Tolchinsky OT hero for Greyhounds
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SUDBURY, Ont. — Officially, the Sudbury Wolves lost 5-4 in overtime.
But you could argue their fate was decided in the second period of Wednesday’s contest against the Soo Greyhounds, played in front of 3,286 at Sudbury Community Arena.
After exiting the first frame up 3-1, the Wolves allowed two goals by the midway point of the second and it wasn’t until late in the period that they finally reasserted themselves on offence.
And by then, the Hounds were all the way back in the game.
“Lately, in our second periods, we have not played that well,” said Sudbury captain Michael Kantor, one of his team’s better forwards with a pair of assists and a couple of big hits. “We’re all happy, heading into the room up 3-1, but we gotta come back out and go hard and we gotta start from the first shift. Two goals is nothing. They score one, and it totally changes momentum.
“We need to be consistent and play a full 60 minutes. We can’t take shifts off, can’t take periods off. And we can’t be satisfied with one point. We have to find a way to get two.”
Not that Wednesday’s point wasn’t a big one. By collecting at least one point for the 15th time in 16 games, Sudbury (21-17-4-5) moved one up on idle Brampton for second in the OHL’s Central Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The Soo (25-19-2-1) continued its strong play under mid-season hire Sheldon Keefe, winning its second straight and moving within one point of Plymouth for sixth in the Western Conference.
“We were going nowhere fast in the first 20 minutes,” Keefe said. “But we challenged them to play better in the remaining periods and we got some life. That gave us a chance for the rest of the game and we were able to get two points.
“We’d prefer we didn’t have to challenge them, that we could just start that way, because that’s what we’re capable of, but it’s not easy on the road against a confident group like Sudbury.”
And the Wolves have played with confidence this last week and a half, despite the loss of several key veterans at the trade deadline.
They certainly got a boost when Dominik Kubalik opened the scoring with his ninth of the season at 7:56. The freshman winger snuck behind the Soo defence, took a feed and made a nice move to put a backhand through Justin Nichols’ five-hole.
Matt Schmalz gave the home side a two-goal cushion with his second marker since arriving via a trade-deadline deal with the Kitchener Rangers at 9:23.
A rebound came right to the rangy rookie, who stretched to beat a sprawling Nichols.
The Soo got one back on the power play at 10:40, when Ryan Sproul fed Colin Miller at the point and, with all kinds of time to line up a shot, Miller beat Palazzese up high.
But Sudbury’s netminder kept his team ahead with a big pad save on Brandon Alderson during a short-handed 2-on-1, and Mathew Campagna repaid his teammate with his 13th of the season, still with the man advantage, at 13:22.
Another Nichols rebound ended up on the Sudbury centre’s stick and he tucked a backhand over the line from close range.
The Hounds seized momentum early in the second, however, and Darnell Nurse needed only 55 seconds to beat Palazzese on a feed from Nick Cousins.
Cousins made his presence felt again in the first half of the frame, colliding with Sudbury captain Michael Kantor away from the play and drawing an interference penalty.
Sudbury fans, along with Wolves coaches, seemed convinced it was a bit of an acting job by the Soo agitator, who popped back to his feet just after Kantor’s penalty was called.
Andrew Fritsch made good on the man advantage at 5:36, beating Palazzese to erase Sudbury’s lead.
The Wolves had their chances to pull ahead late in the period, but Nichols seemed refreshed by his team’s better effort and made some key stops to keep things square.
"Even our first period was a little inflated, because we got some good bounces,” Wolves head coach Trent Cull said. “But we created a few things, so that was good. But the first three or four minutes of the second, we just couldn’t win faceoffs or anything. We lost focus and it’s something we talked about. We knew they’d push back. They’re a big, strong, older team and they had us reeling for a while in the second.”
Losing top-pair defenceman Jeff Corbett to injury midway through the period didn’t help.
“You see a lot of young guys back there and that’s a lot of minutes up for grabs,” Cull said. “The young guys did a pretty good job, but that’s an older, stronger team and we know in these situations, experience makes a difference and they were showing us the way a bit. We still have some improving to do.”
Sudbury was better in the third, but it was the Soo’s Cousins who lit the lamp next, taking a nifty feed from Sergey Tolchinsky and firing a shot past Palazzese for his team’s first lead at 6:00.
Charlie Dodero pulled the Wolves even again at 14:58, streaking down the right wing and launching a shot that looked harmless enough, but bounced past Nichols and into the goal.
