For the first time since having seven central division games postponed due to COVID protocols, the fourth place (8-13-1) Sudbury Wolves headed to Sault Ste Marie to take on the first place (15-9-2) west division Soo Greyhounds on Wednesday, December 29th who were coming off a ten day 2021 Christmas Ontario Hockey League break.

3:05 into the second period, Sudbury Michael Derbidge picks up a loose puck outside of Greyhound netminder Tynan Tucker’s crease to give the Wolves a 1 – 0 lead. Giordano Biondi and Alex Assadourian drew the helpers on Derbidge’s second of the season. Scoring his first OHL career goal, Dominik Jendek scoops up a loose puck on the offensive end to fire a breakaway goal through Tynan’s five hole bring the lead to 2 – 0. Nick DeGrazia notched the lone contributor on Jendek’s goal at 5:42. Cushioning their lead to 3 – 0, Kocha Delic sank his seventh of the season just below the Soo’s crossbar to increase the lead at 7:45. Chase Stillman and David Goyette setup Sudbury’s third of the midweek clash. Sinking his 15th of the season and registering his 45th point of 2021, Rory Kerins pulls the Greyhounds within two after Soo three on two to send the hosts into the second intermission down 3 – 1 at the 17:14 mark of the period. Tye Kartye and Kirill Kudryavtsev added the assists on Kerins’ goal.

Scoring his second of the contest 2:31 into the final period, Derbidge slides the visitors fourth under Tynan to give the Wolves a 4 – 1 lead with Assadourian drawing the helper on Derbidge’s goal. After Rory Kerins firing a slapshot just inside the Wolves’ blueline, Kalvyn Watson tips the Greyhounds second past Sudbury goaltender Mitchell Weeks to pull the Soo within two at 4:15. 55 seconds after Watson’s second of the season, Owen Allard rifles a slapshot under Weeks’ catcher to close the gap to one for his second of the season at 5:10 with Marc Bourdeau and Tyler Savard contributed on the Greyhounds third of the game. With time ticking off the clock and 2:22 remaining in Wednesday’s contest, Kerins picks up his own rebound to fires a wrist shot over Weeks’ catcher to even the game 4 – 4 for the Greyhounds, Kudryavstev and Tye Kartye notched the assists on Kerins’ powerplay marker. 72 seconds into overtime and three on three, Kartye fires the game winner bardown on his 24th of the season to give the Greyhounds a 5 – 4 overtime win. Kerins and Robert Calisti added the helpers on Kartye’s goal. Sudbury goaltender Mitchell Weeks stopped 30 of 35 shots while Tucker Tynan turned away 22 of 26 shots in the Soo’s 16th win of the season.

The Greyhounds will now board the bus following the Wednesday win for a trip down I75 to face the Saginaw Spirit for their second game in six days on Thursday, December 30th in a 6:30 p.m start.

Photo Bob Davies