If there is anyone who understands what the Soo Greyhounds are going through right now, it's the 1988 Oshawa Generals. The '88 Generals were the last team to lose an Ontario Hockey League playoff series after taking a 3-0 series lead.
The 2004-05 Soo Greyhounds will now be added to that list after dropping a heartbreaking 3-2 decision in double overtime at the hands of the Windsor Spitfires in game seven of their Western Conference quarterfinal playoff series.
The Hounds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, outshooting the Spitfires 23-11 in the period, but gave up a pair of second period goals as the Spitfires stepped up their game en route to the overtime victory.
"We ran into that this year," said Hounds coach Craig Hartsburg. "We became a good team (this year) but to take the next step you've got to be able to sustain intensity and stay with it when the other team raises their game. This series showed that and this game epitomized this series."
The Hounds came out of the gate quickly peppering Windsor goaltender Kyle Knechtel in the opening period and building the early lead, thanks in large part to Jeff Carter.
At 2:36, Carter skated into the Windsor zone and rang a shot off the crossbar and in past Knechtel to stake the Hounds to the early lead.
Then, at the midway point of the period and with the Greyhounds on the man-advantage, Carter broke down the left wing and directed a shot towards the Windsor goal that deflected off Spitfires defenceman Mitch Maunu's stick and past Knechtel for a 2-0 Greyhounds lead.
In the second period, the Spitfires got on the scoreboard when Brett Liscomb beat Hounds goaltender Kyle Gajewski at 2:51 to cut the Greyhounds lead in half. Steve Downie, who had become a thorn in the side of the Greyhounds and their fans, then tied the game with under five minutes left in the period as he knocked a rebound past Gajewski at 15:40.
The two teams traded some chances in the third period but could not settle things, sending the game into overtime.
In the first overtime, both teams had their share of chances, but both Gajewski and Knechtel stood tall, turning back the best offensive chances thrown at them.
Just 33 seconds into the second overtime, John Scott Dickson got the puck at the side of the Greyhounds goal and, while trying to centre the puck, had it go off a skate in front of the net and past Gajewski to give the Spitfires the miracle comeback as they win the game 3-2 and the series 4-3.
"It's disappointing for everybody," said Hartsburg. "To lose three games in overtime, you know you have a chance to win every one of them. They got the bounce in the three overtime games and we didn't."
"I don't think I can (put it into words)," added Hounds captain Jeff Carter. "We blew it. It's not a very good feeling right now."
Hartsburg added that he was thankful for the effort all season from many of his older players, some of whom played their last games as members of the Greyhounds on Tuesday night.
Brody Todd, Reg Thomas and Blair Jarrett all officially played their last games as Greyhounds on Tuesday while Carter, Jordan Smith, Martin Tuma and Jakub Cech are all 19 and could pursue other options next year.
"They gave us everything they had," Hartsburg said of the group. "Blair Jarrett, I couldn't ask for anything more from him. In this playoff series, he emptied his tank for us. All our older kids, we wish them well and thank them for their efforts.
"Jeff (Carter) has played a lot of hockey for us," Hartsburg added. "He's played a lot of top notch hockey for this organization in four years. He's a great kid and I feel bad for him and Smitty (Jordan Smith) because they're going to leave the Sault and not have a playoff win.
"Those two kids gave everything they had to the organization for the four years they were here. They went through some really crappy times and it would have been easy for them as top players to ask to be traded but they stayed here and stuck it out and did everything they could to help us win."
With the series win, the Spitfires will now prepare to face the Western Conference champion London Knights in a series set to begin on Thursday night in Windsor.
*** OHL PLAYOFF SUMMARY:
Eastern Conference Series "A" Mississauga IceDogs vs. Toronto St. Michael's Majors (Toronto wins series 4-1) Game 1 - Toronto 3, MISSISSAUGA 1 Game 2 - Mississauga 6, TORONTO 2 Game 3 - Toronto 3, MISSISSAUGA 2 Game 4 - TORONTO 3, Mississauga 1 Game 5 - Toronto 2, MISSISSAUGA 1
Series "B" Peterborough Petes vs. Belleville Bulls (Peterborough wins series 4-1) Game 1 - PETERBOROUGH 5, Belleville 0 Game 2 - Peterborough 3, BELLEVILLE 2 Game 3 - PETERBOROUGH 4, Belleville 1 Game 4 - BELLEVILLE 4, Peterborough 3 (OT) Game 5 - PETERBOROUGH 4, Belleville 1
Series "C" Barrie Colts vs. Ottawa 67's (Ottawa wins series 4-2) Game 1 - Ottawa 5, BARRIE 4 Game 2 - BARRIE 4, Ottawa 1 Game 3 - OTTAWA 3, Barrie 2 Game 4 - OTTAWA 6, Barrie 4 Game 5 - BARRIE 3, Ottawa 2 Game 6 - OTTAWA 8, Barrie 2
Series "D" Brampton Battalion vs. Sudbury Wolves (Sudbury wins series 4-2) Game 1 - Sudbury 3, BRAMPTON 2 (OT) Game 2 - SUDBURY 4, Brampton 1 Game 3 - BRAMPTON 4, Sudbury 3 Game 4 - SUDBURY 2, Brampton 1 Game 5 - BRAMPTON 4, Sudbury 2 Game 6 - SUDBURY 5, Brampton 4 (OT)
Western Conference
London Knights vs. Guelph Storm (London wins series 4-0) Game 1 - LONDON 3, Guelph 2 Game 2 - London 2, GUELPH 1 Game 3 - LONDON 5, Guelph 1 Game 4 - London 5, GUELPH 2
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. Windsor Spitfires (Windsor wins series 4-3) Game 1 - SAULT STE. MARIE 5, Windsor 0 Game 2 - SAULT STE. MARIE 3, Windsor 1 Game 3 - Sault Ste. Marie 2, WINDSOR 1 Game 4 - WINDSOR 4, Sault Ste. Marie 3 (OT) Game 5 - Windsor 6, SAULT STE. MARIE 5 (OT) Game 6 - WINDSOR 4, Sault Ste. Marie 3 Game 7 - Windsor 3, SAULT STE. MARIE 2 (2OT)
Owen Sound Attack vs. Plymouth Whalers (Owen Sound wins series 4-0) Game 1 - OWEN SOUND 1, Plymouth 0 Game 2 - Owen Sound 6, PLYMOUTH 1 Game 3 - OWEN SOUND 5, Plymouth 0 Game 4 - Owen Sound 7, PLYMOUTH 2
Kitchener Rangers vs. Erie Otters (Kitchener wins series 4-2) Game 1 - Erie 2, KITCHENER 1 (OT) Game 2 - ERIE 4, Kitchener 2 Game 3 - KITCHENER 4, Erie 3 (OT) Game 4 - Kitchener 3, ERIE 2 (OT) Game 5 - KITCHENER 5, Erie 2 Game 6 - Kitchener 3, ERIE 2
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