Keefe still liked the way Nichols, an unexpected starter after Matt Murray was hurt in practice, rebounded after a tough start to the contest.
“He was solid,” the Soo coach said. “On a couple of power plays they had in the second, he was really solid, and I know he wants that one back in the third, but for a young goaltender who’s not that experienced and wasn’t expecting to start … he responded really nicely. It could have been ugly.”
Tolchinsky finished things at 1:21 of overtime, taking a pass in the slot area, making a couple of good moves and beating Palazzese with a well-aimed wrist shot.
But you could argue their fate was decided in the second period of Wednesday’s contest against the Soo Greyhounds, played in front of 3,286 at Sudbury Community Arena.
After exiting the first frame up 3-1, the Wolves allowed two goals by the midway point of the second and it wasn’t until late in the period that they finally reasserted themselves on offence.
And by then, the Hounds were all the way back in the game.
“Lately, in our second periods, we have not played that well,” said Sudbury captain Michael Kantor, one of his team’s better forwards with a pair of assists and a couple of big hits. “We’re all happy, heading into the room up 3-1, but we gotta come back out and go hard and we gotta start from the first shift. Two goals is nothing. They score one, and it totally changes momentum.
“We need to be consistent and play a full 60 minutes. We can’t take shifts off, can’t take periods off. And we can’t be satisfied with one point. We have to find a way to get two.”
Not that Wednesday’s point wasn’t a big one. By collecting at least one point for the 15th time in 16 games, Sudbury (21-17-4-5) moved one up on idle Brampton for second in the OHL’s Central Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The Soo (25-19-2-1) continued its strong play under mid-season hire Sheldon Keefe, winning its second straight and moving within one point of Plymouth for sixth in the Western Conference.
“We were going nowhere fast in the first 20 minutes,” Keefe said. “But we challenged them to play better in the remaining periods and we got some life. That gave us a chance for the rest of the game and we were able to get two points.
“We’d prefer we didn’t have to challenge them, that we could just start that way, because that’s what we’re capable of, but it’s not easy on the road against a confident group like Sudbury.”
And the Wolves have played with confidence this last week and a half, despite the loss of several key veterans at the trade deadline.
They certainly got a boost when Dominik Kubalik opened the scoring with his ninth of the season at 7:56. The freshman winger snuck behind the Soo defence, took a feed and made a nice move to put a backhand through Justin Nichols’ five-hole.
Matt Schmalz gave the home side a two-goal cushion with his second marker since arriving via a trade-deadline deal with the Kitchener Rangers at 9:23.
A rebound came right to the rangy rookie, who stretched to beat a sprawling Nichols.
The Soo got one back on the power play at 10:40, when Ryan Sproul fed Colin Miller at the point and, with all kinds of time to line up a shot, Miller beat Palazzese up high.
But Sudbury’s netminder kept his team ahead with a big pad save on Brandon Alderson during a short-handed 2-on-1, and Mathew Campagna repaid his teammate with his 13th of the season, still with the man advantage, at 13:22.
Another Nichols rebound ended up on the Sudbury centre’s stick and he tucked a backhand over the line from close range.
The Hounds seized momentum early in the second, however, and Darnell Nurse needed only 55 seconds to beat Palazzese on a feed from Nick Cousins.
Cousins made his presence felt again in the first half of the frame, colliding with Sudbury captain Michael Kantor away from the play and drawing an interference penalty.
Sudbury fans, along with Wolves coaches, seemed convinced it was a bit of an acting job by the Soo agitator, who popped back to his feet just after Kantor’s penalty was called.
Andrew Fritsch made good on the man advantage at 5:36, beating Palazzese to erase Sudbury’s lead.
The Wolves had their chances to pull ahead late in the period, but Nichols seemed refreshed by his team’s better effort and made some key stops to keep things square.
"Even our first period was a little inflated, because we got some good bounces,” Wolves head coach Trent Cull said. “But we created a few things, so that was good. But the first three or four minutes of the second, we just couldn’t win faceoffs or anything. We lost focus and it’s something we talked about. We knew they’d push back. They’re a big, strong, older team and they had us reeling for a while in the second.”
Losing top-pair defenceman Jeff Corbett to injury midway through the period didn’t help.
“You see a lot of young guys back there and that’s a lot of minutes up for grabs,” Cull said. “The young guys did a pretty good job, but that’s an older, stronger team and we know in these situations, experience makes a difference and they were showing us the way a bit. We still have some improving to do.”
