a 3-1 loss against the North Bay Battalion on Saturday evening at the Essar Centre.

Following what Coach Drew Bannister called an “ugly hockey game Wednesday” and a loss Friday that he called “unacceptable” Bannister told reporters Saturday that “you can tell the kids aren’t confident in themselves.”

“It’s not that they’re not trying,” Bannister said. “They’re frustrated because they know as a group that they need to be better and they can be better.”

After a scoreless opening period in which the Greyhounds were outshot 15-8, the Battalion opened the scoring in the second period with goals 2:10 apart early in the period by Max Kislinger and Cam Dineen.

The two goals chased Greyhounds starting netminder Joseph Raaymakers from the game after the sophomore stopped 18 of 20 North Bay shots in just over 26 minutes of action.

“I didn’t pull Joseph because I thought he was shaky,” Bannister said. “I pulled Joseph because I wanted to wake our guys up.”

Brandon Halverson came in and stopped all 19 shots he faced the rest of the way.

Tim Gettinger would score for the Greyhounds late in the third period but Zach Bratina sealed the North Bay victory with an empty net goal in the final minute of action.

“We certainly had some desperation as the game went on and we created some opportunities offensively,” Bannister said. “But when things aren’t going well and you don’t work for five of the six periods, you’re not going to get the bounces. For the most part, we didn’t deserve any bounces.”

North Bay Coach Stan Butler noted that, for much of the game, his team stuck to their game plan.

“We’re a bad team that got a little better tonight,” said Butler. “For about eighty percent of the game we played exactly how we wanted to play.

“We’ve got to make sure that they understand that it’s a 60-minute game and that if you only play 52 good minutes, you might not get any points in this league,” Butler also said.

Battalion goaltender Jake Smith made 32 saves

“I don’t know if the kid will play above this level but for my money in the time I was in North Bay and Brampton, I don’t think anybody has played as well for us as he has,” Butler said of Smith’s time with the Battalion franchise.

For the Greyhounds, Bannister spoke of the need for improved decision-making going forward.

“The decision-making with the puck has to do with our lack of practice time and being able to be together and having an opportunity to practice, especially exiting our zone,” Bannister said, “which we didn’t do well at all in the last two games. That’s been a big problem is starting off in our zone. We’re not making the right decisions and we’re not in the right place (positionally). When you don’t have guys there, you force plays that aren’t there.”

The Greyhounds now prepare for a pair of road games next weekend, beginning on Friday night in Sarnia against the Sting.

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OTHER SCORES

In Erie, Jordan Sambrook’s goal at 19:08 of the third period was the game winner as the Erie Otters beat the Windsor Spitfires 4-3. Taylor Raddysh scored a pair of goals for the Otters while T.J. Fergus assisted on a pair of goals. Goaltender Jake Lawr stopped 32 shots Shaun Bily also scored for Erie. Cristiano DiGiacinto, Daniel Beaudoin and Brad Latour scored for Windsor.

In Saginaw, Dylan Wells made 42 saves while Josh Coyle had two goals and an assist to lead the Peterborough Petes to a 7-2 victory over the Saginaw Spirit. Hunter Garlent also had a three-point night for the Petes with a goal and two assists. Steven Lorentz (one goal, one assist), Adam Timleck (one goal, one assist), Matthew Timms (two assists), Zach Gallant (two assists) and Logan DeNoble (two assists) also had multi-point nights for the Petes. Adam McPhail and Matt Spencer also scored for Peterborough. Artem Artemov and Dylan Sadowy scored for Saginaw.

In Barrie, Leo Lazarev made 35 saves as the Ottawa 67’s blanked the Barrie Colts 4-0. Dante Salituro, Nathan Todd, Stepan Falkovsky and Sam Studnicka scored for the 67’s. Barrie goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 29 shots.

In Flint, Will Bitten scored on a penalty shot at 3:40 of overtime to life the Flint Firebirds to a 3-2 win over the Sarnia Sting. Bitten finished the night with three goals while goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 27 shots in his first start of the season. Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist for the Sting while Daniel Nikandrov also scored.

In Owen Sound, Santino Centorame’s goal at 11:34 of the third period was the game-winner as the Owen Sound Attack beat the London Knights 2-1. Petrus Palmu also scored for Owen Sound while goaltender Michael McNiven stopped 32 shots. London goaltender Tyler Parsons made 32 saves while Victor Mete had the lone Knights goal.

(PHOTO: Zachary Senyshyn skates with the puck at the Essar Centre on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Donna Hopper/SooToday)