Playoffs on tap as Greyhounds cap off regular season

Aside from effort, the Soo Greyhounds are taking little from their regular season finale.

With third place in the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference locked up, the Greyhounds played the final game of the regular season on Sunday afternoon with regulars out against a team still playing for the potential of top spot in the conference.

The result was a 9-2 loss at the GFL Memorial Gardens against the Saginaw Spirit.

Asked what the game meant to his team, Greyhounds coach John Dean was short in his answer.

“Nothing,” Dean said.

A game that had no meaning when it came to the standings, Dean said he felt his group showed “character” in a game that the team played minus four veterans in Jack Beck, Bryce McConnell-Barker, Gavin Hayes, and Kirill Kudryavtsev.

Dean added that he “loved our game structurally.”

“I think we know we want some of those back,” Dean said. “It was a tough night that way.”

Though he declined to elaborate, Dean said he felt it was “a mismanaged game” when asked if a game like Sunday’s is tough for players and coaches.

With an opportunity to potentially catch the London Knights for top spot in the OHL’s Western Conference, Spirit coach Chris Lazary said the goal for Sunday’s game was a simple one.

“At the end of the day, no injuries, no suspensions, that’s all we wanted,” Lazary said. “Get out injury-free, suspension-free and hopefully pick up two points.”

Saginaw opened the scoring 7:26 into the game as P.J. Forgione jumped on a loose puck that squirted out to the top of the left circle, beating Greyhounds goaltender Landon Miller through traffic.

Just over three minutes later, Nic Sima made it a 2-0 game as he converted in tight on a pass from Sebastien Gervais below the goalline at 10:35.

Rodwi Dionicio extended the Saginaw lead to 3-0 just 1:02 later as he skated in from the right point, cut to the net through the faceoff circle and beat Miller high short side from in close, ending the day in goal for the Sault netminder.

After Greyhounds defenceman Caeden Carlisle was assessed a major penalty for a hit on Owen Beck in the Sault zone, Saginaw capitalized 58 seconds into the power play.

Beck beat Greyhounds goaltender Charlie Schenkel high short side from the left faceoff circle at 13:53 to make it a 4-0 game.

Just 13 seconds into a two-man advantage, Saginaw took a 5-0 lead as Josh Bloom beat Schenkel 5-hole from the left circle.

The Greyhounds thought they got on the board in the middle period, only to have a goal by Brady Martin waved off following a review due to an offside on the play.

The Greyhounds eventually did get on the board as Arttu Karki beat Saginaw goaltender Andrew Oke with a shot from the high slot through a screen by Jacob Frasca at 13:49.

Saginaw made it a 6-1 game at 15:01 as Alex Christopoulos jumped on a loose puck near the Greyhounds goal and beat Miller, who returned for the second period in goal for the Sault.

The Greyhounds then scored late to make it a 6-2 game. Marco Mignosa in close deflected a shot by Jordan D’Intino from the high slot past Oke at 17:54 on the power play.

Saginaw made it 7-2 just over two minutes into the third period as Michael Misa beat Miller at 2:18.

The Spirit took an 8-2 lead at 11:07 as Zayne Parekh found himself alone in the slot and took a pass from Braden Hache and beat Miller.

Sebastien Gervais took a pass in the left circle from Sima and beat Miller to make it 9-2 at 17:59.

Karki finished the day with a goal and an assist for the Greyhounds.

Miller made 12 saves on 19 shots for the Sault while Schenkel stopped two of the four shots he faced in relief in the final 8:23 of the opening period.

Gervais and Dionicio had three-point games for the Spirit with a goal and two assists each. 

Sima, Misa, Beck, Parekh, and Bloom added a goal and an assist each for Saginaw while Lincoln Moore assisted on a pair of goals.

Oke made 12 saves for the Spirit.

With the loss, the Greyhounds finish the regular season with a 45-18-3-2 record and will now look ahead to opening the OHL playoffs on Thursday night at home.

The win gives Saginaw its first 50-win season as the team completed the 68-game regular season schedule with a 50-16-1-1 record and second in the Western Conference after London beat the Guelph Storm Sunday to clinch top spot.

Asked following the game about the major penalty to Carlisle, Dean said he would be surprised if the veteran defenceman was suspended.

With London’s win over Guelph on Sunday, the Greyhounds opponent for the opening round of the playoffs was set.

The Greyhounds will take on the Storm in round one.

The Greyhounds will open up the playoffs at home on Thursday night with game two in the best-of-7 series slated for Saturday night, also in the Sault. The series then shifts to Guelph for games three and four on April 1 and 3.

If necessary, game five is in Sault Ste. Marie on April 5 with game six scheduled for April 7 and game seven on April 9

On Saturday night, the Greyhounds honoured their award winners.

The winners included:

• Rookie of the year - Travis Hayes
• Best defenceman - Kirill Kudryavtsev 
• Scholastic players of the year - Matthew Virgilio, Tate Vader
• Unsung hero - Caeden Carlisle 
• Top scorer - Jack Beck
• Most gentlemanly player - Arttu Karki 
• Most improved player - Marco Mignosa 
• Players player - Justin Cloutier 
• MVP - Kirill Kudryavtsev 
• Dr. Lou Lukenda Memorial Award - Owen Allard
• Three star award - Jack Beck
• Humanitarian award - Bryce McConnell-Barker