Sudbury was better in the third, but it was the Soo’s Cousins who lit the lamp next, taking a nifty feed from Sergey Tolchinsky and firing a shot past Palazzese for his team’s first lead at 6:00.
Charlie Dodero pulled the Wolves even again at 14:58, streaking down the right wing and launching a shot that looked harmless enough, but bounced past Nichols and into the goal.
Keefe still liked the way Nichols, an unexpected starter after Matt Murray was hurt in practice, rebounded after a tough start to the contest.
“He was solid,” the Soo coach said. “On a couple of power plays they had in the second, he was really solid, and I know he wants that one back in the third, but for a young goaltender who’s not that experienced and wasn’t expecting to start … he responded really nicely. It could have been ugly.”
Tolchinsky finished things at 1:21 of overtime, taking a pass in the slot area, making a couple of good moves and beating Palazzese with a well-aimed wrist shot.
So far, Tolchinsky is even more than Greyhounds hoped for !
![Picture](/uploads/3/6/3/1/3631524/3093695.jpg?350)
AULT STE. MARIE - He dips and darts.
And dashes.He starts and stops.And starts again.
Even when faking out an opponent, everything he does on skates seems to happen so quickly.
And then you watch his hands.
Wow!
Capable of controlling, shooting and passing pucks beautifully, these are normally the hands of a skilled surgeon, or concert pianist.
How about the way he sees the ice, anticipates plays and unselfishly shares the puck?
Now, if Sergey Tolchinsky was just about pure hockey skill, he’d be something to see.
But the 17-year-old rookie winger is so much more.
His speed and skill are combined with a tenacious approach to the game.
The kid back-checks hard and appears to enjoy harassing the puck carrier just as much as he enjoys carrying the disc himself.
Remember the day last June when Soo Greyhounds GM Kyle Dubas grabbed Tolchinsky with the 12th overall pick in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft?
Remember wondering whether a five-foot-seven, 150-pounder could be effective playing in the big, bad OHL?
Well, Tolchinsky dispelled those fears quickly.
With less than 30 OHL games under his belt, the native of Moscow, Russia, has quickly established himself as a Greyhounds fan favourite.
And his size has been little to no factor, overridden by his ability to slide off of checks and the passion with which he plays at both ends of the ice.
Let’s face it: After too many years of too little success, local interest in this team isn’t what it once was.
Just check out the empty seats at the once-filled Essar Centre.
But even on nights when the Hounds struggle, Tolchinsky offers a reason to get excited.
You can hear the home crowd’s oohs and aahs when he takes the puck and makes a move or two, or three.
Told a lot of Sault fans love watching him play, Tolchinsky said: “I love them, too.”
Two years from now, Tolchinsky could join Erie’s Connor McDavid as the most-skilled forwards in the entire league.
“He’s as skilled a player as I’ve seen in my age group. He has a bright future,” said 17-year-old Hounds defenceman Darnell Nurse, who’s enjoyed watching the rookie rise to second in team scoring.
In 28 starts, Tolchinsky has 11 goals, 13 assists and is a plus-3.
“I know I have to work hard every day to play at this level,” he said. “I like working and not stopping.”
Tolchinsky said his father put a pair of skates on his feet on his second birthday. He began skating that very day and never looked back.
As for his slick puck-handling, he says he “always could stick-handle. Because I don’t have size, I must have speed and quick hands.”
And so he works on both every day.
Saying he’s grown an inch and has added 10 pounds to what is now a 160-pound frame, Tolchinsky spoke of how happy he is here.
From the day he was drafted, there were questions as to whether Tolchinsky would report.
His recruiting ability put to the test, Dubas played things beautifully in order to get the player here.
He sold the benefits of joining the Hounds organization, but also said Tolchinsky would play in the Sault, or nowhere in the OHL.
Now, Tolchinsky says he wouldn’t want to play for any other club.
While he misses family and friends at home, he says he likes the Sault, likes his teammates and is focused on helping his team win games.
He’s also anxious for an invite to the NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game, scheduled for Jan. 16 in Halifax.
Nurse is assured a spot there, as an alternate captain for Team Cherry.
“I hope I’ll be there. It would help me in my career,” said Tolchinsky, excited about improving his draft stock and, hopefully, moving closer to achieving his dream of one day playing in the NHL. “That’s why I wanted to come to Canada. There are more scouts who can follow you here.”
While he won’t be returning home for Christmas, Tolchinsky, who’ll spend the holidays with friends in New Jersey, is anticipating his mother’s visit to the Sault beginning on Dec. 11.
