Four-Goal Explosion Key To Plymouth's 7-4 Win Over Windsor

Published on January 18, 2010 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Plymouth Whalers News Release


PLYMOUTH, MI -- The Plymouth Whalers broke a 2-2 tie in the second period with four unanswered goals and the Whalers went on the defeat the Windsor Spitfires, 7-4, in an Ontario Hockey League game played before a near-sellout crowd of 3,412 at Compuware Arena.

Over 50 National Hockey League scouts - representing over 20 NHL teams - watched the game as well.

Although Windsor remains the top team in the Canadian Hockey League and OHL with a record of 35-7-0-4, the Whalers have now defeated Windsor three times this year to even the season series at three-games-each, with two games remaining in the regular season series - Feb. 25 and Mar. 11 in Windsor.

Plymouth improves to 26-20-0-1, good for 53 points and second place in the OHL's West Division and fourth overall in the Western Conference playoff race. The Whalers are three points ahead of fifth place Sault Ste. Marie (23-19-1-3, 50 points) and four points ahead of sixth-place Saginaw (22-17-4-1, 49 points) and Erie (21-16-5-2, 49 points).

Robbie Czarnik led the Plymouth attack with two goals and two assists - all in the decisive second period - and now has seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in 22 games since joining Plymouth from the University of Michigan in late November. Tyler Seguin scored a pair of goals (30-31) with an assist and Michal Jordan (11), Ryan Hayes (10) and Joe Gaynor (9) added singles for Plymouth.

Eric Wellwood figured in on all four Windsor goals with a goal (25) and three assists. Justin Shugg scored twice for Windsor (20-21) and Kenny Ryan (8) scored one.

The Whalers scored on their first two shots of the game. Seguin made it 1-0 at 6:03, accepting Jordan's stretch pass out of the Plymouth high slot to the Windsor blue line. Seguin moved into the Windsor zone to the hash marks, cut to his left and scored on a backhand past Windsor goaltender Troy Passingham.

Plymouth made it 2-0 at 9:20 on a power play with an excellent fundamental play. After Windsor's Scott Timmins was thrown out of the face-off circle before taking a draw, Gaynor won the face-off cleanly from defenseman Mark Cundari. Gaynor slid the puck back to Jordan at the high slot, who scored on a low shot with Gaynor screening Passingham in from of the Windsor goal.

Windsor battled back to tie, with Shugg scoring at 19:59 of the first period and Ryan at 3:24 of the second.

But then Czarnik and his teammates went to work. Czarnik's first goal of the afternoon came at 5:45 when he banked a shot from the right goal line off a Windsor defender's skate and the puck caromed past Passingham.

"It was a two-on-two with (Tyler) Brown," Czarnik said of the goal. "He passed it to me up the middle and I shot it right at the defenseman's stick, so it came back to me and I went around the net. I was trying to pass the puck out to Brown in front of the net, but it just happened to hit their skate and went in. It was a surprising goal and big goal, but we needed it.

"From then on, we started dominating."

Hayes gave the Whalers a 4-2 lead at 12:34, set up by Czarnik and Jenks. Czarnik kept the play alive on the left boards and found Jenks at the point. Jenks worked around a Windsor defender, skated to the left circle and fed the puck across to Hayes, who scored from the lower rim of the right circle.

"AJ brought the puck off the wall and skated towards the middle and just gave it to Hayes," Czarnik. "He's a good shooter who can put the puck in the net."

Plymouth kept rolling, scoring a pair of power plays by Gaynor at 15:55 (capping continual pressure and scoring from right wing side of the Windsor goal) and Czarnik at 17:46 (tap-in on a rebound at the left crease).

Windsor cut the Plymouth lead to 6-4 in the third period on goals by Shugg at 11:17 and Wellwood at 18:14. Windsor head coach Bob Boughner pulled goaltender Phillip Grubauer with 1:46 left, but Seguin scored on the empty net at 19:46 to close the scoring.

Windsor outshot Plymouth, 36-32.

"It's a great win and the second time in a row we've beaten them," Czarnik said. "It's great to have our full lineup in for the rest of the year. We showed we have a lot of character and we can compete with any team in the league. It seems we're really starting to come together as a team."

Plymouth is off until Friday when they play in Mississauga against the Majors (7:20pm, 88.1FM, WSDP). The Whalers next home game is Saturday at 7:05pm at Compuware Arena against Peterborough.

2010 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Goes Tuesday and Wednesday: Plymouth's Tyler Seguin is playing in the 2010 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Windsor Family Credit Union Centre. The event kicks off with a skills competition on Tuesday with the game on Wednesday.

The game will be broadcast locally on 88.1FM WSDP and on www.plymouthwhalers.com.

For more information, please go on line to http://www.chl.ca /.

For information on Whalers ticket packages, including the Bob Evans' Great Save 4 for $44 Pack, or to plan a group event, visit plymouthwhalers.com or call 734-453-8400.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 18, 2010


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