Hounds blow a huge lead (video)

The Soo Greyhounds were taught another lesson on Sunday night.

This one being that no lead is big enough.

After taking what seemed to be a commanding 5-0 lead in the first period, the Greyhounds surrended eight of the game's next nine goals to fall 8-6 to the Plymouth Whalers at the Steelback Centre.

Plymouth cut the lead to 6-4 after two periods and chipped away with four more goals in the third.

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The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Hounds and dropped the team four points back of Saginaw, who were 6-2 winners over Kingston on Sunday, for fourth spot in the western conference. The Soo remains in a fifth place tie with Guelph, who lost 2-1 to Brampton in a nationally televised game.

The Greyhounds opened the scoring midway through the opening period as David Kuchejda beat Whalers goaltender Michal Neuvirth for his 20th goal of the year and the Hounds were off and running.

Just 2:30 later, Kuchejda notched his second of the night on another feed from Jiri Tlusty before Michael Quesnele's blast from the point on the power play put the locals ahead 3-0 and chased Neuvirth from the game.

Less than two minutes later, Cody Thornton scored his 32nd of the season and Dustin Jeffrey added another in dying seconds for the 5-0 first period lead.

Plymouth came out for the second period with much more energy and started the comeback just 58 seconds into the frame as Tom Sestito beat Kyle Gajewski for his first of three goals in the game.

After Sean O'Connor scored a few minutes later for the Whalers, Jeffrey scored on a breakaway while shorthanded to give the Hounds a 6-2 cushion.

But off the ensuing faceoff eight seconds later, Plymouth's A.J. Jenks scored on a long shot from centre to squash any momentum change. Sestito added his second goal while playing four-on-four before the period was out.

In the third period, Daniel Ryder turned up his game for the Whalers and scored at 2:26 by undressing Gajewski with a wrap around goal before tying the score with 8:52 to play.

With under three minutes remaining in regulation time, Sestito's hat trick goal completed the Whalers comeback after being sent in alone on a breakaway.

Dan Collins capped the scoring with an empty net marker before the final buzzer.

Jiri Tlusty picked up three assists in the game before leaving just before the end of the second period after being jumped by Plymouth's Ryan McGinnis. Tlusty appeared to be favouring his shoulder as he left the ice.

Josh Godfrey and Matt Lyall recorded two assists each for the Hounds while Jeffrey set up another for a three point effort.

Tyler Cuthbert missed his second game on the Hounds defense after suffering a concussion in Wednesday's win over Sudbury.

The Greyhounds, who outshot Plymouth 34-23, will need to regroup in time to begin a three-game road trip this coming week.

On Thursday, the Hounds visit the Windsor Spitfires before travelling to London on Friday and Saginaw on Sunday afternoon.

Next home action for the Hounds is Wednesday, Feb. 28 when they entertain the Saginaw Spirit in a 7 p.m. start.

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