Facing elimination and trailing by two entering the third period, the Soo Greyhounds delivered their best hockey of the series when it mattered most
They were 20 minutes from being swept out of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs in round two.
Instead, they’re heading back on the road with the hope of bringing the series back home again on Sunday night.
Trailing their Western Conference semifinal series 3-0 on Thursday night, the Greyhounds used a four-goal third period to erase a 2-0 deficit against the Kitchener Rangers en route to a season-saving win.
The 4-2 victory by the Greyhounds at the GFL Memorial Gardens sends the series back to Kitchener for game five on Friday night.
Following their loss in game three on Tuesday, Greyhounds coach John Dean referenced the team needing “some swagger” in game four.
The Greyhounds coach said he saw a confident group on Thursday night in the final 20 minutes as the team came back to win.
“We looked nervous in the first 40,” Dean said. “Guys worked hard (and) competed, (but) we gave up way too many odd man rushes early. We did some stuff we didn’t like, but guys were competing and working. First time (our) backs are really against the wall and in the third period, the guys just left it out there, played with some swagger.”
Dean said the discussion in the intermission after two periods was about confidence.
“You want to look yourself in the mirror tonight in the hotel in Kitchener and know that you demand the puck. You wanted to be part of the solution. We felt like we looked nervous (in the first two periods). To our guys’ credit, everyone jumped on board.”
With a need for some depth scoring in the game, a pair of goals in the third period from Jordan Charron tied the game for the Greyhounds, who got the game-winner off the stick of Travis Hayes midway through the frame.
“Depth scoring is massive for us,” Dean said of the three goals.
Dean also said he felt the team fed off the crowd following Charron’s first goal of the night, early in the third period.
“It got the crowd going absolutely berserk,” Dean said. “The atmosphere, to our fans’ credit after a tough 40, was absolutely electric. Our bench was extremely excited about the crowd reaction.”
“We built from there,” Dean added.
Dean called the third period the best period of the series so far for his team.
With a two-goal lead heading into the final period, Rangers coach Jussi Ahokas said his team had a different approach in the first half of the third and it led to the Greyhounds taking the lead.
“We stopped playing, simple as that,” Ahokas said. “We got passive and we didn’t play (offensively).”
Both coaches said that the short turnaround for Friday’s fifth game doesn’t necessarily help either club.
“I don’t think there’s momentum in the playoffs,” Dean said. “Two teams under the exact same circumstances, it’s pretty even.”
“It’s normal playoffs,” Ahokas said. “We’re ready to play how many games we need and now it’s the fifth game. We have a great opportunity at home.”
Taking a 2-0 lead in the opening period and into the third period, Ahokas said his team was “okay” in the first 40 minutes.
“We got a good start and in the second period we played alright,” Ahokas said. “We didn’t give up many chances and we had good looks, but it’s not our best.”
The Rangers used an odd-man rush to open the scoring as Cameron Arquette went to the net on a three-on-two and redirected a pass from Haeden Ellis in the left circle past Carter George at 4:50 of the opening period to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
A defensive zone turnover by the Greyhounds meant a 2-0 lead for the Rangers as Matthew Hlacar took a pass in the left faceoff circle from Andrew Vermeulen and beat George stick side at 11:28.
The teams skated through a scoreless second period before the Greyhounds erased the lead in the third.
Charron pulled the Greyhounds to within a goal at 5:56 of the final period as he took a pass near the blueline from Callum Croskery and took a shot that found its way through traffic and past Kitchener goaltender Christian Kirsch.
The veteran forward grabbed his second of the night at 8:13 as he took a pass in the left faceoff circle from Croskery and took a shot that beat Kirsch glove side to tie the game.
Hayes then gave the Greyhounds the lead at 9:58 as he forced a turnover behind the Kitchener net and took a pass in the slot before beating Kirsch glove side to make it a 3-2 game.
Marco Mignosa capped off the scoring with an empty net goal with 1:22 left in regulation time to seal the win for the Greyhounds.
In addition to the two-goal night from Charron, Mignosa had a goal and an assist while Croskery assisted on a pair of goals.
George stopped 20 shots for the Greyhounds in the win while Kirsch made 29 saves for the Rangers at the other end.
Greyhounds forward Jeremy Martin, who left game three with an injury after a hit by Rangers defenceman Carson Campbell, missed game four on Thursday night. Dean said Martin is currently day-to-day.
Dean said veteran forward Christopher Brown, who has yet to see the ice in the series due to injury, could potentially get into action in game five.
