Greyhounds set to open series with Sting

The second season starts for the Soo Greyhounds on Friday night.

With a 68-game regular season in the books, the Greyhounds prepare for game one of its Ontario Hockey League playoff series against the Sarnia Sting at the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre on Friday night.

The Greyhounds enter the series as the Western Conference’s seventh seed and face the West Division-champion Sting.

After a regular season that saw the Greyhounds post a 33-27-7-1 record, which included a 19-10-4-1 record on the road, the team says starting at home or on the road isn’t of concern as game one approaches.

“Regardless of where we’re starting, be it at home or on the road, the playoffs are a difficult time and it’s difficult hockey to play,” Greyhounds Coach Drew Bannister said Thursday night. “We know that this group is prepared and they’re ready to meet the challenge of playing Sarnia.”

Bannister said that having the ability to prepare for the Sting going into the playoffs was a help as the team had its possible playoff opponents narrowed down in the final days of the regular season.

“I expect a highly-skilled hockey team,” Bannister said of the Sting, who won the division with a record of 42-19-5-2. “They’re big and strong and have very good depth throughout their lineup. I expect a team that’s going to continue to come at us. We’ve been able to handle some pretty good hockey teams this season and our group is ready for the challenge.”

Bannister called the experience of last years playoff run a help for the team heading into the series.

“I believe it goes a long way,” Bannister said. “It helps the group that is inexperienced in that area develop. Those so-called experienced playoff guys are leaders in our dressing room. Especially early in the series if there are any storms that need to be weathered, they’re there to calm the seas a little bit.

Bannister said Thursday night he expects Boris Katchouk to take warmup on Friday night but a decision on whether the rookie forward will play had not been made.

If Katchouk doesn’t play, Bannister said a decision will be made on whether to run 11 forwards and seven defencemen or four lines and six defencemen on Friday.

Game two in the series is set for Sunday at 4:05 p.m. before shifting to Sault Ste. Marie for games three and four next week.