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Watling snaps home winner as Hounds beat Bulls
![Picture](/uploads/3/6/3/1/3631524/7823510.jpg?259)
SAULT STE. MARIE - Patrick Watling was feeling as if he hadn't had much puck luck lately.
With just two goals in his first 12 games, the Soo Greyhounds overage winger has been looking to contribute more offensively.
Friday, he did just that, scoring the game-winning goal in the Hounds 7-5 victory over the Belleville Bulls before 4,045 at Essar Centre.
“I kind of got the monkey off of my back,” Watling said of his power-play marker at 15:58 of the third period. “It felt great.”
On a night when he and his teammates weren't sharp, Watling's third goal of the season gave the Hounds a 6-5 advantage.
Darnell Nurse got the puck to Sergey Tolchinsky on the right side of the ice and the native of Moscow “opened up some space for me,” Watling said. “Sergey is a great passer. He slowed up and bought me time. He put the puck right on my stick.”
Watling, a Sault native, wasted little time, quickly snapping a shot that beat Bulls netminder Jason Da Silva high to the blocker side.
“We were going in 4 on 2 and I was just thinking we could make something special happen,” said Tolchinsky, who credited Nurse for drawing the Bulls defence out of position.
“That was a great play by Sergey at the end of a shift,” added Hounds head coach Sheldon Keefe, whose club improved to 10-1-0-2, heading into tonight's 7:07 p.m. Essar Centre start against Kingston. “And I loved the finish by Watling. It was a great shot.”
Jean Dupuy's empty-net goal with 13 seconds left in regulation wrapped things up.
“You could tell from the start it was going to be a slow game,” Keefe said, alluding to the trap the Bulls played, hoping to negate the Hounds speed. “They had us on the perimeter for much of the night. We didn't play well, but this team has been resilient.”
“It wasn't pretty. We didn't play as well as we have been playing, but we keep finding ways to win,” added Nurse, who scored a pair of goals, including one on the power play, while also contributing an assist. “We had to adjust to their trap, but we had the ability to get through it.”
The Hounds overcame a 2-1 deficit and led 4-3 late in the second period when the Bulls Cameron Gaunce took the puck the length of the ice on the power play.
He wound up beating Hounds netminder Brandon Halverson for a soft goal on the short side, tying the game 4-4 at the 19:57 mark.
While admitting “we needed a save there,” Keefe said he didn't seriously consider pulling his rookie goalie for the third period.
“We wanted Halvie to get through it,” the coach added.
Asked if nerves may have contributed to a night in which Halverson fought the puck, Keefe agreed.
“He's a young goalie trying to find his way,” the coach said.
Aaron Berisha banged a rebound in to give the visitors a 5-4 lead early in the third. But Kyle Jenkins beat Da Silva on the glove side to tie the game four minutes later.
Jenkins, Watling and Andrew Fritsch, who turned in a strong game, all finished with a goal and an assist.
Michael Bunting, on the power play, had the other goal for the winners, who outshot the Bulls 40-32.
Tolchinsky and Tyler Gaudet finished with two assists each.
Gaunce scored twice in defeat while Luke Cairns, on the power play, and Mark Raycroft had the other Belleville goals.
“We did a lot of things well,” said Bulls head coach and general manager George Burnett, whose club fell to 2-9-1-1. “But we weren't good in our end of the ice. And it wasn't a great night for either of the goalies.”
Burnett spoke of how Jenkins's goal turned things around.
“We were up 5-4 and had two power plays that were less than effective,” he noted.
Remi Elie's minor for goaltender interference at 5:49 of the third period wiped out his club's second power play and Jenkins proceeded to score with the teams skating 4-on-4.
“We're discombobulated killing penalties. We're supposed to be a good penalty-killing team,” Burnett added. “But we expect more from our veteran guys.”
