Good that Hounds can score
They will finish the 2016-2017 Ontario Hockey League regular season with 90-plus points and with a half-dozen games to play, they are in position to finish as the no. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
As the no. 2 seed, they would likely play the Flint Firebirds or Sarnia Sting in the first round of the playoffs.
Which, for the Soo Greyhounds, would be a best-case scenario.
That’s because like the Greyhounds, both Flint and Sarnia have inconsistent goaltending.
Inconsistent goaltending that falls short of the higher-end net minding that other Western Conference teams such as the Erie Otters, London Knights, Owen Sound Attack and Windsor Spitfires have.
To be sure, so-so goaltending can bring a team down.
We saw it last year when the seventh-seeded Greyhounds got much better goaltending from Brandon Halverson than second-seeded Sarnia did from Charlie Graham in the first round of the playoffs. The result was that the Greyhounds took advantage of Graham’s sub-par net minding and upset the Sting in a seven-game thriller.
Ah, goaltending. It can lose a team a series just as it can win a team a series.
It is rather unfortunate that the Greyhounds goaltending does not quite match up to the offense. As a matter-of-fact, the Greyhounds are not nearly as skilled on the back end as they are up front.
Up front is where the Greyhounds are going to have to continue to come through come playoff time.
The Hounds have the offensive weapons. The Hounds can score.
Zachary Senyshyn can score.
Blake Speers can score.
Boris Katchouk can score.
Bobby MacIntyre can score.
Tim Gettinger can score.
Jack Kopacka can score.
David Miller can score.
Morgan Frost can score.
Yes, the Hounds can score.
Now a few words about Frost.
He may not be a big scorer. Yet. But he is headed towards a 20-goal season and he plays the game so well.
Not sure if the Greyhound coaching staff truly appreciates how well-rounded Frost is. Maybe they do. So let’s just say that Frost is a fan favourite for a reason.
The playoffs are on the horizon.
The Greyhounds should be able to at least match last spring’s advancement and win one playoff series.
Winning a second playoff series will be extremely difficult in a Western Conference with the beasts that are Erie, London, Owen Sound and Windsor.
But who said winning is easy?
PHOTO: Zachary Senyshyn leads the Soo Greyhounds in goals with 41. (Photo by Postmedia.)