Whalers Go 1-0-1-0 During Opening Weekend

Published on September 27, 2005 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Plymouth Whalers News Release


To borrow some lyrics from a country song, sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield.

That sums up the Whalers' first weekend of the new 2005-06 Ontario Hockey League season.

Plymouth ran into a bug, er, a bump in the road Saturday against Sarnia after opening the season with a win last Wednesday in Saginaw.

Chad Painchaud's power play goal at 2:32 of overtime gave the Sting a 2-1 victory over Plymouth in the Whalers' home opener Saturday night at the Compuware Sports Arena.

The game marked beginning of the Whalers tenth year at the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth Township. 2,487 who attended and a state-wide audience watching on Comcast Local saw a hockey game that featured good flow and excellent goaltending between Sarnia's Jeff MacDougald and Plymouth's Ryan Nie. MacDougald stopped 32 of 33 shots and the game's third star; Nie stopped 33 of 35 Sarnia shots as the game's second star.

Plymouth took a 1-0 lead on Andrew Fournier's first goal of the season at 13:20 of the first period. Dan Collins set up the play, going wide right wing in Sarnia zone and feathering a pass across to Fournier, who beat MacDougald at the left-wing door step of the net.

Collins - who was nominated for Ontario Hockey League Player of the Week honors but was beaten out by Kitchener's Evan McGrath - had a big weekend, figuring in on 7 of the 8 goals Plymouth scored over the two games.

Sarnia tied the game at 1-1 at 1:46 of the third period, when Sarnia defenseman Nick Tuzzolino carried the puck deep in the Plymouth zone, went to the right wing corner and then jammed the puck towards the Plymouth goal. Rookie Danny Anger scored his first Ontario Hockey League in tight on the left crease.

That set the stage for Painchaud's game winner on a Sarnia power play in the overtime. Painchaud was set at the top of the right circle in the Plymouth zone on Mark Katic's pass from the high slot. Painchaud's one-timer beat right Nie cleanly.

Sarnia is 1-1-0-0 on the season; Plymouth is now 1-0-1-0.

The Whalers are off until next Thursday night when they play in Erie against the Otters (7:20 pm, www.plymouthwhalers.com). Plymouth's next home game is next Friday at 7:30 pm against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Erie comes into the game with Plymouth 1-1-0-0 after winning last Friday in Sudbury and losing in Sault Ste. Marie Sunday; the 'Hounds lost last Friday to Ottawa before winning against Erie.

OPENING NIGHT FESTIVITIES - Ontario Hockey League Commissioner David Branch (left) presents Plymouth President, General Manager and Head Coach Mike Vellucci (right) with a plaque commemorating the Whalers' tenth season at the Compuware Sports Arena Sept. 24 against Sarnia. The Sting won, 2-1, in overtime.

The Whalers' bus trip to Saginaw to open the 2005-06 season started with a good omen.

Faced with major road construction traveling up US-23 on the way to Saginaw around 5:00 pm, Plymouth defenseman Ryan McGinnis - who comes from nearby Fenton - gave the Whalers' traveling party a quick and efficient way through his home town in order to avoid the construction. The transition to Saginaw continued smoothly without a hitch.

The Whalers were even better in transition on the ice in Saginaw in defeating the Spirit, 7-2, before a crowd of 4,603 Wednesday night at the Saginaw County Event Center during the opening night of the Ontario Hockey League season.

If the OHL's new rules proved anything during the league first game of the 2005-06 season, it is that speed, transition and good special teams are the formula for victory. That's the formula the Whalers used.

Dan Collins scored three goals and three assists for six points to lead the Plymouth attack as the game's first star. John Vigilante also added six points with a goal and five assists as the game's second star. Mike Letizia, James Neal and McGinnis also scored for the Whalers, who led 4-1 after one period and 6-2 after forty minutes.

Patrick MacNeil and Michal Birner scored for Saginaw.

As promised, OHL officials have been instructed to enforce rules governing obstruction, holding and hooking to promote speed and transition. Referees Brad Beer and Marty Kirwin called 22 power plays in all, with Plymouth winning the battle of special teams. The Whalers went 4 for 10 on the power play; Saginaw 2 for 12.

Plymouth outshot Saginaw, 41-27. Justin Garay - who played well in goal during the preseason for Plymouth - got the start and continued to play well for the Whalers in stopping 25 of 27 shots. Newcomer Francois Thuot - over from the Barrie Colts - couldn't be faulted in the allowing 7 Plymouth goals.

After Vigilante opened the scoring a 9:16 of the first period, Plymouth struck for three consecutive power play goals, two by Collins one minute apart (11:51 and 12:51) to increase the Whalers' lead to 3-0. Neal scored 48 seconds later at 13:39 to give Plymouth a 4-0 lead. MacNeill then scored for Saginaw at 16:09 of the first period and Birner at 0:46 of the second period.

But that was as close as Saginaw would get. McGinnis capped an excellent three-way passing play in transition with Collins and Andrew Fournier at 7:23 of the second period to give Plymouth a 5-2 lead and then Collins scored shorthanded at 19:15 of the period to give the Whalers a 6-2 lead after two periods of play.

Letizia completed the scoring with a power play goal at 9:09 of the third period.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from September 27, 2005


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