Notes: Keefe said he plans to start veteran goalie Matt Murray tonight against the Frontenacs, who lost 3-0 in Sudbury Friday night and enter this evening's clash with an 8-2-1-2 mark.
With just two goals in his first 12 games, the Soo Greyhounds overage winger has been looking to contribute more offensively.
Friday, he did just that, scoring the game-winning goal in the Hounds 7-5 victory over the Belleville Bulls before 4,045 at Essar Centre.
“I kind of got the monkey off of my back,” Watling said of his power-play marker at 15:58 of the third period. “It felt great.”
On a night when he and his teammates weren't sharp, Watling's third goal of the season gave the Hounds a 6-5 advantage.
Darnell Nurse got the puck to Sergey Tolchinsky on the right side of the ice and the native of Moscow “opened up some space for me,” Watling said. “Sergey is a great passer. He slowed up and bought me time. He put the puck right on my stick.”
Watling, a Sault native, wasted little time, quickly snapping a shot that beat Bulls netminder Jason Da Silva high to the blocker side.
“We were going in 4 on 2 and I was just thinking we could make something special happen,” said Tolchinsky, who credited Nurse for drawing the Bulls defence out of position.
“That was a great play by Sergey at the end of a shift,” added Hounds head coach Sheldon Keefe, whose club improved to 10-1-0-2, heading into tonight's 7:07 p.m. Essar Centre start against Kingston. “And I loved the finish by Watling. It was a great shot.”
Jean Dupuy's empty-net goal with 13 seconds left in regulation wrapped things up.
“You could tell from the start it was going to be a slow game,” Keefe said, alluding to the trap the Bulls played, hoping to negate the Hounds speed. “They had us on the perimeter for much of the night. We didn't play well, but this team has been resilient.”
“It wasn't pretty. We didn't play as well as we have been playing, but we keep finding ways to win,” added Nurse, who scored a pair of goals, including one on the power play, while also contributing an assist. “We had to adjust to their trap, but we had the ability to get through it.”
The Hounds overcame a 2-1 deficit and led 4-3 late in the second period when the Bulls Cameron Gaunce took the puck the length of the ice on the power play.
He wound up beating Hounds netminder Brandon Halverson for a soft goal on the short side, tying the game 4-4 at the 19:57 mark.
While admitting “we needed a save there,” Keefe said he didn't seriously consider pulling his rookie goalie for the third period.
“We wanted Halvie to get through it,” the coach added.
Asked if nerves may have contributed to a night in which Halverson fought the puck, Keefe agreed.
“He's a young goalie trying to find his way,” the coach said.
Aaron Berisha banged a rebound in to give the visitors a 5-4 lead early in the third. But Kyle Jenkins beat Da Silva on the glove side to tie the game four minutes later.
Jenkins, Watling and Andrew Fritsch, who turned in a strong game, all finished with a goal and an assist.
Michael Bunting, on the power play, had the other goal for the winners, who outshot the Bulls 40-32.
Tolchinsky and Tyler Gaudet finished with two assists each.
Gaunce scored twice in defeat while Luke Cairns, on the power play, and Mark Raycroft had the other Belleville goals.
“We did a lot of things well,” said Bulls head coach and general manager George Burnett, whose club fell to 2-9-1-1. “But we weren't good in our end of the ice. And it wasn't a great night for either of the goalies.”
Burnett spoke of how Jenkins's goal turned things around.
“We were up 5-4 and had two power plays that were less than effective,” he noted.
Remi Elie's minor for goaltender interference at 5:49 of the third period wiped out his club's second power play and Jenkins proceeded to score with the teams skating 4-on-4.
“We're discombobulated killing penalties. We're supposed to be a good penalty-killing team,” Burnett added. “But we expect more from our veteran guys.”
Notes: Keefe said he plans to start veteran goalie Matt Murray tonight against the Frontenacs, who lost 3-0 in Sudbury Friday night and enter this evening's clash with an 8-2-1-2 mark.