Greyhounds continue to roll (13 photos)

The Soo Greyhounds are proving that a consistent effort can go a long way, especially in winning hockey games.

Thanks to a strong all-around effort, the Greyhounds came away with a much needed win as they defeated the Windsor Spitfires 5-3 in front of a crown of over 3,900 strong.

With five wins in their past seven games, the win helps the Greyhounds to pull within one point of the Spitfires for the final playoff spot in the Ontario Hockey League's Western Conference, with one game in hand.

The two teams split a pair of goals through the first period as each team managed to find the back of the net twice. Greyhounds captain Tyler Kennedy got the ball rolling at 4:13, allowing the Hounds to take the lead.

Just over a minute later, the Spitfires Patrick Davis beat Hounds goaltender Kyle Gajewski. Exactly one minute after that, Kevin Hudes gave the Spitfires a 2-1 lead.

Later in the period, Matt Lyall scored his first goal as a Greyhound to send the game into the second period with the scored tied up.

In the second period, it was a period of firsts for two Greyhound players. Fourth-line winger Alex Penner scored his first Ontario Hockey League goal at 9:57 to give the Hounds another lead.

Then, with just over five minutes remaining in the period, defenceman Andrew Campbell scored his first career OHL goal, giving the Hounds some breathing room.

They would need that breathing room in the third period as Ryan Garlock pulled the Spitfires to within one as 4:17 while the Spitfires were on a two-man advantage. David Kuchejda sealed the win for the Hounds.

"The biggest thing right now is we're getting points, spread out, from everyone," said Hounds coach Denny Lambert, who will serve as head coach for this weekend's games before Craig Hartsburg retakes the helm after winning gold at the World Junior Tournament.

"To be successful that's what you need. You can never rely on one or two guys to win it for you every single night. The older guys are leading the way and the young guys are doing what they have to do to make an impact."

Lambert was happy that forward Alex Penner was able to get his first goal as well in the win.

"I felt as good as every fan in here (for him)," Lambert said. "To see him get rewarded is a great thing. We're excited for him."

The Greyhounds now sit one point behind the Windsor Spitfires for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and also have one game in hand. The Greyhounds also pulled to within one point of the Erie Otters, who sit in the seventh seed. The Otters, though, have two games in hand on the Greyhounds.

The Greyhounds will play their game in hand on Saturday night when they host the Plymouth Whalers in a 7:30 p.m. start.

*** AROUND THE OHL:

AT SAGINAW: Jesse Gimblett scored the shootout winner as the Saginaw Spirit defeated the Sarnia Sting 6-5. Chad Painchaud had two goals and two assists for Sarnia. Chris Chappell had two goals while Patrick McNeill had a goal and two assists for Saginaw. Michal Birner added three assists for the Spirit.

AT SUDBURY: John Vigilante had a goal and two assists to lead the Plymouth Whalers to a 5-1 win over the Sudbury Wolves. Dan Collins also had two assists for the Whalers.

AT OTTAWA: Bryan Bickell led the way with a goal and two assists in the Ottawa 67's 7-2 romp over the Erie Otters. Matt Lahey, Chris Hulit and Julian Talbot each had a goal and an assists in the win.

AT MISSISSAUGA: Billy Burke had a goal and two assists as the Barrie Colts skated past the Mississauga IceDogs 7-4. Hunter Tremblay had three assist for the Colts while Jordan Owens had a goal and an assist for the IceDogs.

AT LONDON: David Bolland had two goals in his first game back from the World Junior Tournament to lead the London Knights to a 6-1 win over the Belleville Bulls. Dylan Hunter added a goal and two assists in the win.

AT KITCHENER: Dan Turple stopped all 27 shots he faced as the Kitchener Rangers blanked the Peterborough Petes 4-0. David Lomas had two goals for the Rangers.

AT KINGSTON: A pair of goals and an assist from Chris Stewart led the Kingston Frontenacs to a 5-1 win over the Oshawa Generals. Bobby Hughes added a goal and two assists in the win.

AT GUELPH: Wojtek Wolski led the Brampton Battalion to a 5-1 win over the Guelph Storm with a goal and three assists. Michael Vernace added a goal and two assists in the win.

(Photos courtesy of Jim Egan.)