Better effort lifts Greyhounds

LONDON, Ont. - Less than 24 hours after a disappointing effort against the Windsor Spitfires, the Soo Greyhounds returned to form in London.

The Greyhounds picked up a 6-2 win over the London Knights Sunday afternoon at Budweiser Gardens.

“The players were a little more rested and had more energy,” Greyhounds Coach Drew Bannister said. “Our execution was a lot better (than Saturday night).”

Morgan Frost scored a pair of goals, including a shorthanded marker late in the second period to put the Greyhounds ahead 3-2 at the time.

“It was at a pivotal point in the game,” Bannister said. “If London scores, the game could have went the other way.”

Frost converted a feed from Tim Gettinger on a 2-on-1 from to put the Greyhounds ahead to stay.

“It was big,” Frost said of the goal. “It gave us some momentum and that’s what we like to do. We like to create some offence on the penalty kill.”

Zack Trott scored an insurance goal early in the third period while Taylor Raddysh and Hayden Verbeek also scored in the final period.

“It was a big goal,” Trott said of his goal, his first since the first game of the season. “It’s a big relief.”

Jack Kopacka opened the scoring for the Greyhounds midway through the opening period.

Goaltender Tyler Johnson made 32 saves for the Greyhounds.

Nathan Dunkley and Andrew Perrott scored for the Knights.

“After the goal in the second (by Dunkley), we started to separate,” Bannister said. “We moved the puck better, especially throughout the neutral zone in the second and the third which gave them some difficulty and helped us enter the zone with possession.”

Former Greyhound Joseph Raaymakers made 39 saves for the Knights.

Both Frost and Bannister spoke of how the Greyhounds generated scoring chances in the win.

“We played pretty strong,” Frost said. “I don’t think the shot total reflected the scoring chances.”

“In the second and the third, we did (get pucks to the net),” Bannister said. “In the first period we got a lot of the pucks to the net but not a lot of traffic. In the second and the third we got pucks to the net and more traffic around the net.”

The win improves the Greyhounds record to 49-6-2-2. The Knights fall to 32-23-2-3.

The Greyhounds return to action on Wednesday night in Saginaw against the Spirit.