Hounds are desperate
Soo Greyhounds have six games remaining to try to avoid the disaster of missing the Ontario Hockey League playoffs for the second time in three seasons. And the push begins tonight in Windsor.
Currently one point behind the Owen Sound Attack in a frantic race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference of the OHL, the Greyhounds have four straight road games ahead of them before finishing up with a pair at home.
The Greyhounds are on the road for three games in as many nights this week, playing the Spitfires in Windsor tonight, the Sarnia Sting on Friday and the Flint Firebirds on Saturday. Then comes another road game, March 19 against the Sudbury Wolves. The Hounds then finish up with home games on March 21 and March 23 with the Saginaw Spirit and Sarnia Sting in Sault Ste. Marie.
Owen Sound, meanwhile, has five games to play on the regular season slate following a big win over the Flint Firebirds on Wednesday.
CALLING OUT THE COACH
To be sure, the pressure is on Hounds head coach John Dean. Dean was given a team by general manager Kyle Raftis that is probably at least in the .500 mark range of potential but has just 52 points to show for 62 games.
To be honest and with a point of view that is shared by many, Dean as a veteran head coach in the OHL does not seem to have extracted the full potential of this edition of the Greyhounds. And while Raftis has come under fire from some Soo fans, he has supplied Dean with more than enough talent for this edition of the Hounds to be in the lowly position to have to be challenging for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference with the season now on the line. Let’s face it, the Hounds should be chasing fifth place and a much higher seed in the standings.
But who knows? Maybe the Greyhounds finish eighth and give the London Knights a good run in the first round of the playoffs. Or maybe they sneak into seventh and get a first-round match with second seed Windsor, who the Greyhounds have defeated twice in five outings this season ahead of tonight’s match in the Motor City.
At any rate, not to look too far ahead — the Greyhounds still control their playoff destiny and they need Dean as a seasoned bench boss to show them the way into the post season. The Hounds also need Nolan Lalonde and/or Landon Miller to give them dependable goaltending to use their game in hand to overtake Owen Sound and maybe steal a much needed road win or two or three before finishing up at home.
And not to go on and on about Dean — but I will — and how the Hounds have underachieved under his watch this season, he needs to show that he is a capable coach who can get his players to at least play to their capabilities over the final six regular season games.
The Greyhounds desperately need wins. And the final act of desperation begins tonight in Windsor.
SIZZLING SPITFIRES
Following Tuesday’s 7-5 win over the Erie Otters, Windsor takes a record of 42-16-5, good for 89 points, into tonight’s home game against the Soo. The Spitfires have clinched first place in the West Division and the number two seed in the Western Conference ahead of the looming playoffs.
Individually, the Spitfires have two of the top four scorers in the OHL in line mates Liam Greentree (113 points) and Ilya Protas (112) points.
Meanwhile, Anthony Cristoforo of the Spitfires is fifth among OHL defenseman in scoring with 12 goals, 47 assists, 59 points.
And Windsor goalie Joey Costanzo (in above photo by Bob Davies) is second in wins in the OHL with 31.