|
WINDSOR –
The tough times continue for the Sarnia Sting.
The Sting dropped an 8-0 decision to the Windsor
Spitfires, Sunday afternoon before 6,477 fans at the
Windsor Family Credit Union Centre.
Sarnia has lost two straight and eight of their last
nine games in the Ontario Hockey League. They remain
11 points behind Guelph for the last playoff spot in
the Western Conference.
The Sting has 15 games remaining and Guelph 14.
Sarnia has now allowed 246 goals, second worst in
the league. Only Barrie has allowed more goals at
285. Over their past 10 games, Sarnia has given up
54 goals, an average of over five per game while
scoring only 26 goals, less than three per game.
Once again
Sarnia got behind the eight ball early. Windsor
scored on a power play at the 1:50 mark of period
one. By the end of the period Windsor enjoyed a
comfortable 3-0 advantage. The Spitfires scored
three more times in period two to hold a 6-0
advantage after 40 minutes.
Sarnia’s
top scorer Nail Yakupov did not play in the third
period. He took a hard check from Windsor’s Ryan
Ellis early in the second period. Ellis was given an
interference penalty on the play, as Yakupov did not
have the puck.
Yakupov
does not have a point in three consecutive games.
Forward Craig Hottot also did not play in the third
period.
Brandon
Hope started in goal for the Sting and lasted one
period allowing three goals on 14 shots. Ex-Spitfire
Troy Passingham took over in the second and third
periods. He was peppered with 39 shots over two
periods.
Ex-Sting
John Cullen recorded the shutout for Windsor as he
turned aside all 23 shots he faced. It was his
second shutout of the season. His first was
ironically while playing for Sarnia, against
Windsor, in the opening game of the season. Sarnia
won that contest 4-0.
Cullen did
have a little luck going his way as Nick Latta and
Dean Pawlaczyk both hit the goal post and
consecutive shots with just under five minutes left
in the game.
Stephen
Johnston, Tom Kuhnhacki, Zack Kassian, Zack MacQueen,
Alexander Khokhlachev, Kenny Ryan, Taylor Carnevale
and Brady Vail scored for Windsor, who snapped a
four-game winless drought on home ice.
Windsor
was two-for-six on the power play while Sarnia was
zero-for-three.
Next
action for the Sting is Friday night when they host
the Barrie Colts beginning at 7:05 p.m. at the RBC
Centre.
Sarnia
plays at Saginaw Saturday night before hosting the
Sudbury Wolves a week from Monday at 2 p.m. for a
special Family Day matinee.
STING
NOTES
- The
Spitfires leads the season series against the Sting
3-2 with one more game remaining next month in
Windsor.
- Sarnia’s
overall record is now 19-28-4-2. Their road record
is 6-15-3-0. Windsor is 15-7-1-3 on home ice.
- Sarnia
again played without forward Brett Ritchie (mono)
and Anthony Donati (knee). Both could be back as
early as Friday. Sarnia is 2-9 with Ritchie out of
the lineup.
- The
Sting will hold an open practice Tuesday in Chatham.
Follow Sarniasports on twitter
@sarniasports.
Get up to the minute news, and live scores
as they happen from local events. |
