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OHL Erie Otters

D'Amato Scores a Pair to Give Otters Point in Shootout Loss

December 5, 2021 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Hamilton, Ontario - Taking on a second Canadian Hockey League Top 10 team on the weekend, the Erie Otters would head east to Hamilton, preparing for the first battle of the season against the #10 Bulldogs. With a number of injuries plaguing the Otters offensively and defensively, they would call-up Toronto-native Dylan Edwards, the 8th Round Pick of Erie in the 2021 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection Draft, for his first-ever OHL game.

The Otters controlled the offensive flow as the game started, finding the first shots, and playing with a chip on their shoulder. Early in, Owain Johnston would stickhandle his way into the offensive end, put a shot on net that would be sent aside, right to a waiting Daniel D'Amato (4) who would fire it to the back of net. Both teams would exchange penalty trouble, as the Bulldogs would head to the box twice, with both penalties being killed off. Erie would find themselves in the box on three occasions - including a 5-on-3. It would be on this 5-on-3 that the Otters would suffer their first goal-against, as Nathan Staios (6) would rip one past Lalonde. After 20 minutes of play, the score would be 1-1 with shots in favor of Hamilton 11-6.

The second period would start with initial offensive control from Hamilton, taking five of the first seven shots, and controlling the time in the offensive end. Erie's defense would continue to bend-but-not-break as Nolan Lalonde and Co. would do their part in keeping it at a 1-1 game. The Otters would find an opportunity on the power play, where they would quickly collect a number of shots to get back into the offensive flow. While opportunities to score would come, the shot-blocking Bulldogs would keep all the pucks enough away from the net. Late in the third period, Jan Mysak would feed a perfect puck to Avery Hayes (11) to give Hamilton their first lead of the night, 2-1. Otters' Alternate Captain Cameron Morton would take a penalty to close out the period, as Erie would take 1:22 of penalty time into the third. Erie would outshoot Hamilton 9-8 in the period, but trail in shots 19-15 and in the game 2-1.

In the third period, Erie would have no problem killing off the Morton penalty, and suddenly find themselves thrown on back-to-back power play opportunities. Despite being unable to capitalize on the man-advantages, the Otters would collect a handful of shots, and continue their march to tie it up. Just past the halfway mark of the third period,, Otters' Captain Dan D'Amato (5) would give the team their tying-goal to make it 2-2. With a back-and-forth rest of the way, the two foes would head to overtime after Erie lead in shots 14-8 in the third.

The Otters would pick up their third point of the weekend, and look for more in the extra frame. While both teams had their opportunities in the extra five minutes, the hot-goaltenders would prevail, and the game would be sent to a shootout - the first of the season for Erie. In the shootout, Erie would send out Dan D'Amato, Connor Lockhart, and Brett Bressette, but be unable to find the net, falling 1-0 with George Diaco getting the winner.

Erie heads home for a short-time, before returning to the bus for a Wednesday night affair with the Flint Firebirds; the sixth meeting of the season between the two. The Otters finally return home on Saturday, December 11 for Superhero Night, and Sunday, December 12 for Otto's Birthday Bash / Mascot Mania. The brutal road travel for the Otters to open the front-half of the season slows now, with no long road trips for Erie until February.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 5, 2021


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