Battle Report
The pieces are falling into place for the Sudbury Wolves.
After struggling in January and winning just three of 13 games,
the Wolves responded with some of their best hockey of the
season in February by going 7-3.
The Wolves have won four straight games and look to keep the
streak alive tonight when they host Sault Ste. Marie at the
Sudbury Arena. Game time is 7:30 pm. (It marks the final
meeting of the regular season between the two Northern Ontario
clubs.)
Sudbury went through big changes this season, adding four new
players through trades and breaking in no less than seven
rookie players.
"The number one thing happening is the team is starting to gel
together," stated head coach and GM Mike Foligno.
"The players are getting familiar with one another and adjusting to our expectations and systems. The real key has been they have all been buying into it. The guys understand with their skill level, with a great work ethic and utilizing our system...they can realize great things and have success."
The recent four-game winning streak has made the team's brass
proud, but wanting even more."It proves we have players here
who are willing to work hard and listen and what we're doing is
working," said Foligno. "I wouldn't have expected the team to
come together any faster than this...we have a lot of new
players on this team. It's taken some time for it all to fit
together. They needed some time to get with the program...it
doesn't happen overnight. This is the time of the season you
like to see your team come together."
With their recent wins, the Wolves regained fourth place in the
Eastern Conference.
"We're playing really competitive hockey and our players are
proud," said the bench boss. "The fans appreciate their
efforts. We want to keep this going right into the playoffs.
Now, were pushing the threshold back in terms of
conditioning...we need to elevate our overall game even
more."
With the playoffs fast approaching, the Wolves are getting
explosive scoring from overage winger Justin Donati. The slick
forward has 13 goals in his last 11 games, including seven
goals during the current four-game winning streak.
"That's what we were looking for from him when we acquired
him," said Foligno. "He's been playing well with Nick
Foligno...they've been feeding off each other and helping the
team earn some wins. He's been a real positive force for us and
on the team."
The Wolves must keep their composure against the
Greyhounds.
"We haven't played great against Sault Ste. Marie the last few
games," said Foligno. "We've run into penalty trouble...we
can't take liberties with them. We need to be more disciplined.
We have to be wary of their key players like Dustin Jeffrey and
Josh Godfrey...we need to keep them off the scoreboard."
Enemy Line
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds have been a force to be
reckoned with since January.
The club entered the month on a sour note going 2-8 in the
month of December and looking lost.
The new year breathed new life into the struggling team and
they have been one of the hottest clubs in the OHL since then.
After last weekend's action, the Greyhounds had won 15 of their
last 21 games and were smashing their way up the tough Western
Conference standings.
A total team effort has been the perfect recipe for Sault Ste.
Marie and meant disaster for many opposing squads.
"It's been a long process all season to try and improve," said
head coach Craig Hartsburg. "Our players have worked really
hard at getting better. We have to continue to improve so we're
ready for the playoffs. A lot of different things happen during
a season such as injuries and long travel, but our guys have
always kept moving forward and respond well. We've been playing
some of our best hockey in the past six weeks."
The Greyhounds' progress is remarkable considering they play in
the strongest conference, Western, which features four of the
league's Top 6 teams.
Sault Ste. Marie holds onto sixth place in the Western
Conference.
"There's certainly no easy games and we can never take a night
off in our conference and division," said Hartsburg.
"Every time we play in our division...we're playing one of the top teams in the league, not just the conference, so we have had to keep up or we would be left far behind. It makes the team highly competitive."
The Greyhounds have had no shortage of players step up to the
plate and contribute solid seasons. Forward Dustin Jeffrey has
exploded for 33 goals and 83 points in his first 60 games. He
managed only 38 points in 69 games last season. Defender Josh
Godfrey, who scored eight goals last year, has also busted off
with 23 goals and 55 points in his first 60 games.
"We have a lot of guys contributing something this season,"
said the bench boss. "Godfrey and Jeffrey have had excellent
years."
It's not just about scoring goals that translates into success.
The Greyhounds defence corps have also contributed strong play.
Defencemen such as veteran Brad Good (five points and 129
penalty minutes) and Tyler Cuthbert (16 points and 95 penalty
minutes) have supplied toughness on the blueline.
"These guys don't get a lot of points, but they compete hard
for us every night and do a great job for us on defence," said
Hartsburg.
Another player to note is Sudbury boy Andrew Desjardins. He had
a slow start with five points in his first 16 games, but has 23
points in his last 21 games.
