Greyhounds look to learn from tough start in regular season opener

There are sometimes different ways of learning for Ontario Hockey League players.

Some are what coaches call teaching moments while others come by way of experience. The Soo Greyhounds got a little bit of both on Friday night in their regular season opener at the GFL Memorial Gardens.

The Greyhounds fell behind 4-0 through one period before making the game close in what was ultimately a 6-4 loss to the Saginaw Spirit.

Greyhounds coach John Dean was asked the recovery of his team from falling behind early and said he was “super happy with this group.”

“To spot a team 4-0 like that with some youthful mistakes and I thought we could have got one from (goaltender Landon Miller) and he knows that, but to go down 4-0 and respond the way we did in the second period…I’m pretty proud of the guys,” Dean said.

“(Saturday), these guys are going to get a ton of positive video,” Dean added. “I’m proud of our response, (but) we need to learn from our young mistakes.”

Dean called the opening period one in which his team, specifically the Greyhounds young players, could learn through experiencing OHL play.

“You need to go through it,” Dean said. “We’re not giving teaching lessons for those mistakes. Those guys learned them.”

Dean said the current Greyhound team will be one that’s judged more than just on wins and losses this season and also talked about how “the learning was our identity.”

“(In the) second period (we were) on top of pucks, smothering, good forecheck, moving pucks quickly,” Dean said. “We learned that that is what brings us success. Those individual mistakes, we learn on our own. They’re not going to see those tomorrow.”

“The learning is, what do we need to do to be successful? That came in the second period mostly obviously,” Dean added. “We also don’t want to be sitting here everyday talking about one good period.”

After what he called a “good start” by his team, Saginaw coach Chris Lazary said the game was “a typical Sault Ste. Marie game in my mind.”

“A chaotic environment, typical for being up here, but credit to the Sault,” Lazary said. “They could have easily folded, and they put a push on and made it real interesting. We got some lucky plays there to keep it a two-goal lead.”

Saginaw got on the board first after a turnover by Greyhounds defenceman Keegan Gillen. Spirit forward Michael Misa then hit Kristian Epperson with a breakaway pass and the latter proceeded to beat Greyhounds Landon Miller high stick side at 5:24.

The Spirit added to the lead thanks to a power play marker as Misa poked in a loose puck in tight after Miller initially stopped a redirection in close by Epperson at 7:02.

The next shift saw the Spirit pull further ahead as Misa redirected a shot in close past Miller off a shot by Josh Glavin 21 seconds later.

Misa then capped off the opening period scoring with another power play goal as he beat Miller from the right faceoff circle on a pass from Epperson at 18:16.

The Greyhounds got on the board midway through the second period as David Holub took a shot from the right faceoff circle that handcuffed Spirit goaltender Andrew Oke to make it a 4-1 game.

Just 24 seconds later, Brady Smith deflected a Caeden Carlisle shot past Oke that was reviewed, but ultimately called a good goal and would pull the Greyhounds to within two goals.

Saginaw made it a 5-2 game 2:01 into thew third period as Carson Harmer beat Greyhounds goaltender Charlie Schenkel from the left circle after his initial shot was partially blocked and rebounded off the end boards.

The Greyhounds pulled back to within two just over five minutes later as Carson Andrew scored on a rebound after Brady Martin’s initial shot from the right faceoff circle was partially blocked by Spirit forward Ethan Hay.

With Schenkel on the bench for an extra attacker Spirit defenceman Will Bishop scored an empty net goal to make it 6-3 with 2:48 to go.

Martin capped off the scoring for the Greyhounds with 1:12 to go in the game as he beat Oke with a shot from the slot on the power play through a block attempt by a Saginaw defenceman.

Martin finished the night with a goal and two assists for the Greyhounds. Smith and Andrew added a goal and an assist while Travis Hayes assisted on a pair of goals.

Miller stopped seven of the 11 shots he faced in the opening period for the Greyhounds. Schenkel stopped 16 of the 17 shots he faced the rest of the way for the home team.

For the Spirit, Oke stopped 27 shots.

Misa had a four-point night for the Spirit with three goals and an assist in the victory. Epperson chipped in with a goal and a pair of assists. Calem Mangone assisted on three goals for Saginaw.

Veteran forward Marco Mignosa missed Friday’s game due to illness.

Dean said he didn’t think Mignosa would be able to play Saturday when the team returns to action against the Sudbury Wolves.