Stating the obvious
Soo Greyhounds need to rebound.
As with a victory tonight in Game 2 of their first-round, best-of-seven, Ontario Hockey League playoff series with Owen Sound Attack.
Opening faceoff is slated for 7:07 p.m. at Essar Centre.
In Friday’s series-opener, the Hounds surrendered a 4-2, third-period lead and lost 5-4 when Kyle Platzer scored early in overtime to lift the visiting Attack to victory.
Hounds goalie Matt Murray, who admittedly flubbed Platzer’s OT winner, said tonight’s Game 2 is a “must-win” for the Soo.
As Murray stated the obvious about the importance of tonight’s home match — Games 3 and 4 will be played in Owen Sound — Hounds coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t pick and choose words either.
“Matt has got to make that save,” Keefe said of the overtime-winning goal that Murray allowed in the opener. “He’s a world-class goalie.”
And just to re-hash some of what I have been saying about Owen Sound:
While the Soo finished in first place in the West Division and Owen Sound placed fourth in the Midwest Division with 25 fewer points than the Hounds, the Attack played more than a third of its regular-season games against teams with the three-best records in the OHL — Guelph Storm, Erie Otters and London Knights.
Which, no matter how you slice or dice it, counts for something.
PHOTO: Action from Game 1 of Friday’s playoff match between the Greyhounds and Owen Sound. (Photo by Ali Pearson.)