For a road game in a tough building, there were a lot of positives to be taken from it.
The Soo Greyhounds scored twice in the third period to pick up a 5-3 Ontario Hockey League victory over the London Knights Friday night at Budweiser Gardens in London.
Sophomore forward Joe Carroll redirected a point shot by defenceman Jordan Sambrook with 4:20 to go in regulation time to put the Greyhounds ahead 4-3 and lift the team to the victory.
“Cole (MacKay) put it low to high and Sammy (Jordan Sambrook) had it at the point and everybody went to the net,” Carroll said of the game-winner. “I just happened to get a stick on it.”
The goal came after the Knights had tied the game at three early in the frame.
“The coaches came in (in the second intermission) and recognized what happened in the second period and they got us to regroup and we reacted good in the third,” Carroll said. “We really came together and that showed some really good character.”
“I told the guys after the game that it would have been really easy when they tied it up at three to let the crowd take over,” said Greyhounds Coach John Dean.
“We played our best hockey after that,” Dean added. “I feel better about the win considering the way we played after they tied it up.”
MacKay scored a pair of goals for the Greyhounds and assisted Carroll’s game-winner.
“Being able to play a regular shift this year and get out there and contribute every shift is important,” MacKay said, calling it a great thrill to score twice “especially in this rink. It’s one of the best in the league.”
Greyhounds goaltender Matthew Villalta made 32 saves, including 17 in the second period with the Knights pressing.
“The result wouldn’t have been the same without him in the net,” Dean said. “In the second period he was phenomenal.
“(London) had a couple of power plays and some good chances and without (Villalta) calming things down, we don’t come out with two points,” Dean added.
Carroll and Morgan Frost added a goal and an assist each. Keeghan Howdeshell had the other goal for the Greyhounds. Sambrook and Ryan Roth set up a pair of goals each.
Cole Tymkin had a goal and an assist for the Knights. Alec Regula assisted on a pair of goals. Antonio Stranges and Connor McMichael also scored for London.
Goaltender Joseph Raaymakers made 23 saves.
“We ran into a hot goaltender,” Tymkin told RogersTV following the game. “We generated a lot of scoring chances and it just came down to putting the puck in the net.”
The Greyhounds wrap up weekend action on Saturday night in Sarnia against the Sting. Puck drop at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia is set for 7:05 p.m.
In other action around the OHL on Friday night, in Mississauga, Owen Tippett had three goals and an assist as the Mississauga Steelheads beat the Erie Otters 6-1. Ryan Wells set up three goals for the Steelheads.
In St. Catharines, Stephen Dhillon made 29 saves as the Niagara IceDogs beat the Kingston Frontenacs 3-1. Brendan Bonello made 33 saves for Kingston.
In Sudbury, five unanswered goals were the difference as the Sudbury Wolves beat the Oshawa Generals 5-2. Shane Bulitka had a goal and three assists.
In Sarnia, Calvin Martin had a goal and an assist as the Sarnia Sting beat the Flint Firebirds 4-1. Flint goaltender Emanuel Vella made 47 saves.
In Kitchener, Luke Richardson stopped 31 shots as the Kitchener Rangers beat the Ottawa 67’s 5-1. Chase Campbell and Jonathan Yantsis had a goal and an assist each for the Rangers.
In Guelph, Isaac Ratcliffe had two goals and an assist as the Guelph Storm beat the Owen Sound Attack 6-2. Daniil Chayka and Liam Hawel added a goal and an assist each for Guelph.