Hounds, Malik lose again
Soo Greyhounds remained outside the Ontario Hockey League playoff picture tonight with a 5-1 loss to the visiting Guelph Storm. The defeat was the third straight for the Greyhounds, all with rookie goalie Nick Malik in the net.
The setback kept the Greyhounds in ninth place in the 10-team Western Conference with a below .500 record of 23-26-2.
As for Malik, he now has an abysmal win-loss record of 2-7-0 since joining the Greyhounds during the second week of January from the Czech Republic.
Malik has started nine of 11 games since arriving in the Soo as Greyhounds head coach John Dean has — mysteriously and surprisingly — basically handed the no. 1 goal-tending job to the unproven, 17-year old rookie over productive 20-year old Bailey Brkin.
Certainly, Brkin deserves better consideration from Dean. After all, the numbers do not lie.
As Malik has a record of 2-7-0, Brkin has a record of 14-7-1.
The Greyhounds have used two other goalies this season — current third-stringer Ethan Taylor has a record of 3-5-0 and the since departed Christian Propp had a record of 4-7-1.
It is simple mathematics.
With Brkin in net, the Greyhounds have a record of 14-7-1.
Without Brkin, the Hounds have a record of 9-19-1 with Propp (4-7-1), Taylor (3-5-0) and Malik (2-7-0.)
Question for coach Dean: What are you thinking, man?
Give your head a shake, coach.
This was a classic 4-point game and sadly the Hounds squandered a chance to reduce the deficit and put the teams ahead of them, they were on notice that the Hounds still had life and we’re gunning for them . For whatever reason the Hounds are out of sync lately , likely due to their youth and immaturity. Graduation of game breakers like Frost, Hayton, Howdeshell et al has left a glaring void in the experience category on this team. The value of a goalie like Bailey Brkin for such a young team cannot be underestimated. The young pups seemed to respond to his calm demeanour and veteran savvy. All of a sudden, essentially a rookie is in the twine tent and the confidence level has sagged noticeably. Malik will get his chance and will be heavily counted on in the future. He can assuredly learn from watching a veteran and strategically receive game action. Brkin deserves the chance to carry the mail based on his 14-7 record alone. He had resurrected the Hound season earlier and should be again given the chance to bring them to the playoff promised land
Not happy for the Hounds but the Storm needed a win like this.