Hounds drop second straight to Saginaw (video)

It's a story that the Soo Greyhounds have already lived through this season.

Unable to get a complete team effort for the full game and the inability to create and finish scoring chances have the Hounds struggling through another slump.

On Sunday night at the Steelback Centre, the Soo Greyhounds dropped their fourth straight game and second consecutive to the Saginaw Spirit by a 2-1 score in front of 4,385 fans.

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Both teams played without a full lineup and the Spirit are feeling the loss of four key players for an extended period of time while the Hounds were without another key forward in Andrew Desjardins due to an injury.

Denny Lambert stepped behind the bench for the first of what is expected to be a nine-game stint as head coach of the Greyhounds while Craig Hartsburg is away coaching Canada's national junior team. Assistant coach Toots Kovacs also moves up to work with the defense.

Tempers from Friday night's contest in Saginaw spilled over early in this game as a pair of fights highlighted the first two minutes play. First, the Hounds' Brad Good squared off with Matt Corrente off the opening faceoff before James Livingston scrapped Christopher Breen two minutes later.

After a tight checking first period, the Spirit opened the scoring 1:49 into the second period as Chris Chappell fired a quick shot over the shoulder of Kyle Gajewski. Midway through the frame, Patrick Asselin notched his 12th goal of the year for a 2-0 Saginaw lead.

In the third period, the Greyhounds struggled to create offense until the final minutes of regulation time when the locals finally solved Spirit goaltender Ryan Daniels. Cody Thornton tipped home his 17th goal of the year on the power play with 2:30 remaining to cut the lead down to a single goal.

But the goal came too little too late as Daniels shut the door on the pressing Hounds over the final 150 seconds to preserve Saginaw's victory.

Daniels stopped 25 of 26 Greyhound shots while Gajewski faced 19 Saginaw shots.

The Greyhounds are back in action with three games in three nights on the road next weekend. On Friday, the Hounds visit Mississauga before meeting Belleville on Saturday and the Kitchener Rangers on Sunday.

Following the road trip, the Hounds will enjoy a holiday break at home with their families before reconvening for a game in Saginaw on Thursday, Dec. 28.

Next action at the Steelback Centre is Friday, Dec. 29 as the Sarnia Sting visit for a 7:30 p.m. start while the Rangers visit for a Matinee affair on New Year's Eve at 2 p.m. The tilts begin a six-game homestand that stretches until Jan. 13.

*** GAME NOTES:

* The Greyhounds dressed only 17 skaters as Desjardins was scratched due to a knee injury. Jiri Tlusty remains sidelined with an ankle injury while Jacob Lalonde continues to rehabilitate his severed Achilles. David Kuchejda is also absent while trying out for the Czech Republic.

* Tyler Cuthbert celebrated his 150th Ontario Hockey League game, all with the Hounds, on Friday in Saginaw.

* The Saginaw Spirit dressed only 16 skaters as four regulars are out of the lineup and three are attending World Junior tryout camp. Patrick McNeill, Ryan O'Marra and Tom Pyatt are trying out for Team Canada.

* Payton Liske, who left the Greyhounds last month in a dispute over his role with the team and playing time, was picked up last week by the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for cash. Liske cleared OHL waivers.

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Click here to view SooToday video highlight reel