A late goal meant coming away with a point, but the Soo Greyhounds are looking to make the most of an overtime loss to Peterborough
There are a lot of positives they plan to take from it.
After a late tying goal, the Greyhounds lost a 3-2 decision in overtime on Friday night in an Ontario Hockey League game at GFL Memorial Gardens.
Peterborough striker JR Avon scored 1:59 into extra time to give the visitors the win, but the game was one in which the Greyhounds plan to keep going forward.
“If we play like this, more often than not, we’ll be successful,” Greyhounds coach John Dean said.
“Sometimes you can play well and not win, but if you play like that every game, you’re going to win most of them,” added Greyhounds forward Justin Cloutier.
Forward Jordan D’Intino added “we just try to take steps as a group, and we did that tonight and played well.”
For Dean, the loss was one in which the team probably deserved a better fate.
“We played well enough to win for sure,” Dean said. “We definitely played a game where we could have gotten out of here with two points, there’s no doubt about that. Our guys played their first full 60 minutes of the season.
Dean added that there was a lot to like about the defeat for the local club.
“The execution with the puck was much better,” Dean said. “A lot of clean passes out of our zone, a lot of balance out of our zone. Our Ds have been used very well. Our wingers were very good on the walls and we finally looked like the relentless group I’m used to seeing in the offensive zone.
Asked about the Flyers prospect, Petes coach Rob Wilson praised Avon’s play and his work on the game-winning goal.
“He’s got NHL speed and it’s electrifying,” Petes head coach Rob Wilson said.
“We won the draw, which is essential in overtime,” Wilson said. “We did our normal breakout and with speed like that, if we can hit them outside, it’s very difficult for defenders to zone three-on-three.
Getting the win after the Greyhounds tied the game with 92 seconds left was important for the Petes in the game.
“I liked that we bounced back,” Wilson said of the win. “I liked that we did some things better than in North Bay, but we have a lot of work to do.
After a scoreless opening period, the Greyhounds went up the board first as Jordan D’Intino skated the puck into the Petes zone, moved into the right face-off circle and beat the goalie. goal from Peterborough Liam Sztuska stick side at 5:33
Peterborough tied the game at 12:43. JR Avon took a breakaway pass from Justin DeZoete and beat Greyhounds goaltender Charlie Schenkel with a shot that handcuffed the Sault goaltender.
With 2:02 left in regulation time, Nick Lardis gave the Petes the lead, beating Schenkel with a sharp angled shot from the right faceoff circle.
Just 32 seconds later, overage forward Mark Duarte beat Sztuska high glove side on a Bryce McConnell-Barker faceoff winner in the right faceoff circle with Schenkel on the bench for the extra forward.
Avon’s overtime winner came 1:59 into the extra frame after a faceoff win in the defensive zone. Avon broke the left wing, circled Sault’s net and beat Schenkel with a wrap around to give the Petes the win.
McConnell-Barker finished the night with assists on both Greyhounds goals in the loss while Schenkel made 21 saves.
In addition to Avon’s two-goal night, DeZoete also had two points for Peterborough with two assists.
Sztuska stopped 27 shots for the Petes.
The Greyhounds drop to 2-3-2-0 as they prepare for a home game against the Barrie Colts on Saturday night.
The win brings Peterborough’s record to 4-2-0-0.
Overage defenseman Ryan Thompson returned to the roster after an injury put him out of action on the first weekend of the regular season.
“The timing (of Thompson’s return) was really good for us,” Dean said.
Two defensemen were missing from the Greyhounds roster due to injuries Friday in Caeden Carlisle and Connor Toms.
Dean said Toms is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday night while Carlisle is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and won’t dress against Barrie.
Veteran forward Tyler Savard also missed Friday’s game and will miss two more after being suspended four games by the league for his hit against Sarnia goaltender Sting Benjamin Gaudreau last weekend in Sarnia.
Savard is eligible to return to the roster when the Greyhounds begin a three-game road trip Oct. 27 in Peterborough.
