’Hounds, Colorado to continue battle

By Tom Williams

Youngstown has won the last three with a best-of-seven series next.

YOUNGSTOWN — Before the SteelHounds’ final regular-season series against defending champion Colorado, forward Mark Odut was asked about the possibility of his team playing the Eagles in a best-of-seven playoff series.

“Ten straight games — it wouldn’t be very friendly out there,” Odut said.

The second-year SteelHounds forward nailed that prediction. With both teams desperate for points, the SteelHounds and Eagles battled furiously as the season wrapped up.

When the dust had settled after Saturday’s come-from-way-behind 3-2 shootout thriller, the SteelHounds (39-20-5, 83 points) had three straight wins, the third seed in the Northern Conference and a seven-game playoff series with the Eagles (37-20-7, 81 points).

“We’re successful being physical, taking the body every chance we get,” SteelHounds coach Kevin Kaminski said. “Playing greasy and gritty, that’s basically the stamp on playing ’Hound Hockey.”

The SteelHounds’ second Central Hockey League playoff series gets under way Friday and Saturday in Loveland, Colo. Games 3, 4 and (if necessary) 5 will be played at the Chevrolet Centre on April 1 and April 3-4. Because the Eagles are the Northwest Division winners, they are seeded ahead of the SteelHounds who finished second in the Northeast Division to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (44-16-6, 94 points).

The series is a rematch from last spring when the Eagles eliminated the SteelHounds, four games to two. Colorado went on to win three more series to win the CHL’s President’s Cup, its second championship in three seasons.

The good news for the SteelHounds is that they enter the postseason on a roll.

Goaltender Andy Franck (26-10-4) has earned at least one point in each of his past 10 starts. His last five wins were against the Eagles (three times) and the Southeast Division champs Laredo Bucks (42-19-3, 87 points).

Saturday, Franck continued to display the goaltending magic that earned the SteelHounds an extra four days of rest, stopping 29 Eagles’ shots in regulation and five more in overtime.

Once again, the goal scoring hero was Ryan Bennett, who has six goals in the past three games. With the SteelHounds trailing 2-0 early in the third period, Bennett tapped in a feed from Chris Richards.

Then with Franck pulled in the final minute of regulation, the SteelHounds pressured the Eagles’ zone, with Bennett putting the puck past goaltender Sebastien Laplante.

“He’s a battler, he works hard, he goes to the net, he works along the wall and that’s playoff-type of hockey,” Richards said of Bennett. “He knows how to play it.”

Bennett nursed an ankle injury for about a month before his return last Wednesday.

“He wanted to play a couple of weeks ago, but we kept on winning and I wanted to make sure he was 100 percent,” Kaminski said. “Nobody brings more to the table. I coached against him in Adirondack. He’s got everything — vision, hands, grit. He can fight and hit. He has all the intangibles that make him a professional.”

In the shootout where each team is awarded five penalty shots, Franck allowed a goal to Kris Wiebe on Colorado’s second shot, but stopped Ed McGrane (pads), Erik Adams (pads), Riley Nelson (glove) and Seth Leonard (pads).

At the other end, Jason Baird and Richards beat Laplante (21-18-2) to give Youngstown the point that moved them up into third in the conference.

Saturday’s victory improved the SteelHounds’ record to 3-1-1 against the Eagles and was their third straight come-from behind victory.

“It was great to watch,” Kaminski said. “Guys came out with urgency, with desperation and they found a way to get the job done.”

Bennett agreed.

“We came through we had to, we kept it close against a really good team, then we put the burners on to go up,” Bennett said. “And once we go up, we play well with the lead.

“We have a great playoff team. We battle and battle, keep it close then in the last 10 minutes we turn it on.”

But Franck hopes the falling behind early streak is snapped.

“Come playoff time, we can’t wait until [late] or by then we’ll be buried,” Franck said. “They are a championship club, they know what it takes to win.”

williams@vindy.com