Opportunity knocks, Katchouk answers for Greyhounds

For the second time in three days, Soo Greyhounds forward Boris Katchouk showed his worth when it mattered most.

The veteran forward scored his second overtime winner of the season on a pass from Morgan Frost to give the Greyhounds a 2-1 victory over the Sudbury Wolves Sunday afternoon at Sudbury Arena.

It was Katchouk’s second overtime-winner in as many days as he potted the winner in the Greyhounds win Friday night in North Bay over the Battalion as well.

“I relish the opportunity,” Katchouk said of being on the ice in overtime. “It gives us another confidence boost going into next weekend.”

The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect said he knew he was going to get a pass from Frost when the two broke in on a 2-on-0 in the extra frame.

“I’m looking to get into open space and create space for myself and get a good pass from him,” Katchouk said.

Frost said he looked to hit Katchouk with a pass as the two broke in on Sudbury goaltender Jake McGrath.

“I’m usually passing,” Frost said. “It was a 2-on-0 and there was a player on me so it was the right play.”

“We backchecked well and created the turnover. Me and Boris started the play well, reacted and just took off,” Frost said of the development of the play. “I’m looking to see what he’s doing and it he’s up with me, I’m going to dish it over.”

Greyhounds Coach Drew Bannister credited both forwards for creating the play in the defensive zone.

“Frosty made a great play to him and laid it out on a plate for him to put it in the back of the net. Both of them did some good things in the defensive zone to recover that puck and turn it over and get that opportunity.”

Matthew Villalta made 30 saves for the Greyhounds, which included a key save on Dmitry Sokolov alone in close in the third period with the game tied at one.

“I didn’t really think anything, I was just dialed in on the puck,” Villalta said of the moment Sokolov took the pass in the slot.

“As soon as he took the puck to his backhand, I knew he was going to go glove,” Villalta said, calling it the “biggest save” he made in the game.

The win was Villalta’s second in three starts since returning from the training camp of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.

“At the start of the game I wasn’t settled in and I didn’t feel as smooth as I want to be but that’s going to come with practice,” Villalta said. “I need a little bit more practice time and I’ll be ready to go.”

Keeghan Howdeshell had the other goal for the Greyhounds.

“We’re still not where we want to be or where we expect to be, but we were better today,” Bannister said. “We knew things were going to be difficult. I like some of the things we did, which we didn’t see before. Our zone entries were better. Our defensive zone cleaned up a little bit better and we were physical there. That led to being able to exit the zone quicker and get on offence.”

Sudbury goaltender Jake McGrath had a busy night, making 36 saves in the loss, which included 14 in each of the second and third periods.

Sokolov had the lone goal for the Wolves, scoring his first of the season just under six minutes into the third period.

“We got a better effort and still it’s getting to the point it’s about winning,” Wolves Coach Cory Stillman told Sudbury.com. “We’re doing some things better. Tonight was a night that we didn’t have a lead. We battled back and played hard for 60 minutes. You give up a 2-on-0 in overtime, chances are you’re going to lose the hockey game.”

The Greyhounds return to action on Thursday night on the road against the Windsor Spitfires in the opener of a two-game road trip that wraps up the following night in London against the Knights.

In other games on Sunday in the OHL, Brady Hinz and Jordan Ernst had a pair of goals each as the Sarnia Sting beat the Ottawa 67’s 7-2 in Sarnia. Anthony Salinitri assisted on three goals for Sarnia.

In Hamilton, Jason Robertson had the shootout winner as the Kingston Frontenacs beat the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-3. Ryan Cranford had a pair of goals in regulation time for Kingston.

In Peterborough, Pavel Gogolev had two goals and two assists as the Peterborough Petes beat the Niagara IceDogs 8-4. Jonathan Ang chipped in with a goal and two assists for Peterborough while Akil Thomas had two goals and an assist for Niagara.

Sunday’s other game between the London Knights and Oshawa Generals in Oshawa was a 6:05 p.m. start and not complete at the time of writing.