Greyhounds 'workmanlike' in road win over Attack

It was a game that had a playoff feel between two teams that could potentially be opponents in the opening round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.

A goal with just over five minutes to go in regulation time from overage forward Jacob Frasca eased some nerves for the Soo Greyhounds and helped the team skate to a 5-2 win over the Owen Sound Attack Saturday night at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre in Owen Sound.

It was a game in which the Greyhounds started well and held of a push in the second period by the Attack before what coach John Dean said was a “very workmanlike” effort in the third period.

“Especially in the third,” Dean said. “I really appreciate out guys’ third period after a tough second, giving up two goals when we have a three-goal lead and putting ourselves in a tough spot. Very workmanlike in the third. That was probably the most impressive part to me.”

Asked about the goal by Frasca, Dean spoke of just how big it was for the team.

“Anytime you’re pressing like that, and you still only have a one-goal lead, there’s still a bit of nerves inside the players,” Dean said.

Dean said the stretch in the second period in which Owen Sound got back into the game was caused by multiple factors.

“We started getting a little careless with the puck,” Dean said. “A couple of turnovers in the offensive zone at their blueline and they started getting in behind us and gained some momentum.”

Dean added that the play of goaltender Landon Miller was a factor in the second period in not letting Owen Sound claw all the way back and credited his team with regrouping in the third period.

In the third period, Dean said he liked the Greyhounds “desire to manage the puck while maintaining being an offensive threat.”

Overage forward Jack Beck added that, in the second intermission, Dean spoke to the team about their mindset following 40 minutes.

“(He) said to imagine we were down 2-1 and made it 3-2 going into the third, we’d be super confident,” Beck said. “That was a pretty good way to look at it and it helped us. We gave it to them pretty good there in the third period.”

Frasca added that the third period was one in which the team made some small adjustments.

“In the first, we were very fast. We were competitive and got pucks in deep and finished our checks a little bit,” Frasca said. “In the second, we kind of slipped away, but not fully to where we needed to change our identity. Our identity stayed the same with a few adjustments in the third. The coaching staff did a good job doing that and we came in more prepared for the third and shut them right down.”

The Greyhounds opened the scoring midway through the first as Bryce McConnell-Barker took a breakaway pass from Gavin Hayes and proceeded to beat Owen Sound goaltender Carter George glove side at 10:42.

The visitors took advantage of another breakaway opportunity later in the period. With the Greyhounds shorthanded, Owen Allard took a pass from Kirill Kudryavtsev after an Owen Sound turnover and then beat George with a backhand 5-hole after going in alone at 15:23.

Christopher Brown made it a 3-0 game in the second period as he beat George with a shot from the left side of the slot glove side after initially having the puck poked away by an Owen Sound defender while skating through the slot at 5:25.

Owen Sound got on the board when Servac Petrovsky deflected a Braedyn Rogers point shot past Greyhounds goaltender Landon Miller at 8:23. The goal came moments after Ethan Burroughs hit the post from the left circle for the Attack.

The Attack then made it a one-goal game as Declan Waddick beat Miller on a one-timer from the right faceoff circle after a cross-ice pass from Jackston Stewart 48 seconds later.

While on the power play in the third period, the Greyhounds restored the two-goal lead as Jacob Frasca took a pass in tight from Jack Beck, went to his forehand and beat George glove side at 14:35.

With the teams playing 4-on-4 and just over four minutes to go in regulation time, Owen Sound pulled George for the extra attacker and Gavin Hayes made it a 5-2 game with an empty net goal with 3:36 to go in the final period.

Hayes was the lone multi-point player for the Greyhounds in the win, picking up a goal and an assist.

Miller made 26 saves for the Sault.

“Really good outing by Landon,” Dean said. “He was consistent, composed and made some very athletic saves as well.”

George was solid in the loss, stopping 41 Greyhounds shots in the contest.

The game marked the final road game of the regular season for the Greyhounds, who return home for three games in the final week of the OHL regular season. The homestand begins Wednesday night with a game against the Sarnia Sting before the team faces the Flint Firebirds on Friday and the Saginaw Spirit on Sunday next weekend to end the season.

With Saturday’s win, the Greyhounds improve to 43-17-3-2 on the season. Their hopes of potentially catching Saginaw for top spot in the OHL’s West Division got some help on Saturday as the Spirit dropped a 5-4 decision on the road to the Erie Otters.

Both teams have played 65 games and the Spirit have a five-point edge on the Greyhounds in the standings.

Saginaw’s remaining three games on the schedule include a game on the road Friday against Sarnia and a home game against the Windsor Spitfires on Saturday before traveling north to face the Greyhounds on Sunday.

Owen Sound, also in a battle for playoff positioning, falls to 28-29-5-3 on the season. The team dropped into eighth in the OHL’s Western Conference following Saturday’s action after the Flint Firebirds picked up a win over the Windsor Spitfires to pass the Attack in the standings and move into a tie with the Guelph Storm in the standings.