The Sudbury Wolves were up against the top team in the OHL, the Erie Otters, and managed just two shots in the first period.
With that in mind, this line should be one that says the Wolves lose in a blowout, but yet again the Wolves battled, fought, clawed just coming up short 2-1 to the Otters.
It’s a team that doesn’t seem to be afraid to play anyone.
“We’re hanging around with some big teams here and we’re doing it because we’re grinding, we’re grinding and I love it,” said head coach David Matsos.
While the Wolves were limited to two shots in the first, the Otters, who feature the top two scorers in the OHL in Taylor Raddysh and Alex DeBrincat, only managed seven.
The whole game was a defensive effort the Wolves can be happy with.
“Everyone played well, our forwards I thought were very good defensively. Bowman was great in net. I thought everyone was playing well defensively,” said Aiden Jamieson. “Overall I thought our effort was there and they’re a good team but we get to play them again and hopefully come out with a win when we play them.”
“I thought it was a really fun game to be a part of, I thought our guys worked real hard. Guys putting their bodies on the line for blocking shots to build morale on the bench,” said Matsos.
It was a 1-1 hockey game for a good chunk of the night; a goaltending battle and a familiar one.
Zack Bowman was up against Troy Timpano, a former Pack member who spent three seasons in Sudbury.
For Timpano it was surreal being back.
“It’s unreal, I miss this place, it was home for three years. Sudbury put up a good fight, that’s kind of the character their building for themselves. To be back playing here against former teammates was special,” said Timpano.
For Matsos it wasn’t strange seeing the two goalies face each other outside a Wolves practice.
“We knew it was coming, the schedule’s been out for a long time. We knew it was coming, I thought Timpano and Bowman both played real good games,” said Matsos. “I think it’s a credit to the Sudbury Wolves organization for drafting and acquiring two good goalies.”
Timpano moves to 13-0 on the year and supports the leagues best goals against average.
He gives all the credit to his new team mates and is enjoying the ride at the top of the OHL standings.
“It’s exciting, not being a part of that the last few years, and now to be on a team that is contending is pretty sweet, that’s how I can sum it up and hopefully we can keep this going,” said Timpano.
While Timpano made some big saves down the stretch, the Wolves did spend a good chunk of the third period on the penalty kill, having to fight off a two-man advantage against the leagues 5th ranked power play.
“That’s one of the things we keep talking about is discipline, I’m not going to sit here and carve the refs. I thought there was a couple calls, but ifs and butts, hindsight for me stinks, what I liked was our compete tonight and what I liked was our character,” said Matsos.
As mentioned both teams were not able to get much in the first and it ended 0-0.
In the second, Macauley Carson got the Wolves on the board netting his eighth on the year.
Carson was left alone in the slot and wacked home a rebound.
It didn’t take long, just over three minutes to be exact, for the Otters to find the scoresheet.
Alex DeBrincat fired home a shot off a drop pass from Kyle Maksimovich.
It was 1-1 after two.
Toward the end of the second period a number of penalties led to a pair of players in each box and some three on three hockey to start the third.
Taylor Raddysh thrives in those situations and split the Wolves defense scoring his 19th on the year under the pad of Bowman.
That is how the game ended up despite two very good chances for the Wolves with the goalie pulled.
With three games this weekend, the Wolves will take a New York approach and “fugget about it.”
“The best part about this is we’re back on the ice in less than 24 hours, this is a good bounce back team,” said Matsos.
Sudbury plays Niagara on Saturday and Oshawa on Sunday.
“We just have to concentrate on Niagara now and try to win these next two games and hopefully close out the weekend with two wins,” said Jamieson.
With the loss Sudbury falls to 9-8-1-0 while Erie moves to 15-3-1-0.
