Hounds gain split after big win in Ottawa

At a time when their offense was cold and their top offensive player has left the team for seemingly the next month, the Soo Greyhounds responded with a seven-goal outburst in the nation's capital.

Led by two unassisted goals from Jason Pitton, who was named the game's first star, the Greyhounds defeated the Ottawa 67's 7-3 on Sunday afternoon.

The win gives the Greyhounds a record of two wins and two losses to split their four-game road swing through Eastern Ontario.

The Greyhounds will also return home from playing four games in five days in first place in the Ontario Hockey League's west division with a 14-14-5 record after the Windsor Spitfires settled for a 4-4 tie in Brampton on Sunday.

The locals have a single point advantage over the Spitfires and hold a game in hand although the Plymouth Whalers are lurking three points behind with two games in hand on the Greyhounds.

Sunday's contest was the first of an extended stretch without Jeff Carter, as the team captain joined the national junior team training camp on Saturday. With Carter almost a guarantee to secure a spot, the team will be without his services for seven more games.

To make matter worse, the Greyhounds entered the game with a struggling offense. The team had only managed four goals in the previous three games on the road trip .

But the Greyhounds responded in Carter's absence and picked up the offensive slack and then some with the win in front of 8,618 fans at the Ottawa Civic Centre.

Blair Jarrett's 12th goal of the season put the Hounds ahead 1-0 before the 67's rebounded with a pair of goals from Julian Talbot and Mark Mancari to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

The Greyhounds took over in the second period as Matt Puntureri scored 2:29 in before Pitton scored his first of the game just six seconds later to put the team ahead 3-2. Tyler Kennedy added his 10th goal of the season late in the frame.

Pitton, who now has 12 goals on the year, opened the third period by scoring a nifty goal on Ottawa netminder Anthony Guadagnolo just 46 seconds in.

Brody Todd scored for the 67's midway through the period before Reg Thomas scored his 10th of the season and Andrew Desjardins his sixth to cap the scoring.

Jamie VanderVeeken picked up his first two points as a Greyhound with a pair of assists. Jarrett also setup a pair of goals while Desjardins added one helper.

Sault native Chris Hulit replied with a two assist effort for the 67's.

Jakub Cech recorded the win in goal by stopping 35 of 38 shots. The Greyhounds fired 43 shots on Guadagnolo.

After returning home to regroup, the Hounds will head back out on the road for three games on consecutive days next weekend.

The Greyhounds visit the Guelph Storm on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and the Erie Otters on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. before heading back up to Toronto on Sunday for their final game before the holiday break against the St. Michael's Majors at 2 p.m.

Next home action for the Greyhounds is Tuesday, December 28 against the Saginaw Spirit at 7 p.m. at Memorial Gardens.