No matter how hard they seem to
try, the Sarnia Sting just can’t
score many goals in the month of
December.
The Sting fell 5-2 to the
Plymouth Whalers, Tuesday night
before 3,360 fans at the RBC
Centre.
Sarnia has now dropped six games
in a row in the Ontario Hockey
League. In all of those games,
the Sting has managed two goals
or less in each outing. In 10
games this month, Sarnia has
scored only 24 goals.
But last night’s game was
different than earlier games
this month in the fact the Sting
fired 35 shots at Whalers goalie
Matt Hackett and generated a
number of good scoring
opportunities.
“We generated more scoring
chances tonight against a very
good defensive team than we have
in the last nine or 10 games
combined,” said Sting head coach
Dave MacQueen. “We squandered
too many glorious scoring
chances. We either shot wide,
hit the goalie in the crest
while the goalie made some good
saves when we had to. I thought
we played a pretty solid game.
We got running around a bit in
our own end, but that was to be
expected coming off the break.”
He added, “they got a couple of
lucky bounces for lucky goals
that nine times out of 10 would
not go in.”
The Sting also had the problem
of playing catch-up hockey from
start to finish. They trailed
2-1 after the first period and
3-2 after the second. Plymouth
scored their fourth goal with
just under seven minutes to play
and added an open net goal.
Tyler J. Brown and Josh Brittain
led the Whalers with two goals
apiece while Stefan Noesen had
the other.
Kale Kerbashian with his
team-high 13th goal of the year
and rookie Brandon Francisco
with his fourth replied for the
Sting.
Kerbashian was knocked out of
the game early in the third
period when he was checked hard
into the boards. No penalty was
called. Kerbashian suffered a
nasty gash above his upper lip
and did not return to the game.
“He wanted to come back, but
when a player takes a shot to
the head like he did, we kept
him out for precautionary
reasons,” said MacQueen. “It
doesn’t matter what the score is
or no matter what the situation
is, we aren’t going to
jeopardize a player. He will be
re-evaluated tomorrow to see how
he feels.”
MacQueen added, “I didn’t think
there was a letdown when Kale
went down. He had been playing
well and his speed all night was
noticeable. But when he goes
out, it puts other guys in
positions they might not be
accustomed to. We know he can
score and we need his ability to
create opportunities.”
Kerbashian said he didn’t
remember much about the hit.”
“I can’t smile right now,” said
Kerbashian, while sitting in his
stall after the game. “I
remember we had good team
offence tonight. A couple of
their goals I’m not sure how
they went in. They seemed to get
the lucky bounces tonight.”
The three goals in the opening
period came in a span of 63
seconds.
Noesen opened the scoring at
4:01 when he sent home a low
shot between the legs of Sting
goalie Adam Courchaine from
close range. Francisco tied the
game at 4:32 when he knocked in
a rebound off a Jordan Hill
shot, but the Whalers regained
the lead at 5:05 when Brittain
scored from behind the goal line
as the puck went off the skate
of Courchaine.
Sarnia squared matters at 2-2 at
12:31 when Kerbashian sped in on
the right wing and whistled a
hard shot into the top corner on
the glove side past Hackett.
But two minutes later Plymouth
took the lead for good when
Brown sent home a low shot from
a sharp angle after a Sting
giveaway.
Sarnia held a 16-13 edge in
shots on goal in the third
period, but could not put any
pucks past Hackett. Brittain
scored Plymouth’s fourth goal at
13:07 on a deflection while
Brown scored a shorthanded goal
into an open net with two and a
half minutes remaining.
Sarnia finished with a 35-31
edge in shots on goal.
The Sting went zero-for-five on
the power play while Plymouth
did not score in their only
power play opportunity.
MacQueen liked a number of
things he saw from his team
coming after the Christmas
break.
“We had some energy and I
expected that. We worked hard
and had some good team speed. I
saw some rust on execution and
in our own end, but overall I
was a little surprised how well
we played.”
He added, “we know Adam is going
to give us a chance to win most
games, so if we can continue
that same work ethic and create
scoring chances, we can climb
out of his current streak.”
The Sting resume action Thursday
at 4 p.m. in London while the
two teams have a return match
Saturday at 7:35 p.m. at the RBC
Centre.
- Brittain was first star with
Robbie Czarnik (two assists) of
the Whalers second star while
Miroslav Preisinger of the Sting
was third star. He had one
assist.
- Sarnia held the Whalers top
scorer Tyler Seguin off the
scoresheet.
- Plymouth has now won two of
three meetings between the clubs
this year. They meet three more
times.
- Sarnia’s overall record fell
to 13-23-1-1 and their home
record is now 7-11-1-0.
- Craig Hottot was back in the
Sting lineup after missing 19
games with a broken jaw. He wore
a full facemask.
- Sarnia is 1-20-0-0 when
trailing after two periods.
- MacQueen put on his general
manager’s hat when asked about
potential trades leading up to
the trade deadline Jan. 10.
“The problem this year is a
number of teams don’t know if
they can beat Barrie or Windsor,
so this could be the year when a
lot of players will not be
moved. We would like to build
more assets, whether it be young
players or draft picks, but if
could be difficult to trade
under the circumstances.”