Petes routed by red-hot Hounds
SAULT STE. MARIE – The Peterborough Petes ran into the OHL’s hottest team on Saturday night.
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds ran their winning streak to 11 games overcoming an early Petes’ lead to win comfortably 8-3 in front of 3,981 fans at the Essar Centre.
The Petes, who were trying to complete a sweep of three games in three nights, jumped to an early 2-0 lead and were tied 3-3 in the second before the Soo fired five unanswered goals.
The Petes will get another crack at ending the Soo’s streak when they host the Greyhounds Thursday at the PMC.
Both teams dressed their backup goalies. Some may have been surprised to see Hunter Jones starting against the OHL’s hottest team.
Petes’ head coach Jody Hull said the coaches tried to plot a goalie strategy for the weekend that gave Jones a start. They won there last year with their back-up and banked on the team giving Jones plenty of support.
“We had to get him in a game and it was a combination of a couple of things we talked about,” said Hull. “I don’t think, by any means, the goals were Hunter’s fault at all. There were probably a couple he wants back but we didn’t give him enough help out in front either.”
The second period was their downfall Their 2-1 lead turned into a 5-3 deficit as they were outscored 4-1.
“We made some ill-advised decisions, some things we hadn’t done the two previous games,” said Hull. “All of a sudden you’re playing a top team in the country and they capitalized on some opportunities. We couldn’t get it turned around.”
Adam Timleck scored a pair of goals in the opening 8:44 giving him three goals in three games since returning from injury. He came off the bench on a line change and snuck in undetected to convert Declan Chisholm’s pass at 4:37. He added his second on a power play redirecting Matt Timms’s point shot.
Timleck tried to look on the bright side that earning four of six points was still a productive weekend.
“We did have a tough three-inthree,” said Timleck. “I think this weekend was for sure a step forward. I don’t think just because we lost the last game that’s a game to hang our heads.”
Timleck expects a more even playing field when they play again Thursday.
“We always play well in front of the home crowd,” said Timleck. “With a well rested, full lineup we should give them a good go.”
The Soo got one back on a power play late in the first when Keeghan Howdeshell deflected Rasmus Sandin’s point shot.
Goals 1:27 apart early in the second jumped the Soo ahead 3-2. Jones slid across to block an anticipated shot but Boris Katchouk fed Ryan Roth for the equalizer. Conor Timmins moved into the high slot on a power play to blast the goahead goal at 4:07.
Bobby Dow tied it 30 seconds later as Jack Kopacka stumbled and lost the puck to Dow who hammered a low shot inside the far post.
It was all Soo from there. Kopacka went to his bench for
a new stick and found himself on a breakaway off Mac Hollowell’s stretch pass where he snapped his first of two goals past Jones at 10:33. The Red Sea parted for Hayden Verbeek to scoot up the middle for a short-handed goal making it 5-3 at 19:06.
“Once they got the shorty it felt like the snowball was rolling and we couldn’t break it up,” said Hull. “Those are always back-breakers. They lead the league in shorthanded goals and you can see why.
They play the game fast and come at you in waves.”
The Soo seized control when Kopacka and Noah Carroll scored seven seconds apart in the opening two minutes of the third. Tim Gettinger added another.
NOTES: The Petes inserted Adrien Beraldo and Matt McNamara into the lineup and removed Gleb Babintsev and Chad Denault to get everyone into the lineup on the weekend.