OHL Erie Otters

Erie Special Teams Perfect, Gibbons Wins Third-Straight Start in 5-3 Win at Kingston

March 1, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Kingston, Ontario - After picking up a 4-2 victory in Peterborough the night prior, Erie would spend its Friday evening at the newly-named Slush Puppie Place in Kingston in the middle game of the weekend road trip out east. Just six days after taking on the Kingston Frontenacs for the first time this season, Erie would close the season series looking for revenge. With goaltender Jacob Gibbons looking to continue his recent success, Erie would look to open March with a road win.

For the second-straight night, the Erie Otters would allow the game's first goal - this time, it would be Kingston's Gage Heyes (10) to put the Frontenacs in front with 2:47 gone by. With a power play opportunity for the Otters near the halfway mark of the period, Erie would look to snap a cold skid for the man-advantage. Sam Alfano (20, PPG) would ensure Erie would start off March on the right foot for the advantage, earning Erie its first power play goal since February 9 to make it 1-1. With a successful penalty kill, Erie would have a perfect special teams period in the first. On the other side of the final media timeout of the period, Kingston would go back in front as Jacob Battaglia (28) would fire home a rebound for a 2-1 Kingston lead after 20. Erie would collect the final six shots of the period to take a 14-10 shot advantage through 20.

Erie would dominate the middle frame of the game after a slower start for either side. Despite just a 10-8 shot advantage, Erie would control much of the time of possession in the second period, and be rewarded for their pressure 12:20 in from a Spencer Sova (15) shake-and-bake goal to make it 2-2. The success of Erie's power play in the game would continue, as Pano Fimis (20, PPG) would go top shelf in a final minute five-on-three to give Erie its first lead of the night, 3-2. Erie would also kill of yet another penalty, and carry power play time over into period three - looking to split the season-series with the Frontenacs.

Sam Alfano (21, PPG) was not wasting any time to start the third period, as the Otters would score on the power play just :12 into the third period - going 3/3 on the power play in the game. A perfect day after a rough stretch would put Erie up 4-2 with nearly the entire period to go. Despite the early success, Erie would muster a weekend-low five shots in the third, and allow Kingston to stick around just enough. Nearing the halfway mark of the period, Luke McNamara (10) would get the Frontenacs within one. With the net empty on the opposite side of the ice, Malcolm Spence (18, ENG) would put the game away for good as Erie would take a 5-3 win in Kingston - giving the Otters back-to-back two-goal victories, and a chance to sweep the three-game weekend series in Ottawa on Sunday. Goaltender Jacob Gibbons would stop 22/25 to earn his third-straight victory.

Erie's final long road trip of the season concludes in Ottawa on Sunday, as the Otters officially begins a countdown of single-digit games remaining ahead of vying for a post-season berth. Following Sunday, Erie will host divisional foe Owen Sound for a pair of home games on Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10. Saturday's affair is the annually-beloved Kids Takeover Game (pres. by Wendy's), featuring junior staff from the press box to the bench and everywhere in between.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 1, 2024


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