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OHL Erie Otters

McKegg Scores Four as Otters Defeat Attack, 6-2

February 16, 2011 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Greg McKegg's second four-goal game of the season helped the Erie Otters (30-24-1-1) earn a 6-2 victory over the Owen Sound Attack Wednesday night at Tullio Arena. The Otters have now won six in a row at home.

The Otters pressured the Attack early, and the visitors were unable to overcome the pressure throughout the evening. Brett Appio took a loose puck from the near half-boards and rifled a shot through the glove side of Michael Zador to put the Otters on the board 2:18 into the game.

McKegg began his assault at 12:21 after completing a great passing play with Mike Cazzola and Shawn Szydlowski. Cazzola found Szydlowski in the slot, where he dished it off to McKegg at the stick side of the crease and the captain ended his seven-game goalless streak with the tap-in.

Roman Berdinkov answered quickly for the Attack, who went on the board 20 seconds after the McKegg goal to the Otters lead to one.

The power play then went to work for the Otters, and just like it had in its previous five games, they delivered. McKegg slammed the puck home from the glove side of Zador at 18:53 to give the Otters a 3-1 lead going into the second.

Brett Thompson picked up where he left off 3:52 into the second, as the Erie sniper scored in his sixth straight game. Thompson deked his way to the near circle, where he fired a wrist shot through a screen and the stick side of Zador for his 38th goal of the season.

McKegg then completed his third hat trick of the year with another power play goal. A shot by Szydlowski from the high slot trickled through Zador, and McKegg shot the puck off the near post into the open net at 6:31 of the second. Garrett Wilson then finished off a one-timer feed from Joey Hishon at 8:58 to make it a 5-2 Otters lead after 40 minutes of play.

Although the Attack started to put pressure on the Otters during the third period, Ramis Sadikov made a bevy of great saves. The Russian netminder robbed Wilson of his second of the game as he denied the Attack captain with a glove side on a one-timer during the Attack's lone power play of the game.

With 5:03 remaining in regulation, McKegg made the Otters history books as the first player in team history to have two four-goal games in a season. Cazzola found a open McKegg for a breakaway, and the captain deked to his backhand as he shoveled the puck around the left pad of Zador for his 38th goal of the season.

Szydlowski picked up four assists while Phil Varone added an assist as both overagers increased their respective point-scoring streaks to 14 games. Cazzola also dished out three assists in the win. Sadikov made 22 saves as he became the first netminder in Erie history to have a 30-win season.

The Otters will host the Niagara IceDogs Friday night at 7:00 p.m. Students that show a valid student ID at the Box Office can get into Friday's game for $5.00. Saturday night, the Guelph Storm visit Erie for Greg McKegg Lithograph Night, presented by the "e". For tickets, call 814-452-4857 or log on to ottershockey.com.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 16, 2011


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