Gotta hand it to the Hounds
They didn’t get much pre-season respect. They were picked by some in the media to finish as low as eighth place in the 10-team Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.
But with four games to play in the 2016-2017 regular season, Soo Greyhounds are assured of at least being the no. 2 seed in the Western Conference when the playoffs begin later this month.
To be sure, credit needs to be given to coach Drew Bannister and his assistants.
Overcoming so-so goal-tending from third-year puck-stopper Joseph Raaymakers and forced to go to the well with free-agent rookie Matthew Villalta between the pipes, the Greyhounds have responded in a big way.
Yes, there is talent on the Greyhounds, particularly on the offensive side.
But it’s the overall game that is impressive about the Greyhounds and for that, Bannister and his fellow low-key sidekick, associate coach Joe Cirella, deserve more than a pat on the back.
There are many among the many Greyhound supporters who have not warmed up to Bannister, the second-year bench boss who guided seventh-seeded Soo to a stunning upset of second-seeded Sarnia Sting in the first round of last spring’s playoffs.
And while we can’t be sure why Bannister is not as popular as his predecessor Sheldon Keefe — whose exit from the Greyhounds for a pro job was tainted by a major playoff upset at the hands of the Erie Otters two years ago — the fact is the man has done some seriously-good work in his two seasons on the job.
What lies ahead for the Hounds come playoff time though is a danger zone.
The Western Conference features the four best teams in the entire 20-team OHL in Erie, the Soo, London Knights and Owen Sound Attack. Thus, the danger zone that is the Western world.
Basically, once the first round of the Western Conference playoffs are over, some pretty-good teams with records well above the .500 mark — Windsor Spitfires, Kitchener Rangers and Flint Firebirds — stand to be eliminated. And with Windsor, Kitchener and Flint all more-than-capable of a first-round upset, one of the top four teams could also be done.
Even eighth-seeded Sarnia can not be taken lightly.
Can the Hounds win in the playoffs with the rookie Villalta as the starter? That, to be sure, is the March madness question around Sault Ste. Marie these days.
Yes, Villalta has put up stunning numbers as a 1999 birth-year goalie who somehow went un-drafted. But playoffs, as anyone with even a remote link to high-level hockey knows, have a way of being a different story.
Then again, it’s not as though the Hounds are a novice when it comes to winning with an un-drafted rookie goalie.
Remember Kevin Hodson, who led the Greyhounds to three straight Memorial Cup appearances — in 1991, 1992 and 1993 — before going on to play in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings? Hodson joined the Greyhounds as an un-drafted rookie goalie and proceeded to do what he did — and in a touch of irony, with Bannister as one of his teammates.
At any rate, a lot can happen between now and the start and finish of the playoffs.
But for what they have done as an OHL overachiever thus far this season, you have to hand it to Bannister, Cirella and the Hounds.
PHOTO: Greyhounds bench boss Drew Bannister.
Coach of the Year.
That comment says a lot , as you know , I wasn’t too fond of Drew ..to say the least he’s grown on me in a large way , love the style of game we play, sometimes we play with no emotion , no drive , but those games happen to every team. These Hounds look scary…
So much for Neate Sager’s September prediction of the Hounds finishing eighth. Go figure. Another banner for the roof. Well done, coaches.
We can only dream here in Sudbury.
Another neat parallel from way back in Greyhound history is John Vanbiesbrouk and Matthew Villalta! The “Beezer” was a walk-on as well and recorded 32 wins in his rookie season! Now Villalta comes in on an invite and usurps the backup role from an already drafted Newhouse at training camp. Villalta is up to 24 wins and has a chance to equal or better another first year Hound goaltender namely Robin Lehner who had 27 wins in his only season as a Hound. I believe Lehner was actually a year or two older than Villalta when his name was called by the Hounds in the import draft!
There is something to be said about former players coaching behind the bench. Adjustments and knowledge of the level they are coaching is not only invaluable, but in most cases cant be taught in a classroom…has to be experienced.
Perfectly stated, in game changes can only be done correctly with experience. COACH OF THE YEAR in my opinion.
3 west titles in the last 4 years! Win totals of 44, 50, 33 and currently 45 and growing……very impressive! Bannister is quietly,confidently and efficiently got his team to buy into his system and they have won 3 times as many games as they have lost, .a .750 win percentage! All this accomplished without a World class elite player in Blake Speers for over half of the season. They really only have moved 3 players during the course of the season. Mercier to Oshawa, Hawel out and Carroll in. A great OA pickup in Miller to solidify the depth through all four lines! Raftis gets a lot of credit too by not tinkering with the chemistry and over paying for talent at the deadline! Obviously the playoffs are a different matter but the regular season win totals. Are very impressive and fans need to embrace this workmanship-oriented team! Bo Murray is right, coach of the year!