OHL Soo Greyhounds

Puck Possession & Power Play Pace Game 2 Victory

Published on March 28, 2015 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Soo Greyhounds News Release


SAULT STE. MARIE, ON- Like Game 1 of their Western Conference Quarter-Final with Saginaw, the first period was held even until around the midway point of the first period.

But that is where the similarities ended.

The Greyhounds scored four times in the first period, three of which were on the man advantage, to take control of the game through twenty-minutes and before posting an 8-2 victory and extending their lead in the series.

"We're playing against a very young team, that's the way the games should go. They made it really hard on us yesterday (Friday), credit to them, and it forced us to get better and we thought we had better in us and we showed it today" started Hounds Head Coach Sheldon Keefe when asked if the first two period were the best forty minutes his team has played this season.

"Today is over with and i'm sure we are going to see more of the type of team we saw in Saginaw in Game 1 when to their building on Tuesday. We will bank this, watch it, we'll see what we are capable of and show them that but we're back to zeros and have to start all over again on Tuesday" he added.

Saginaw had a hard time controlling the Greyhounds speed, and puck possession resulting in the only (five) power plays in the first period.

With three seconds remaining on a Vladislav Kodola minor penalty BRYAN MOORE would open up the scoring for the home side.

ZACH SENYSHYN moved the puck from behind the net and out front to MOORE who notched his 2nd goal in as many nights past Evan Cormier for the 1-0 lead.

And while the Hounds had built up the short count for the home side, they kept Saginaw shotless through the opening ten minutes of the period.

Three minutes after taking the 1-0 lead, ANTHONY DEANGELO skated the puck in close before setting up JUSTIN BAILEY on the opposite side of the goal for his 2nd post-season tally and a two goal lead.

At 16:30, the Hounds would win the draw inside the Spirit zone and quickly set-up a one-time shot by NICK RITCHIE (his first of the playoffs) to increase their lead to three goal.

The goal was the second for the Hounds on the man advtange.

Then with under two minutes to play, and again on the power play, SERGEY TOLCHINSKY moved the puck from behind the net, and to the slot where MICHAEL BUNTING roofed it in for his 2nd goal of the series.

The Hounds outshot Saginaw 24-3 in the first period and led by a 4-0 score.

Less than two minutes into the second period, GUSTAV BOURAMMAN moved the puck to NICK RITCHIE who drove the goal before setting up ZACH SENYSHYN for his 2nd goal of the playoffs and a 5-0 Greyhound lead.

Saginaw would get on the board under three minutes later scoring their first of two goals in the period, and on the night.

On the man advantage, Saginaw moved the puck around the perimeter before going from the face-off circle to the net for a redirection by Artem Artemov making it a 5-1 game.

Hounds net minder BRANDON HALVERSON had a fairly quiet night compared to Game 1 of the series, but he would come out to challenge Devon Paliani and poke the puck away negating any chance on the Soo goal.

Then the skill set of the Hounds was on display when the passing finesse began with JARED MCCANN and SERGEY TOLCHINSKY before being finished off by MICHAEL BUNTING at 8:50, for his 2nd goal of the night and a 6-1 lead.

A dominating offensive zone for the Hounds followed when for approximately three and a half minutes the Hounds held the puck inside the Saginaw zone and executed three shift changes to the delight of the Essar Centre faithful.

Both sides would score once more before the second period was over.

Michael Holmes scored the Spirits final goal of the night at 14:17 before JUSTIN BAILEY tapped in his 3rd goal of the series at 16:57 and the Hounds lead sat at 7-1 through forty minutes.

"Hard to say. We played well" commented Keefe when asked if it was the best forty minutes his team has played all season.

"Saginaw wasn't nearly as good today as they were yesterday. I thought the way we played early didn't give them much of a chance to get going. It was a very good 40 minutes. We've played other good games. I'm happy the way it worked out" he continued.

The Hounds held the lopsided advantage on the shot clock at 43-10 through two periods.

First year Greyhound net minder JOSEPH RAAYMAKERS would get his first OHL playoff experience heading to the goal for the home side in the third period where he stopped all eight shots faced.

Just three minutes into the third period ANTHONY DEANGELO sprung the hardworking HAYDEN VERBEEK in alone on Cormier but would be denied any further offence for the Hounds.

The final goal of the game would come on the power play as Blake Clarke was assessed a double minor for spearing late in the period.

At 17:36, BRYAN MOORE capped off his three point night with his 3rd goal of the series capping off the victory for the Hounds.

With the win, the Greyhounds lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 with the series shifting down I-75 and into Saginaw this coming week.

"Those are the type of games we feel we're capable of. Certainly in this series that's what we're capable of, it's not easy to do. When it all comes together that's what we should look like, and what other top teams in the league look like. We're trying to get to that level" concluded Keefe.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 28, 2015


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