Whalers Get 30th Victory in 5-1 Win Over Sarnia

Published on January 20, 2007 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Plymouth Whalers News Release


PLYMOUTH - The Plymouth Whalers broke open a scoreless game with three goals in a span of 2:31 in the second period and the Whalers went on to defeat the Sarnia Sting, 5-1, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Saturday night before 2,988 at the Compuware Sports Arena.

Dan Collins led the Plymouth attack as the game's first star with a pair of goals and now has 19 on the season. Collins has scored six goals over the last four Plymouth games. Second-star James Neal (20), Dan Ryder (28) and Joe McCann (6) added single goals for the Whalers. Harrison Reed (22) scored the lone Sarnia goal.

Plymouth improves to 30-12-1-2, good for 63 points and first place in the OHL West. Sarnia has lost four games in a row and is 26-15-2-3, good for 57 points and second place in the OHL West. The Whalers also picked up ground on Saginaw, who lost, 4-3, Saturday night in Barrie. Saginaw remains in third place in the OHL West with a record of 27-16-0-2, good for 56 points and seven points behind Plymouth.

After a scoreless first period, Neal ignited the three-goal Plymouth outburst at 7:08 at the end of a Whaler power play when he split the Sarnia defense at the hashmarks in the Sting zone and shot the puck top shelf past Sarnia goaltender Parker VanBuskirk and he was being dumped by Sting defenseman Steven Ferry. Perry received a hooking call on the play and Plymouth took a 2-0 lead on the subsequent power play at 8:00 when Collins received a pass from Daniel Ryder from the left wing in the Sarnia zone and ripped a shot under the bar. Collins scored again at 9:39 when he was battling for the puck at the right goal line in the Sarnia zone and centered the puck out in front of the Sting goal. The puck was inadvertently batted in by a Sting defenseman to give the Whalers a 3-0 lead. VanBuskirk was lifted for Peter DiSalvo, who made his OHL debut at 9:30 of the second period.

After Reed scored for Sarnia on a power play at 11:05 to cut the Plymouth lead to 3-1, Ryder scored his 28th of the season and fourth for Plymouth since coming over in a trade with Peterborough at 17:24 when he skated in tight on the right wing in the Sarnia and roofed the puck by DiSalvo.

McCann closed the scoring on a Plymouth power play at 16:46 of the third period.

Plymouth outshot Sarnia, 38-31.

Plymouth is back in action next Friday when they host Ottawa at 7:05 p.m. and Sault Ste. Marie next Saturday at 7:05 p.m., both at the Compuware Sports Arena. Tickets are available by calling the Compuware Sports Arena at (734) 453-8400 at by going to Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 20, 2007


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