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Erie Otters

Strome Lifts Otters to 5-2 Win, Even Series

April 24, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - The Greyhounds started it, but the Otters finished it, tying the series with a 5-2 win on the road in game two of the Western Conference Final. Dylan Strome notched two goals in the win and Devin Williams made 27 saves.

The first period started as a battle of the goaltenders with Devin Williams and Brandon Halverson stopping shots at both ends of the ice. After killing a Soo power play, Nick Ritchie broke the scoreless tie, putting the Greyhounds on the board just over halfway through the first.

Halverson stopped a big chance from Connor McDavid and a flurry of chances from the Otters. With 7.5 seconds left in the first, Strome found an opening and ripped the puck behind Halverson to tie the game as the period came to a close.

Chances continued to go from one end of the ice to the other with the defense and netminders breaking up chances. Halfway through the second, Williams came up with a monstrous save on Sergey Tolchinsky, denying the Soo another chance.

Keigan Goetz was called for checking from behind on Travis Dermott, putting the Otters on their first power play of the night late in the second. Nick Baptiste got the puck to McDavid, who found Strome and Strome was able to pick up his second of the night to give the Otters their first lead of the Western Conference Final with 1:06 to go.

The Otters came out to start the third with a jump. McDavid found the back of the net 23 seconds into the period, giving the Otters a valuable two-goal lead. Just over a minute later, Kyle Maksimovich set up in front of Halverson where Strome was able to get him the puck and the rookie beat the Soo netminder, putting Erie up 4-1. The Greyhounds thought they had cut the lead after the puck went through the crease and the light went off, but the officials waved it off and the resulting review confirmed the call.

Penalties littered the middle of the period. Back and forth calls between the teams granted power plays and negated them, with the Otters ending up on a five-on-three penalty kill with McDavid, Darren Raddysh, and Troy Donnay in the box. Just as McDavid left the box, Black Speers cut the lead to 4-2 from the right side of Williams.

The Greyhounds pulled Halverson for an extra attacker with just under two minutes to go. The Soo had a chance to come within one goal, but Williams made a huge save to keep the Greyhounds off the scoreboard. With 30 seconds to go, Remi Elie got the puck to McDavid who sealed the win with an empty net for the 5-2 win. Hayden Verbeek was called for charging with 17 seconds remaining, but the score stood and the Otters tied the series.

The loss for the Greyhounds was their first of the playoffs, their last loss coming on March 11 during the regular season. Strome and McDavid notched three points in the win with Dermott and Elie right behind with two each. The Otters outshot the Greyhounds until the very end with the final shots totalling 29-27 in favor of the home team.

The Otters bring the Greyhounds back to Erie Sunday for a white out game three at 7 p.m. before Tuesday's game four.

The Iron Workers Local Union No. 3 Ironmen of the Game:

1. Dylan Strome - 2G, 1A

2. Devin Williams - 27 saves

3. Nick Ritchie - 1G, 1A

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 24, 2015


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