Hounds clinch playoff berth despite loss

The Soo Greyhounds have officially clinched a spot in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. It wasn't exactly the way they wanted to do it, but it was done.

The Greyhounds dropped a 4-0 decision to the Kitchener Rangers on Friday night in Kitchener, but clinched a playoff spot after the Erie Otters dropped a 5-3 decision to the Plymouth Whalers on Friday.

The Otters loss officially dropped them out of the playoff race and gives the Greyhounds at least the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Rangers goaltender Dan Turple stopped 25 Greyhound shots, 14 of which came in the game's final period, while Matt Auffrey led the way offensively for the Rangers with a pair of goals. Justin Azevedo and Myles Applebaum scored the other Rangers goals while Evan McGrath chipped in with a pair of assists.

Greyhounds goaltender Kyle Gajewski stopped 33 shots in the loss.

With the loss, the Greyhounds record drops to 28-30-3-4, good for 64 points, which leaves them one point behind the Windsor Spitfires for seventh in the Western Conference.

Both the Greyhounds and Spitfires will be in action on Sunday with the Spitfires facing the Saginaw Spirit on home ice and the Greyhounds finishing off their final road trip with an afternoon tilt with the Plymouth Whalers.

*** AROUND THE OHL:

AT SUDBURY: Benoit Pouliot, Kevin Baker, and Nick Foligno scored in a shootout as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the Toronto St. Michael's Majors 5-4. Foligno and Jonathan D'Aversa each had two assists in regulation for the Wolves. Majors goaltender Wayne Savage stopped 45 shots in the loss.

AT SARNIA: Ryan McDonough had a pair of goals to lead the Saginaw Spirit to a 5-2 victory over the Sarnia Sting. Michael Birner added three assists in the win. Ryan McInerney had a goal and an assist while Richard Clune added two assists for Sarnia. Sting netminder Ryan Nie stopped 41 shots.

AT OTTAWA: Goaltender Daren Machesney stopped 37 shots as the Brampton Battalion defeated the Ottawa 67's 4-2. 67's goaltender Brady Morrison stopped 28 shots in the loss.

AT MISSISSAUGA: Shawn Matthias scored at 2:27 of overtime to give the Belleville Bulls a 5-4 victory over the Mississauga IceDogs. John Hughes and Nick Pageau each had three assists for the Bulls. Oskar Osala had two goals while Chris Lawrence and Michael Swift had a goal and an assist each for the IceDogs.

AT LONDON: David Bolland scored a pair of goals to lead the London Knights to a 4-3 victory over the Owen Sound Attack. Adam Perry scored the game-winning goal while goaltender Adam Dennis stopped 32 shots. Andrej Sekera had two goals and an assist in the loss.

AT KINGSTON: Todd Griffith scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Kingston Frontenacs to a 5-2 victory over the Barrie Colts.

AT GUELPH: Jamie Arneil's second period goal held up as the winner as the Guelph Storm defeated the Windsor Spitfires 3-2. Bradley Snetsinger and Mickey Renaud scored third period goals for the Spitfires to make things close.

AT ERIE: Jared Boll, Evan Brophey, Chris Terry, and Joe Gaynor each had a goal and an assist to lead the Plymouth Whalers to a 5-3 victory over the Erie Otters. John Armstrong and James Neal had two assists each in the win. Michael Blunden had two goals and Ryan O'Marra added two assists for the Otters.

AT OSHAWA: As the eighth shooter Kelly Thomson provided the shootout winner as the Oshawa Generals defeated the Peterborough Petes. 3-2. John Tavares also scored in the shootout for the Generals.