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SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT. - In most scenarios, the post-game focus would be on what went right and what went wrong.
On Saturday night, the final result, a 4-3 overtime win by the Soo Greyhounds over the Barrie Colts at the GFL Memorial Gardens was secondary following an injury to one of the Greyhounds top players in the third period of the game.
The Greyhounds lost forward Tanner Dickinson to injury with 11:28 to go in the contest when the veteran forward moved through the right faceoff circle and was taken down by Barrie’s Ethan Cardwell before going heavily into the end boards.
Cardwell received a major penalty on the play while Dickinson was taken off the ice by stretcher and to the hospital.
Greyhounds coach John Dean was emotional speaking to reporters following the win and said Dickinson’s status wasn’t known at the time.
“All I can think about is Tanner and hoping that he’s ok,” Dean said. “I’m really happy that I can at least see him and tell him we got two points. The guys were very vocal on the bench and after the game that that was for him. It’s not even bittersweet. It’s a tough one.”
“The situation sucks,” added Greyhounds veteran forward Rory Kerins, who scored the overtime winner. “Dicky is such a big part of out team. I really don’t know what to say. It’s terrible.”
Barrie general manager/coach Marty Williamson said both Cardwell and Connor Punnett, who collided with Dickinson on the play as he went into the boards, felt remorseful about the incident.
“We feel horrible,” Williamson said. “It’s a young star in our league. You don’t like to see anything happen to players like that, whether it’s our team or their team. It’s just a bad situation.”
Williamson said getting through the major penalty only giving up one goal and getting through a 5-on-3 disadvatage in the game were big for the Colts to put themselves in a position to get a late goal to tie the contest.
Williamson added that overall, the Colt were “pretty happy with our game.”
“I don’t want to overlook that we feel really bad for Dickinson, but it was a well-played game,” Williamson said.
For the Greyhounds, the result was one that had added importance in a game where they didn’t feel they were at their best.
“We didn’t have a great game tonight,” Dean said. “You could tell that we just didn’t feel good around the puck. We looked a little bit unconfident. Then we go through the Dickinson ordeal. Then we let them score (at the buzzer). For our guys to finish it in overtime is pretty special.”
Cardwell opened the scoring for Barrie 9:39 in with a power play goal as he scores on a second chance after his initial redirection couldn’t find its way past Greyhounds netminder Samuel Ivanov.
Kerins tied the game for the Greyhounds as he took a short pass from rookie forward Bryce McConnell-Barker and beat Barrie goaltender Mack Guzda with a wraparound at 15:53 of the opening period.
The Greyhounds took the lead 3:06 into the second period when defenceman Jack Thompson banked the puck in off Guzda from the right corner.
Barrie proceeded to tie the game at two with 2:06 to go in the second period when Hunter Haight scored on a rebound in tight after Ivanov stopped Nathan Allensen’s initial shot from the top of the left circle on the play.
With the Greyhounds on the power play after the major to Cardwell, defenceman Ryan O’Rourke, who was situated in the right faceoff circle, took a between-the-legs pass from Kalvyn Watson to the left of the Barrie goal and beat Guzda to give the Greyhounds the lead 31 seconds into the power play.
Brandt Clarke tied the game as the clock ran out in the third period when he grabbed a turnover in the slot and beat Ivanov in a scramble as the buzzer sounded.
“For good players, pucks find them,” Williamson said of the tying goal. “It’s similar to their guy that scores in overtime. Good players have that ability to find opportunities. We liked our setup. We got a chance at the net there and then their guy chipped it and it went right to Clarke. It was a good break for us.”
Just 46 seconds into the overtime period, Kerins beat Guzda from the edge of the right circle to give the Greyhounds the win.
Kerins finished the night with three points for the Greyhounds on the strength of two goals and an assist while Tye Kartye assisted on three goals.
O’Rourke added a goal and an assist for the Greyhounds.
Ivanov made 23 saves.
Guzda made 30 saves for the Colts in the game.
Allensen assisted on all three Barrie goals in the loss.
On the injury front for the Greyhounds, overage forward Cole MacKay missed Saturday's contest after blocking a shot in Friday's game against Flint. A timeline on his potential return is not ye known.
As they continue to battle for top spot in the OHL’s West Division, the improve to 23-12-3-1. With 50 points, the team sits four points ahead of the Flint Firebirds, who picked up a road win over the Saginaw Spirit on Saturday night.
The Colts are now 20-9-4-0 following Saturday’s game and sit tied for second in the OHL’s Central Division with the North Bay Battalion though the Colts have seven games in hand
Next up for the Greyhounds is the opening game of a road trip that will take the team to North Bay and Sudbury.
The Greyhounds will face the North Bay Battalion on Feb. 3 and 4 nights before taking on the Sudbury Wolves on Feb. 6.
The team is also scheduled to play in Sudbury on Feb. 8 in a game that was rescheduled from earlier in the season.
Barrie returns to action on Sunday afternoon wrapping up a northern road trip at Sudbury Arena against the Sudbury Wolves.
The Colts are set to play three games in four days next week, beginning on Feb. 3 at home against the Kingston Frontenacs. The team will also host the Oshawa Generals on Feb. 5 in the first game of a home-and-home set that will see the two clubs meet again the following afternoon in Oshawa.
