It wasn’t a great start but once the Soo Greyhounds got their feet under them, they took advantage of a shorthanded Flint Firebirds hockey club.
The Firebirds, playing with just 14 skaters due to injuries and a pair of players away, opened up a 2-0 lead on the Greyhounds in the opening 12 minutes of action, only to see the Greyhounds break the game open with six consecutive goals en route to a 9-3 Ontario Hockey League win on Wednesday night at the GFL Memorial Gardens.
The Greyhounds took the game over with five goals in the second period, a frame that saw the home team outshoot its opponent 20-6.
“We got our legs under us in the second period and started to play our system,” said overage defenceman Jordan Sambrook, who had two goals and an assist for the Greyhounds.
“It showed how good a team we can be when we play together,” Sambrook also said.
After a tough opening period, the message was simple for period two.
“We got back to playing our way,” Sambrook said. “We were a little lackadaisical. (Flint) came really hard and took it to us (in the first period).”
For Greyhounds Coach John Dean, the message prior to puck drop was to take advantage of a team that has struggled and was very short due to injuries.
“The message to our team was to get pucks behind their defencemen early and go to work,” Dean said. “We didn’t do that and that’s something we’re not happy about. Our response in the second and third period was really good.”
“The response in the second period was outstanding,” Dean also said.
The first intermission was a time that the Greyhounds talked about the “big picture.”
“We talked to (the players) about being a big-picture team,” Dean said. “For us it was good habits, good process, and good structure for a full 60 minutes. We didn’t achieve the 20 so we asked them to give us 40 and give each other 40 and they answered the bell.”
Dean agreed that the Greyhounds start came from taking the Firebirds lightly.
“We took them lightly in the first 20 minutes and that’s a team that works exceptionally hard,” Dean said.
Rory Kerins and Barrett Hayton had a goal and two assists each while Dominic Mufarreh and Keeghan Howdeshell had a goal and an assist each.
Cullen McLean, Cole MacKay and Ryan Roth also scored for the Greyhounds.
Zack Trott and Brett Jacklin assisted on two goals each.
Greyhounds goaltender Ethan Taylor made 18 saves.
Jacob Winterton had a goal and an assist for Flint. Jake Durham and Eric Uba also scored.
Overage goaltender Emanuel Vella got the start for the Firebirds but was pulled after giving up five goals, including four in the second period, on 29 shots.
Luke Cavallin entered the game in relief and stopped 13 of 17 shots the rest of the way.
“In the first period we were really good,” said Firebirds Coach Eric Wellwood.
“The Sault turned up their game (in the second period),” Wellwood also said. “We didn’t match their intensity and we started watching. Hockey is a game of 60 minutes and we played 20.”
Wellwood did credit the effort of the Firebirds, despite the result.
“It’s not an effort problem,” Wellwood said.
Wellwood took over behind the bench of the Firebirds after Ryan Oulahen stepped down for personal reasons. The new coach has had two practices with the team and has yet to ice a full lineup since taking over due to injuries to a number of veteran players including defencemen Dennis Busby and Riley McCourt along with veteran forwards Connor Roberts and Jack Phibbs.
For the Greyhounds, Roman Pucek and Tye Kartye remained out of the lineup due to injury. Dean said both players remain day-to-day.
Rookie defenceman Ryan O’Rourke missed the game as he prepares for the upcoming World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
The Greyhounds improve to 11-3-3-0 while Flint remains winless at 0-14-1-0.
Next up for the Greyhounds is a home game at the GFL Memorial Gardens on Friday night against the Guelph Storm. Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m.
The game will be the second meeting in less than a week between the two clubs. The Storm beat the Greyhounds 4-3 in overtime on Sunday afternoon at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph. The Storm opened up a 3-0 lead in the game before the Greyhounds battled back to force the extra frame.