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The Sarnia
Sting will be out to snap a three-game losing streak
when they host the Kitchener Rangers Thursday night
at the RBC Centre.
Game time for the Ontario Hockey League contest is
7:05 p.m.
(Fans are reminded that children aged 12 and
under will be admitted for just $5).
Sarnia has slipped to ninth place in the Western
Conference standings at 13-14-3-1 while Kitchener
sits in third spot with a 19-7-2-1 record.
Sting head coach Dave MacQueen says Kitchener, who
will make their first appearance in Sarnia this
season, will be a tough opponent.
“Kitchener was regarded as one of the best teams in
the entire Canadian Hockey League before the season
began and they have lived up to that billing,” says
MacQueen. “They have got depth, they have a good
blue line, have received consistent goaltending,
they work hard and they have two or three guys who
are game changers. One of the things we have to do
is match their work ethic.”
The two teams have met once so far this season, last
month in Kitchener, with the Rangers posting a 1-0
victory in what many said was one of the most
entertaining games of the season.
“It was one of the best games to be involved in. It
was back and forth with great scoring opportunities
and both goaltenders were outstanding. It was
certainly not a 1-0 snooze-fest. Unfortunately we
couldn’t get a goal, but it was a well-played game,”
said MacQueen.
MacQueen feels the solution to his team’s recent
woes is simple.
“We need our veteran players to step up to the
plate. If that happens we’ll be okay. It’s one thing
for our young players to perform well, but the onus
is always on your veteran players who are held to a
higher standards because they have been in the
league three or four years.”
Although not pleased with his team’s showing over
the last three games, MacQueen knows his team must
continue forward.
“Sure, you aren’t happy when you lose any game. But
the game in Brampton there was some intangibles
while I’m not going to base our entire season by the
games against Guelph and Windsor. We knew coming
into this season we still had a young team and there
were going to be some highs and lows. The key is not
to go on the lows for very long.”
One of the areas MacQueen does want to see a change
is in the play of his team defensively. Sarnia has
allowed 19 goals over the past three games. He says
that comes from a total team effort with everyone
helping out in their own end.
Unfortunately the Sting is a little banged up right
now and not 100 per cent healthy.
Veteran defenceman Joe Rogalski will miss his third
consecutive game after suffering a concussion
against Brampton. He was hit from behind into the
end boards. The Brampton player was given a major
penalty and game misconduct, but no further
suspension.
Overage defenceman Brent Sullivan is listed as
probable after missing both games last weekend with
whiplash. Rookie forward Nick Latta is also probable
after missing two games with a shoulder bruise.
Goalie John Cullen is listed as day-to-day with a
lower body injury. He had to leave Saturday’s game
with Windsor in the second period. Also listed as
day-to-day are forwards Brett Ritchie and Craig
Hottot with some nagging injuries.
Sarnia could also be without their top scorer in
Nail Yakupov who was given a match penalty for slew
footing in the final minute of the Windsor game. The
league needs to review the incident before deciding
if a suspension is warranted.
Forward Dean Pawlaczyk will be back after serving a
two-game suspension.
The Sting is also home on Saturday night to Sault
Ste. Marie before the Christmas Break. After
Saturday their next game is not until Dec. 29th when
they entertain the Plymouth Whalers.
“Our confidence-level is a little low right now,”
says MacQueen. “As a team you can’t afford to go too
long with no points because our Conference is so
close. We’ve been relatively healthy up until now,
but are a little banged up. There’s no good time to
run into injuries. We aren’t a deep team and missing
three or four guys for a game hurts. But we need to
roll on with some hard work and our veterans taking
that leadership role.”
STING NOTES
- Forward Jason Akeson of the Rangers is
currently second in league scoring with 13 goals and
39 assists for 54 points. Shane Prince of Ottawa
leads with 54 points on 16 goals and 38 assists.
Ryan Murphy of Kitchener is 11th in the league with
44 points while teammate Gabriel Landeskog is 14th
overall with 42 points.
Murphy, a defenceman, and Landeskog, a forward, are
both expected to be first round picks in the 2011
NHL draft next June. Landeskog will also compete for
Sweden at the world junior championships.
- Yakupov and teammate Kale Kerbashian are
tied for seventh in league scoring with 46 points
each as Yakupov has 21 goals and 25 assists and
Kerbashian 19 goals and 27 assists.
- Former Sting Miro Preisinger will be at
the world junior championships in Buffalo playing
for his native Slovakia. Preisinger played two
seasons with the Sting before returning home this
season.
- Sting goalies John Cullen and Brandon Hope
will be at the Canadian Tire Store on Friday from
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to sign autographs and have
photos taken.
- The first coaching casualty in the league
took place earlier this week when the Guelph Storm
fired head coach Jason Brooks. General manager Mike
Kelly will be the interim coach for the rest of the
month. Kelly would like to have a new coach in place
by the first of the year.
- Sarnia is 4-5-0-1 over their last 10 games and
Kitchener 5-2-2-1.
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