Facing a short turnaround after what John Dean said was the Soo Greyhounds best game all season, it was clear Sunday that fatigue set in.
After a loss to the Barrie Colts on Saturday night in Barrie, the Greyhounds dropped a 6-0 decision Sunday afternoon to the Oshawa Generals at Oshawa’s Tribute Communities Centre.
Dean said a goal by the Generals early on in the game took something out of the Greyhounds and the team wasn’t able to fully recover. Combined with a goal later in the period and a pair of quick goals in period two, the Greyhounds couldn’t claw their way back into the game after getting off to a seemingly good start.
“I really liked our start,” Dean said. “The first goal, a really flukey goal, a really tough bounce that goes in the back of our net. You could see the pin go in the balloon right off the hop there.”
Dean did say he was “really impressed with how hard we worked from whistle to whistle.”
“I’ve got guys competing right until the final whistle creating opportunities to score, I’m impressed with this group,” he added. “I’m happy with the compete. We had a difficult time handling their speed in transition, especially given the lack of rest.”
Dean said there was “no question” that mental and physical fatigue played a part in Sunday’s game.
“You have arguably the best two teams in the Eastern Conference in Barrie and Oshawa. We play a phenomenal game against Barrie and end up on the wrong side of it,” Dean said. “We get in late because of the weather and Oshawa didn’t play (Saturday). They’re very good in transition. They’re fast. They’re strong. There’s no doubt that mental (and physical) fatigue played a part in today’s game.”
While he felt the Greyhounds compete level in the game wasn’t an issue, Sault captain Caeden Carlisle agreed that the Greyhounds didn’t make life easy for goaltender Landon Miller.
“They did get a lot of shots and a lot of Grade A’s,” Carlisle said. “That’s breakdowns in the D zone.”
Oshawa opened the scoring after Anthony Figliomeni scored on a loose puck from the slot after Ethan Toms skated down the right wing and attempted to make a pass into the slot that was partially blocked and wound up on Figliomeni’s stick at 11:19.
Ethan Martin made it a 2-0 game at 13:26 as he took a pass in the slot from Calum Ritchie after the latter forced a turnover near the Sault net. Martin beat Miller glove side on the play, which came moments after a defensive zone faceoff win by the Greyhounds.
Beckett Sennecke extended the lead further in the second period as he batted in a loose puck at 16:55 after a shot from the high slot by Ritchie initially on the play hit a body at the edge of the crease in front of Miller.
Just 1:02 later, Noah Powell hit Lauri Sinivuori with a cross-slot pass and Sinivuori beat Miller from the left circle to make it a 4-0 game.
After having a goal called back due to goaltender interference earlier in the frame, Colby Barlow made it a 5-0 game at 6:27 of the third period when he beat Miller with a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle on a one-timer off a pass from Sennecke.
Owen Griffin capped off the scoring at 16:31, scoring on a loose puck at the side of the goal moments after a chance on a backhand by Powell was unsuccessful.
Miller made 37 saves for the Sault in the loss.
Sennecke and Barlow had a goal and an assist each for the Generals.
Ritchie and Powell also had two-point days for Oshawa with a pair of assists each.
Jacob Oster picked up the shutout for Oshawa with 28 saves.
The Greyhounds return home for a midweek game on Wednesday night against the Saginaw Spirit before heading back out on the road for three games next weekend.
The Greyhounds remain two points up on the Owen Sound Attack for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference after the Attack also lost on Sunday afternoon, dropping a 4-2 decision at home against the Kingston Frontenacs.
Following Sunday’s result, the Greyhounds fall to 20-29-1-1 on the season.
In a battle for top spot in the Eastern Conference, Oshawa improves to 31-15-3-2 with Sunday’s win.
Both teams were minus some veterans in the game.
Nolan Lalonde, Owen Allard, and Christopher Brown remained out for the Greyhounds due to injuries.
For the Generals, veterans Ben Danford and Luke Torrance were out due to injury
Tyler O’Toole and David Svozil also missed the game for the Generals due to suspensions.