Second round OHL playoffs
Impressive they were, these Soo Greyhounds, in skating to a Game 1 victory over the visiting Owen Sound Attack as Round 2 of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs got underway on Wednesday.
With many pundits calling for a series-triumph by Owen Sound, it was the Soo that issued a strong statement with a tidy 4-1 win before just over 3,400 fans.
The Greyhounds limited the normally-dangerous Attack to 28 shots and took 38 of their own and simply put, were the deserving winners in the opening match between the no. 2 and no. 3 seeds from the Western Conference.
While Soo goalie Joseph Raaymakers made some good stops on the night, his Owen Sound counterpart Michael McNiven was under constant siege and made a number of saves on Grade A scoring chances by the Greyhounds.
Winger Jack Kopacka potted a pair of goals to pace the Soo and was an ongoing threat throughout the match.
Defensemen Gustav Bouramman and Conor Timmins (with an empty-netter) also scored for the Hounds while forward Ethan Szypula replied for the Attack.
Game 2 in the series is slated for Friday night in the Soo.
ELSEWHERE
The other second round playoff sets begin either tonight or Friday.
In the Western Conference, no. 4 seed London Knights, which just finished an exhausting seven-game series with the Windsor Spitfires, play the well-rested, no. 1 seed Erie Otters. Erie had little difficulty in sweeping the Sarnia Sting in the first round.
In the Eastern Conference, no. 1 seed Peterborough Petes are home to the no. 4 seed Kingston Frontenacs. The Petes are fresh and rested from a four-game sweep of the Niagara IceDogs while Kingston needed overtime in Game 7 to oust the Hamilton Bulldogs.
And in a Toronto area series, no. 2 seed Mississauga Steelheads begin at home against the Oshawa Generals. Both teams are coming off tough, six-game, first-round sets. Mississauga had its hands full with the Ottawa 67’s as did Oshawa with the Sudbury Wolves.
PHOTO: Soo goalie Joseph Raaymakers stood tall in Game 1 of the second-round Western Conference playoff series with Owen Sound. (Photo by Terry Wilson.)(
The relentless forechecking pressure by Hayden Verbeek cannot be understated! The kid was all over the place and has been the most consistent Hound through the first 6 games of the playoffs!
Excellent puck pursuit and dogged back-checking was on full display throughout the whole lineup!