OHL Soo Greyhounds

Guertler, Hounds Wear Down Short-Staffed Whalers in Win

December 10, 2014 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Soo Greyhounds News Release


SAULT STE. MARIE, ON- It was a positive return home for the Soo Greyhounds on Wednesday Night.

Playing at home for just the third time in twelve starts, the Hounds broke open the game against a injury-riddled Plymouth Whalers over the last half the game before posting a 5-1 victory.

The visitors had seven scratches due to injury, and entered the game with a short bench.

Plymouth's only goal of the game came just under a minute into the first period (59 seconds) when the puck was misplayed at the side of the Hounds goal resulting in Matt Mistele depositing his 21st goal into an empty net for a 1-0 lead.

Connor Sills looked to increase the Whalers lead, stripping a Hounds defenceman with twelve minutes to go before shooting wide while going to the other end of the ice BRYAN MOORE worked through the Plymouth defence but a pad stop by Alex Nedeljkovic kept the Hounds off the board.

The game pulled even on the Hounds first power play at 8:37 when SERGEY TOLCHINSKY set-up GABE GUERTLER for a one-time goal and a tied game.

For Guertler it was his 17th goal of the season and GUSTAV BOURAMMAN picked up the other assist as the two sides sat even (1-1) through the first period.

A power play midway through the second period provided offensive chances for the Hounds including a scramble in front by GUERTLER and KEIGAN GOETZ just as time expired on the man advantage.

Then with 9:05 to go, ZACH SENYSHYN broke wide on the right wing catching a Whaler defenceman turning only to be stopped by a sprawling Nedeljkovic and his stick.

The Hounds took their first lead, and posted the game winner on their fifth power play of the night.

At 13:56, JARED MCCANN let a hard shot go off the left wing, with the rebound coming off the blocker of the Whaler goaltender, SENYSHYN was there to put in his 8th goal of the season for the Hounds 2-1 lead through two periods.

The goal came on the Hounds 27th shot of the game.

"Very good. I don't know how many shots there were against, I think how many there were 75% of them came from outside the blue line" began Hounds Head Coach Sheldon Keefe when asked post-game how good his team was over the final forty minutes.

"I think in the second and third period we might have had one scoring chance against, so it was a good effort by our guys. And that's been what's going on. We've been playing games like that on the road. It's nice to come back and get one on home ice" he continued.

As offensive chances filled the opening minutes of the third period, the Hounds would break the game open with three goals in the opening 10:44 of the period.

GABE GUERTLER notched his second of the game at the three minute mark skating around the goal and directing the puck off a Whaler rearguard and past Nedeljkovic.

"I think that was definitely a big one. The way we were playing, we had a sense it was going to be hard for them to generate much and if we could start to pull away, with their short bench and everything, that we would really take the wind out of their sails" said Keefe of the importance of the Guertler goal.

Then BRYAN MOORE made it 4-1 at 5:53 tipping a left point of KYLE JENKINS before TYLER GANLY's high point shot at 10:44 rounded out the scoring in the 5-1 win for the Hounds.

The victory improved the Hounds record to 22-6-0-2 on the season heading into Friday Night's visit by the Kingston Frontenacs.

The game, set for a 7:07 p.m. puck drop, is Kingston's only regular season visit to Sault Ste. Marie.

Tickets are on-sale Thursday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Friday from 10 a.m. through game time, online at www.essarcentre.ca or by phone at 1.866.775.9422.

GAME NOTE;

*Veterans DARNELL NURSE (leaves for WJHC Thursday), JEAN DUPUY (injured) and MICHAEL BUNTING (suspension) were out of the the line-up for the Hounds.

Bunting, was issued a 10-game league-imposed suspension earlier in the day and subsequently will not return to the line-up until January 9th @ Saginaw.

The suspension comes as a result of a 5-minute Interference major received in Sunday's game (Dec. 7) at Sarnia,

ATTENDANCE - 4,202

RED STAR THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1- SSM, Zach Senyshyn

2- SSM, Gabe Guertler

3- SSM, Gustav Bouramman

Check out the Soo Greyhounds Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 10, 2014


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