Wolves need a shootout, pick up first win of the season

The fans at the Sudbury Arena saw some free hockey and a first look at 3 on 3 overtime as the Sudbury Wolves and Mississauga Steelheads were tied 4-4 after regulation.

Despite some great chances and the Wolves outshooting the Steelheads 4-2 in the extra five minutes of play, the game needed a shootout where Dmitry Sokolov scored the lone goal to give the Wolves the win 5-4.

“They managed to fight through adversity and I think that just builds your team's confidence and character, so it’s a nice win. The mood in the dressing room is a lot different than the one on Friday,” said Wolves Head Coach David Matsos.

Wolves forward Jacob Harris, who found the back of the net for his first goal of the season and also picked up a helper, was also happy with the way the team responded, against a team who shut out Ottawa 7-0 in their first game of the season.

“I really enjoyed the way we played today, we started the third period on fire, everything was going right. We got into some penalty trouble, but we bounced back and got the win. Definitely a way better game than we played Friday.”

“For us it’s huge, you come into a home opener and get blown out like that, it’s embarrassing and you really don’t want to see that. So for a young team to come in today and play against Mississauga who blew out their home opener and to bounce back against those guys it’s huge and it just shows us that we can play against those guys. If we have a bad shift, let alone a bad game we can come back and play better,” said Harris.

While Matsos was happy with the win he still wasn’t happy with certain aspects of the game.

“I can’t take away from the two points and the effort level for the most part that was put in for tonight, but being the critic I am I still didn’t really love the way we played. I thought the effort level was better but I thought our turnovers, I counted 24 after two periods, that’s way too much. Our shot count, we missed the net 16 times. I guess those sorts of things really bother you as a head coach because you know they’re capable of not turning pucks over, but at the end of the day the game didn’t get too far away from us, we managed to stay in it with all that going on,” said Matsos.

The Sudbury Wolves decided to go with a younger lineup for their second game of the season starting 2015 draft picks Macauley Carson and Ben Garagan for the first time, but it was the second year players and up that stole the show in a win for the Wolves.

The Wolves 2014 first round draft pick Michael Pezzetta netted two for the home team, his first two of the season after having five goals all of last year.

“It always feels nice when you put a couple goals up and help the boys get a win, it feels really great right now,” said Pezzetta.

After the Packs 8-1 loss to Niagara on Friday, Matsos was critical of how his team shied away from the physical game he had been preaching all preseason, but today it was a different story as the Wolves took the body and blocked shots.

“I think that’s the most blocked shots I’ve seen, even since I’ve been back in junior. I said it’s going to be an old school game on Sunday, I want it to be real physical and I want ice bags on you guys after the game, because after night one there were no ice bags out there. I’m pretty sure there are going to be quite a few tonight,” said Matsos.

Matsos also said after the Friday night game that they can not take four penalties in a period, well in the first period the Wolves did just that, however on the final penalty Chad Heffernan broke out and slid a pass across to Michael Pezzetta who put it past Jack Flinn for his first of two.

And despite being outshot in the first period 11-3 the Wolves led 1-0.

The second period was all Steelheads as Damian Bourne beat Troy Timpano, and then four minutes later Alexander Nylander, brother of Toronto Maple Leafs prospect William Nylander, fired a shot that went off the end boards and right out onto the stick of Everett Clark who scored his first of the year.

That is until the final two minutes of the period when Charlie Graaskamp found his first of the season, with the assists going to Jacob Harris and Cole Mayo.

The Wolves carried the momentum into the third period as just 23 seconds in Jacob Harris scored.

Sudbury didn’t even give the announcer time to tell the crowd who scored the third goal before Michael Pezzetta scored his second.

Nylander got one back for the Steelheads and then with four minutes left the Steelheads caught a break as a centering pass went off a Sudbury stick and past Timpano forcing overtime.

The new format of 3 on 3 was a clear crowd pleaser, with up and down rushes and near goals on several occasions for the Wolves.

You wouldn’t think that would be fun for a goalie but Troy Timpano loved it.

“It’s pretty exciting, it’s intense hockey, it brings back memories from summer hockey. It was our first time in that sort of situation and it was fun to watch and fun to be a part of,” said Timpano.

And it was a bounce back game for Timpano who was in net for all eight goals on Friday. Today he stopped 29 of 33 including some key saves down the stretch, but he said he approached this game like any other.

“I didn’t change anything, I went into the first game just like I went into this game. It happens, it’s hockey there’s going to be a little bit of adversity. Especially as a goalie I think the biggest characteristic is to be mentality strong, and I pride myself on that. I went into this game and prepared the exact same way, and we all showed up and got the win.”

These division rivals have some great young talent and this is shaping up to be a nice rivalry not only for this season, but for years to come.

For now the Wolves have the edge.

Sudbury is back on the ice Friday against the Kitchener Rangers.