Sarnia Stings Plymouth, 4-2

Published on January 8, 2011 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Plymouth Whalers News Release


PLYMOUTH - Nail Yakupov's power play goal at 3:11 of the third period snapped a 2-2 tie and the Sarnia Sting defeated the Plymouth Whalers, 4-2, before 2,790 Saturday night at Compuware Arena.

Sarnia - driving for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs - improves to 17-18-3-1, good for 38 points and one point behind London (18-16-2-1), who lost, 3-2 in Saginaw tonight.

Plymouth (now 21-17-1-1) remains in a fourth place tie in the Western Conference with Windsor with 44 points.

Besides Yakupov's 27th goal of the year, Brett Ritchie (17th), Garrett Hooey (3rd) and Alex Galchenyuk (14th) scored for Sarnia. Stefan Noesen (20th) and Mitchell Heard (10th) replied for Plymouth, who had a three-game winning streak snapped - all three games on the road. Plymouth defeated Sault Ste. Marie, 6-4 on Sunday, beat Windsor, 5-4 in overtime on Thursday and won, 4-1, in Guelph on Friday.

Sarnia goaltender Troy Passingham - acquired by the Sting Friday in a trade with Windsor - won his second straight game for Sarnia tonight in stopping 32-of-34 shots.

Ritchie scored the only goal of the first period, scoring from the right circle at 2:01 past Plymouth goaltender Scott Wedgewood, tucking a shot inside the far post. The Sting outshot Plymouth, 12-9, in the first period.

The Whalers gained momentum in the second period with a good forecheck, outshooting Sarnia, 17-9, in the frame. Plymouth tied the game at 1-1 at 4:36, capping off good pressure in the Sarnia zone. Robbie Czarnik (left wing in the Sarnia zone) found Nick Malysa at the left point. Malysa's low shot was re-directed in the slot by Noesen.

Plymouth continued to pressure and took their first lead of the game at 2-1 at 15:17. Jamie Devane lifted a shot from the slot that Passingham allowed a huge rebound on and Heard snapped home the loose puck from the left circle. But Sarnia came back to tie 1:13 later when Hooey came off the Sarnia bench, accepted Nick Latta's pass, faked a shot at the hashmarks and scored from the left wing side of the Plymouth goal at 16:30.

Yakupov's game-winner came on a power play at 3:11 of the third period. Ritchie - stationed at the left circle in the Plymouth goal - fed the puck across to the right side of the Plymouth goal to Yakupov. Although the puck seemed to deflect off a Whaler stick, the puck went in the air over Wedgewood's shoulder and the goal was credited to Yakupov.

Galchenyuk closed the scoring at 10:37, scoring on a partial breakaway after the Whalers had several good scoring opportunities of their own.

Plymouth outshot Sarnia, 34-32.

The Whalers hit the road next week, playing in Saginaw on Wednesday (7pm, 88.1FM, WSDP) and in Sarnia next Friday before returing home next Saturday to host Sarnia again at 7:05pm at Compuware Arena.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 8, 2011


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