His father, he said, is too busy with work commitments to make the trip to North America.
“When I was five-years-old, I told my father I wanted to be a hockey player,” he chuckled.
To that end, he said the hard work needed to improve – especially his ability to handle and shoot the puck, and to skate swiftly and with strength — remains his No. 1 focus.
Without great size, he again spoke of his commitment to constantly go through drills to improve both.
“I’m crazy about my hands and my feet,” Tolchinsky said.
Hey, we are, too.
And dashes.He starts and stops.And starts again.
Even when faking out an opponent, everything he does on skates seems to happen so quickly.
And then you watch his hands.
Wow!
Capable of controlling, shooting and passing pucks beautifully, these are normally the hands of a skilled surgeon, or concert pianist.
How about the way he sees the ice, anticipates plays and unselfishly shares the puck?
Now, if Sergey Tolchinsky was just about pure hockey skill, he’d be something to see.
But the 17-year-old rookie winger is so much more.
His speed and skill are combined with a tenacious approach to the game.
The kid back-checks hard and appears to enjoy harassing the puck carrier just as much as he enjoys carrying the disc himself.
Remember the day last June when Soo Greyhounds GM Kyle Dubas grabbed Tolchinsky with the 12th overall pick in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft?
Remember wondering whether a five-foot-seven, 150-pounder could be effective playing in the big, bad OHL?
Well, Tolchinsky dispelled those fears quickly.
With less than 30 OHL games under his belt, the native of Moscow, Russia, has quickly established himself as a Greyhounds fan favourite.
And his size has been little to no factor, overridden by his ability to slide off of checks and the passion with which he plays at both ends of the ice.
Let’s face it: After too many years of too little success, local interest in this team isn’t what it once was.
Just check out the empty seats at the once-filled Essar Centre.
But even on nights when the Hounds struggle, Tolchinsky offers a reason to get excited.
You can hear the home crowd’s oohs and aahs when he takes the puck and makes a move or two, or three.
Told a lot of Sault fans love watching him play, Tolchinsky said: “I love them, too.”
Two years from now, Tolchinsky could join Erie’s Connor McDavid as the most-skilled forwards in the entire league.
“He’s as skilled a player as I’ve seen in my age group. He has a bright future,” said 17-year-old Hounds defenceman Darnell Nurse, who’s enjoyed watching the rookie rise to second in team scoring.
In 28 starts, Tolchinsky has 11 goals, 13 assists and is a plus-3.
“I know I have to work hard every day to play at this level,” he said. “I like working and not stopping.”
Tolchinsky said his father put a pair of skates on his feet on his second birthday. He began skating that very day and never looked back.
As for his slick puck-handling, he says he “always could stick-handle. Because I don’t have size, I must have speed and quick hands.”
And so he works on both every day.
Saying he’s grown an inch and has added 10 pounds to what is now a 160-pound frame, Tolchinsky spoke of how happy he is here.
From the day he was drafted, there were questions as to whether Tolchinsky would report.
His recruiting ability put to the test, Dubas played things beautifully in order to get the player here.
He sold the benefits of joining the Hounds organization, but also said Tolchinsky would play in the Sault, or nowhere in the OHL.
Now, Tolchinsky says he wouldn’t want to play for any other club.
While he misses family and friends at home, he says he likes the Sault, likes his teammates and is focused on helping his team win games.
He’s also anxious for an invite to the NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game, scheduled for Jan. 16 in Halifax.
Nurse is assured a spot there, as an alternate captain for Team Cherry.
“I hope I’ll be there. It would help me in my career,” said Tolchinsky, excited about improving his draft stock and, hopefully, moving closer to achieving his dream of one day playing in the NHL. “That’s why I wanted to come to Canada. There are more scouts who can follow you here.”
While he won’t be returning home for Christmas, Tolchinsky, who’ll spend the holidays with friends in New Jersey, is anticipating his mother’s visit to the Sault beginning on Dec. 11.
His father, he said, is too busy with work commitments to make the trip to North America.
“When I was five-years-old, I told my father I wanted to be a hockey player,” he chuckled.
To that end, he said the hard work needed to improve – especially his ability to handle and shoot the puck, and to skate swiftly and with strength — remains his No. 1 focus.
Without great size, he again spoke of his commitment to constantly go through drills to improve both.
“I’m crazy about my hands and my feet,” Tolchinsky said.
Hey, we are, too.