Early-game jitters overcome as Greyhounds pick up exhibition win

Goaltending turned into a difference-maker for the Soo Greyhounds on Saturday night.

Strong performances from Charlie Schenkel and Landon Miller helped the team to a 5-2 Ontario Hockey League exhibition victory over the Sudbury Wolves as the GFL Memorial Gardens.

Despite giving up a high number of scoring chances, the goaltending duo allowed the team to stay close with the Wolves before scoring four unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes to pick up the victory.

“It was a really good response in the third,” Greyhounds coach John Dean said. “It looked like the guys got the jitters out a bit. I still think we gave up quite a bit. It was a great job by our goaltenders giving us an opportunity to have a period where if we win it, we win the game.”

Schenkel stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced in just over 31 minutes of work for the Greyhounds in the win.

“Charlie was great,” Dean said. “If it’s not for Charlie, we’re not in that hockey game at all.”

“He looked really poised,” Dean added. “He looked big. He looked confident.”

Miller entered the game and stopped 13 of 14 shots the rest of the way.

“That’s his first Ontario Hockey League minutes,” Dean said. “We put him in a tough spot early. For half that second period, he was getting peppered and in the third period he had a lot of opportunities against as well. He gave us an opportunity to win.”

Wolves coach Craig Duncanson said he saw “lots of jump” from his team early on in the game.

“They were hungry,” Duncanson added. “We didn’t bury some chances that could have put the game a little bit more out of reach earlier.”

Dean said early on in the game, the Greyhounds looked unsure at times.

“There was a lot of circling,” Dean said. “We looked like we were not sure of what our routes should be on the forecheck and in turn on the way back what our routes should look like.”

With the home side taking the lead in the third, Duncanson called the Greyhounds “hungrier” in the period.

“We assisted on a couple of their goals,” Duncanson said. “It was turnovers and not getting our feet moving and not winning pucks. The Hounds were hungrier than us in the third period. They won the pucks then needed and they were relentless. We probably outplayed them for two periods, but these games are 60 minutes long.”

Sudbury opened the scoring midway through the opening period as Evan Konyen drove the net and redirected a pass in the slot from Michael Derbidge on the left wing past Sault starter Charlie Schenkel at 9:18,

With the Greyhounds on the power play late in the period, Bryce McConnell-Barker tied the game as he beat Sudbury netminder Drew Gaulton from the slot with 46 seconds to go in the frame.

Sudbury took a 2-1 just 1:41 into the third period when Alex Assadourian went to the net and took a pass from Nick DeGrazia before beating Landon Miller with a deke to the glove side in close.

On the next shift, the Greyhounds tied the game as overage defenceman Ryan Thompson took a shot from the right point that found its way through traffic and beat Sudbury netminder Nate Krawchuk. The goal came just 17 seconds after Assadourian gave Sudbury the lead.

Just 14 seconds after Thompson tied the game, Jordan D’Intino gave the Greyhounds a 3-2 lead as he broke down the left wing and had his initial shot from the left side stopped by Krawchuk. D’Intino proceeded to follow up the play put the puck up and over the Wolves goaltender.

Justin Cloutier made it 4-2 Greyhounds with 11:10 to go as he beat Krawchuk on a second chance in the slot after his initial shot was blocked by Sudbury defenceman Will Bishop. After the block, Cloutier grabbed the loose puck and beat the Wolves goaltender high glove side.

With 1:58 to go, Alex Kostov made it 5-2 Greyhounds as he beat Krawchuk with a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle.

D’Intino finished the night with a goal and two assists, but there were other things that stood out in the play of the veteran for his coach as well

“All those little things that help you win hockey games, he did that tonight and he was able to vocalize it to the rest of the group,” Dean said. “We need someone like that. We need someone to step up and be a vocal leader. If you’re going to be a vocal leader, you need to make sure that you model the behaviour, and he modeled it extraordinarily well and he’s going to get paid off because he’s got good skill.”

Thompson also had a multi-point night for the Greyhounds with a goal and an assist in the game.

Gaulton made 10 saves for the Wolves in two periods of work before Krawchuk entered the game for the third period and made nine saves in the final 20 minutes on 13 shots.

The Greyhounds return to action with a pair of games next weekend against the Saginaw Spirit.

The teams meet Friday night in Midland, Mich. before wrapping up the weekend set in Sault Ste. Marie the following night.