Greyhounds ride strong second period to series lead (video, 14 photos)

They expected it to be a tough series.

From a physical aspect alone, Thursday’s playoff opener between the Soo Greyhounds and Guelph Storm wasn’t an easy game by any stretch.

The Greyhounds opened the best-of-seven Ontario Hockey League Western Conference quarter-final series with a 3-0 victory at the GFL Memorial Gardens and it was a game both teams will look to improve on going forward.

The second period turned into the difference for the Greyhounds, who broke a scoreless tie with three goals in the frame and outshot the visitors by a 14-4 margin.

“Our nerves settled down,” said Greyhounds coach John Dean. “Clearly, Guelph outplayed us in the first period. Our emotions got the better of us and it looked like we had some nerves. If not for Tucker Tynan and our penalty kill, we could be sitting here talking about something different."

“We came out a little slow in the first and it was definitely nice to get the first goal of the game, that’s huge every game,” said Greyhounds forward Tye Kartye. “Hopefully we can continue that on Saturday.”

For the Storm, puck management was an issue in the second period.

“I don’t think we managed the puck particularly well in the second period,” Storm coach George Burnett said.

"It wasn’t for an entire period. It was for eight or 10 minutes that was the difference in the game. We didn’t do a very good job toward the end of the first period of keeping the temperature in the game low. We had momentum. There wasn’t a lot of energy. Why would you poke the bear, so-to-speak? We showed some inexperience toward the end of the first period. They come at us pretty hard and got three (in the second).”

Burnett said he was pleased with the Storm limiting the number of quality scoring chances the Greyhounds had in the game.

“They had a few, but not a ton,” Burnett said. “Not like some of the games we were in here early in the season.”

“Our start has to be better and our puck management,” Kartye added.

After a scoreless opening period, Kartye got the Greyhounds on the board 2:15 into the second period when he was stopped initially by Guelph starter Owen Bennett before batting in his own rebound.

Kartye got the puck from Rory Kerins at the blueline and beat three Guelph players to the goal on the play.

Kartye extended the lead with his second of the night at 13:19. The overage forward took a stretch pass from defenceman Ryan O’Rourke in the Sault zone before beating Bennett high stick side on a breakaway.

O’Rourke then made it 3-0 when his shot from the left point found its way through traffic and past Bennett 39 seconds later.

In addition to Kartye's two- goal performance, O'Rourke and Thompson also had two- point nights.

O'Rourke had a goal and an assist while Thompson assisted on a pair of goals.

The multi-point period from O’Rourke came after the veteran was hit with a 10-minute misconduct in the opening period during an altercation with Guelph’s Sasha Pastujov.

“He’s so passionate that sometimes it can come out in that way. Nobody had to say anything to Ryan,” Dean said. “He was well aware of the first period. That’s the kind of kid he is. He’s got the capability to park it and readjust and take over. His second period was fantastic.”

Tynan made 23 saves for the shutout.

The veteran netminder stopped 11 shots in the opening frame, which including Guelph having a 55-second two-man advantage.

“I know my teammates will be scoring goals and I just have to do my part,” Tynan said when asked about the opening period.

“Tucker has been great for about two months,” Dean said. “He’s on a really good stretch of really good hockey right now. He really calmed us down after a really jittery first period. To have him between the pipes and give us the confidence to settle into the game. That was really important.”

Bennett stopped 21 shots for the Storm

The series resumes on Saturday night in Sault Ste. Marie. Puck drop at the GFL Memorial Gardens is set for 7:07 p.m.

Notes: Prior to the game, the Greyhounds honoured local police officer Ryan Vendramin in a pregame ceremony.

Vendramin was shot in the line of duty in September 2021.