It was the last game of a three-game road trip and facing a team that was playing its third game in three days and starting well was imperative for the Soo Greyhounds.
An early 3-0 lead helped the Greyhounds wrap up weekend action with a 6-3 Ontario Hockey League win over the Mississauga Steelheads on Sunday afternoon at the Paramount Fine Food Centre in Mississauga.
In an opening period that saw the Greyhounds outshoot the Steelheads 15-11, the visitors opened up a 5-1 lead through 20 minutes, which included a pair of goals by Rory Kerins 27 seconds apart after Mississauga got on the board midway through the period.
“We were playing with poise and bearing down on what we got,” said Greyhounds forward Joe Carroll, who had a goal and an assist in the win. “We just played confident and played the way we should, and things were going right for us.”
“Anytime you have a team that’s (playing) three-in-three, the message to the group is that if you can get on them in the first 10 minutes, hopefully you can destroy their will a little bit and get them to sit back,” said Greyhounds coach John Dean. “We did a really good job in the first 10 minutes. We had a little bit of a lackadaisical response after the teddy bear toss but then a bounce-back in the last five minutes. Any time you can get off to a good start in this league and you’re not chasing, the kids tend to play with a lot more confidence.”
The goals would be of added importance after the Steelheads made things close with a pair of goals early in the third period to cut the Sault lead to 5-3 before the Greyhounds sealed the win with an empty net goal late.
For Kerins, capitalizing on chances was a good feeling.
“I haven’t been producing a lot (lately) but I’ve still been getting a lot of chances and opportunities, so it worked out,” Kerins said.
Sunday’s win caps off a three-win trip for the Greyhounds and gives the team a 6-3-1-0 record in its last 10 games.
“It’s a big momentum shift for our confidence,” Kerins said.
“We have to clean up a few things still, but it was a good performance for the three games, and we played pretty consistent,” Kerins also said.
“It shows a lot of character for our group to be able to come out with three wins,” Carroll said.
Billy Constantinou and Jaden Peca had two assists each for the Greyhounds while Alex Johnston, Jaromir Pytlik, and Tye Kartye had the other Sault goals.
Goaltender Bailey Brkin made 28 saves for the Greyhounds.
Keean Washkurak had a goal and an assist for the Steelheads. Cole Schwindt assisted on a pair of goals.
Thomas Harley and Aidan Prueter also scored.
Kai Edmonds got the start for Mississauga but was pulled in the opening period after giving up three goals on 10 shots.
Joe Ranger stopped 21 of 23 shots the rest of the way for the Steelheads.
With a 13-15-2-0 record following the weekend trip, the Greyhounds return to action on Wednesday night at home against the Sudbury Wolves. Puck drop at the GFL Memorial Gardens is set for 7:07 p.m. in the opening game of a three-game homestand for the club.
With the Sarnia Sting also in action on Sunday afternoon, picking up a 6-3 win over the Erie Otters, the win over the Steelheads took on added importance as the Greyhounds remain two points ahead of the Sting in the OHL’s West Division standings.
The Steelheads fall to 9-18-2-0 with the loss.
In other action around the OHL on Sunday, in Erie, Ben Gaudreau made 44 saves as the Sarnia Sting beat the Erie Otters 6-3. Jamieson Rees had a goal and two assists for the Storm. Ryan Roth chipped in with a pair of goals.
In Guelph, Cole Tymkin’s goal midway through the opening period was the eventual game-winner as the London Knights beat the Guelph Storm 3-1. Connor McMichael assisted on a pair of goals for London.
In North Bay, Ty Dellandrea had two goals and two assists as the Flint Firebird beat the North Bay Battalion 5-3. Cody Morgan assisted on three goals for the Firebirds. Brandon Coe scored twice for North Bay.
In Ottawa, five unanswered goals lifted the Ottawa 67’s to a 5-1 win over the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Gatineau Olympiques. Marco Rossi had a goal and two assists for Ottawa.
In Sudbury, David Levin had a pair of goals as the Sudbury Wolves beat the Barrie Colts 5-3. Quinton Byfield chipped in with a goal and an assist for the Wolves. Tyler Tucker had a pair goals for Barrie.