Courtesy of Sarnia Sting
ERIE, PA - The Sarnia
Sting took Game 1 of the
Western Conference
Quarter-finals in front
of 3,132 fans at the
Erie Insurance Arena on
Thursday night.
Heading into tonight’s
match-up, the Sting were
deemed the underdogs of
the series; competing
against the Otters who
boast a roster including
five 30+ goal scorers,
one of which the
consensus number one
pick for the upcoming
NHL Entry Draft, Connor
McDavid.
It was an excellent road
game for the Sarnia
Sting, beginning from
the opening faceoff.
Despite being outshot
15-10 in the opening
stanza, the Sting
managed to keep Erie’s
top guns off the
score-sheet and head
into the intermission
tied 0-0.
At 15:13 of period one,
Sting defenceman, Alex
Black was handed a 5:00
Major and ejected from
the game for boarding.
In that opening period,
Dupuis was the story for
the visiting team as he
was forced to make a
number of key saves,
most of which coming on
the power play.
It wasn’t until 11:47 of
period two that the game
saw its first goal; that
of which coming off the
stick of Otters’ 50+
goal scorer, Alex
Debrincat. Nicholas
Baptiste and Dylan
Strome drew the assists.
The Sting responded with
just under 2:30 left in
the period as Pavel
Zacha ripped a wrister
over the glove of Devin
Williams after taking a
pretty drop pass from
fellow rookie, Jordan
Kyrou. Kevin Spinozzi
was credited with the
second assist on Zacha’s
first career OHL Playoff
goal.
That wasn’t it for
second period scoring as
Jeff King added a goal
with just :03 remaining
on the clock. The
assists were given to
Pavel Zacha and Daniel
Nikandrov for the Sting.
The goal came on the
powerplay with a delayed
penalty call on the ice.
The Sting would take a
one-goal lead and 1:57
of powerplay time with
them into the
locker-room for the
intermission.
Just as the powerplay
expired in the final
frame, overage centreman
Stephen Pierog increased
the margin for the Sting
with a goal from the
right of Williams.
Jordan Kyrou picked up
his second assist of the
night on the goal. Davis
Brown was awarded with
the second assist.
The Canadian Hockey
League’s 5th ranked team
battled back though, as
Remi Ellie scored to
pull the Otters back
within one with 8:58
remaining on the clock.
It was a nail-biter
right down to the finish
as Dupuis was forced to
make some big saves with
the Otters’ goalie
pulled. The overage
net-minder was named the
game’s first star,
making 32 saves in the
win for Sarnia.
Devin Williams started
Game 1 for the Otters,
making 29 saves in the
loss.
The Sarnia Sting and the
Erie Otters are back at
it tomorrow night at the
EIA, beginning at
7:00PM.
The two teams return to
the RBC Centre on Sunday
afternoon for Game 3 of
the best-of-seven
series. Tickets for Game
3 and Game 4 are still
available while
quantities last.
The Box Office will be
open Friday/Saturday
from 9-5PM and Sunday
starting at 9AM. To
purchase tickets, go
online at
www.sarniasting.com
or stop by the Box
Office, or call (519)
541-1717.
STING
NOTES:
-
Zacha picked up two
points (1G 1A) in
his first career OHL
playoff game.
-
Rookie, Jordan Kyrou
added 2A for the
Sting, ultimately
setting up Pierog’s
game-winning goal.
-
The Sting were 1 / 2
with the extra
attacker, while the
Otters finished 1/3
including an
unsuccessful 5:00
powerplay
-
Not in uniform for
the Sting: Jakob
Chychrun, Connor
Schlichting, Brandon
Lindberg, Matteo
Ciccarelli, Josh De
Farias, Franco
Sproviero, Brenden
Trottier, Chase
Campbell
-
After taking a hard
hit from Alex Black,
Nick Betz went to
the dressing room
and didn’t return
for the Otters.
