03/12/2017 Wolves vs Greyhounds
By: Nick Liard
Headline: Greyhounds use balanced scoring attack to take final meeting with Wolves
The Sudbury Wolves stuck with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for a period and a half, but it was offence topping defence as the Greyhounds beat Sudbury 5-2.
It was the final of six meetings between the two northern clubs, two clubs on opposite ends of the spectrum.
The Soo just clinched their third West Division title in four years and sit in second in the Western Conference with 96 points.
The Wolves drop down to eighth in the Eastern Conference as Niagara beat North Bay to leap frog Sudbury in the standings.
The Wolves still have a three-point cushion on North Bay with a home-and-home against the Battalion on Thursday and Friday.
For head coach David Matsos and a team that has missed the playoffs for two straight years, these pressure games are exciting, despite the result.
“I’ll take this pressure any day of the week over knowing in 10 days time that you’re done. We’ve got an opportunity here, a really nice opportunity because I love these guys and this team, and I think they can do some damage in the playoffs. I’m not taking that for granted, but once we get in, you never know,” said Matsos.
Patrick Sanvido has had his share of playoff chases with the Windsor Spitfires, and reminds his team they control their own fate.
“It’s hard not to be tight or at least feel some pressure, but we’re in a good spot, that’s the thing. It’s not like we have to get someone to lose for us to make it in. We completely control our own destiny,” said Sanvido. “To be in North Bay’s position, they’re hoping for teams to lose, they’re hoping for this to happen and we’re in a good spot. You do feel the pressure. We’re hockey players. Most guys like feeling the pressure, and usually it brings the best out of us.”
Matsos said he was aware of Niagara’s 7-1 win over North Bay.
“For me, it doesn’t matter where we finish, whether it’s eighth, seventh or sixth or wherever. As long as we get in, then we’ll sort ourselves out after that. We know we’re playing one, two or three and we know every team’s a good team,” said Matsos.
As mentioned, the Wolves hung with the Greyhounds. It was 0-0 after one period.
The Wolves struck first with a great individual effort by Drake Pilon.
The Wolves dumped it in to the Greyhounds zone and Pilon gave chase, beating two Hounds to the puck in the left corner. He centred it out front where Alan Lyszczarczyk scored his 10th of the season.
But after that, the Greyhounds capitalized on their chances, scoring five unanswered goals through the second period into the third.
Sudbury won three games against the Soo this season by playing physical, which was the only knock Matsos could find against his team on the afternoon.
“To be honest, I didn’t think we were as physical as we had been in the past. But I didn’t mind the way our team played. I think that’s the only category in everything. We really lacked our hits, that’s just it. We allowed them to play a little more free, but I’m not going to take away from the effort level that our team put in. I thought they played well.We could have just upped one category,” said Matsos.
Five different players scored, all of them have more than 20 goals on the season as Bobby MacIntyre, Boris Katchouk, David Miller, Jack Kopacka and Tim Gettinger beat Jake McGrath.
Owen Lalonde scored his second of the season with seven to play in the third.
Shots on the afternoon were 43-25 for the Greyhounds.
The Wolves now have four games remaining, all against Central Division teams.
They play North Bay on a home-and-home on Thursday and Friday, then Niagara on Saturday before their make-up game against Mississauga on Tuesday, March 21.
