The winning continued for the Soo Greyhounds on Wednesday night and with it came top spot in the Ontario Hockey League standings.
The Greyhounds scored a pair of goals in the third period in a 4-1 win over the Saginaw Spirit at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw. The win clinched top spot in the OHL standings, giving the Greyhounds home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
A good start and a pair of penalty kills in the third period would be the difference for the Greyhounds, who enter weekend action with eight regular season games remaining.
“We got off to a good start,” said defenceman Jordan Sambrook, who set up two goals for the Greyhounds. “We played well and will look to carry that momentum into the weekend.”
Rookie forward Joe Carroll had a goal and an assist for the Greyhounds. Taylor Raddysh, Tim Gettinger and Ryan Roth also scored.
Goaltender Tyler Johnson made 19 saves for the Greyhounds.
In the midst of a five-game losing skid and remaining in a battle for playoff positioning in the OHL’s Western Conference, the Spirit fall to 27-25-8-0 and sit in sixth in the OHL’s Western Conference, six points behind the London Knights and one point ahead of the Windsor Spitfires and Guelph Storm.
Sault product Nicolas Porco had the lone goal for the Spirit, who have scored just four goals in the losing skid.
“It’s the most frustrating part for everybody,” Saginaw Coach Troy Smith said following the game on the Spirit television broadcast. “You’re going to go through that at different times and it’s probably toughest right now. We worked hard. Our first 10 minutes were a little bit slow but after that we hung with them.
Spirit goaltender Evan Cormier made 28 saves.
Bannister was pleased with the Greyhounds play at even strength in the victory.
“We played really well away from the puck,” Bannister said. “Five-on-five, I don’t know that they really had any scoring chances.”
Leading 2-1 early in the third period, the Greyhounds killed off a pair of minor penalties before scoring twice in the period to seal the win.
“It was big,” Raddysh said of the kills. “It keeps the momentum in our favour and to kill those off in the third period, especially with a one-goal lead. It helps throughout the game. You’re going to need big kills like that to win games.”
“Our penalty kill was good all game,” Bannister said. “We didn’t give them a lot.”
“We did a good job of keeping them to the outside,” Bannister added.
The win clinched first overall in the OHL standings for the Greyhounds, who improve to 50-6-2-2 and have won five-straight and eight of 10 heading into a pair of weekend games at home, beginning Friday night against the Sarnia Sting at the Essar Centre.
Sophomore forward Barrett Hayton missed the game due to an injury suffered Tuesday in practice. He’s scheduled to see a doctor on Thursday.
Defenceman Jacob LeGuerrier is set to practice on Thursday and could see action on the weekend.
Conor Timmins will not play this weekend but could potentially join the team next week on the road.
“We’re looking at the idea of him joining us next weekend at some point,” Bannister said. “Whether it’s earlier or later in the weekend, I can’t say right now.”
Keeghan Howdeshell, also out due to injury, is set to practice Thursday as well but won’t be involved in contact drills.
There was one other game in the OHL on Wednesday night as the Oshawa Generals hosted the Mississauga Steelheads. Renars Krastenbergs had a pair of goals for the Generals, including the game-winner at 18:43 of the third period. Oshawa goaltender Kyle Keyser stopped 40 shots. Kyle MacLean and Danil Antropov chipped in with a goal and an assist each while Jack Studnicka assisted on two goals for the Generals. Cole Carter, Nicolas Hague and Trent Fox had a goal and an assist each for the Steelheads.