Whalers Explode in Third to Double up Majors 8-4

Published on October 23, 2011 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors News Release


A huge third period was more than enough to give the Plymouth Whalers a huge win over the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors on Sunday.

J.T. Miller scored twice and had two assists and Alex Aleardi added a pair of goals and an assist as the Whalers scored five goals in the third period to beat the Majors 8-4 in Ontario Hockey League play at the Hershey Centre.

The game was tied 3-3 after two periods of play but Plymouth completely dominated the final 20 minutes, scoring five times on 12 shots to send the Majors to their third regulation loss of the season.

"I thought we got discouraged in the third period when they came on and stopped competing the way we need to," Mississauga General Manager/Coach James Boyd said. "I don't like the way we reacted to the adversity we faced, but there's no doubt Plymouth is a very good team.

"They have huge forwards, they are a big team and they will be heard from. I did think we did a good job competing with them for the first two periods, but we just couldn't keep up in the third." Beau Schmitz added a goal and two assists and Jamie Devane and Andy Bathgate both contributed a goal and one assist to the Whalers attack. Michael Whaley had the other goal and Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves in goal for the Whalers, who were out-shot 28-24.

Trevor Carrick with his first goal of the season, Sergey Kuptsov, Scott Teskey and Brett Foy replied for the Majors, with JP Anderson making 16 saves in goal. The Majors also suffered a huge loss when Stuart Percy left the game with a lower body injury after being ridden into the boards by Mitchell Heard early in the second period. Percy did not return.

"That was a really big blow for us," Boyd admitted. "It doesn't look very promising right now and he'll get checked out Monday." Plymouth opened the scoring on a goal by Miller just 3:32 into the game, but the Majors answered back on goals from Teskey and Foy to take a 2-1 lead after the opening period.

Schmitz tied the game on a power play midway through the second but Kuptsov again put the Majors in front with his seventh goal of the season just 51 seconds later. Devane's goal at 15:38 of the second period, however, left the score tied 3-3 after 40 minutes.

Plymouth then scored five third period goals to break the game open in the final period, with one of them coming into an empty net and another on a breakaway with just seven seconds left to make the final score look even worse for the Majors.

Perhaps fortunately for Majors fans watching at home, they never got to see the third period. Technical difficulties with Rogers TV resulted in the third period not being broadcast.

Mississauga was 1-for-2 on the power play while the Whalers were 1-for-4.

The Majors take to the road for several games starting this week. They face the Ottawa 67's in Ottawa in their next game Friday at 7:35 p.m. and play in Oshawa against the Generals next Sunday at 6:05 p.m.

Mississauga is also in Brampton Thursday, Nov. 3 before returning to the Hershey Centre on Friday, Nov. 4 when they face the Peterborough Petes at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.ca or at the Hershey Centre box office during regular business hours.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from October 23, 2011


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