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The Sarnia
Sting put their offence in high gear Friday night
and it led to a lopsided and important victory.
The Sting scored a season-high nine goals in rolling
over the Windsor Spitfires 9-4 in front of 3,516
enthusiastic fans at the RBC Centre.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the
Sting in the Ontario Hockey League.
The previous high for goals in a game was seven
against Owen Sound back in October.
“We played a great game and pushed the pace,” said
Sting forward Brett Ritchie, who had two goals and
one assist and was named the game’s first star. “I
thought we outplayed them most of the game. We only
had one little lapse in the second period, but we
came out strong in the third period to make sure
there were no comebacks.”
Ritchie has been on fire of late and now has nine
goals in his last eight games and 16 for the season.
“I’m just shooting the puck more. Tonight one goal
was on a rebound and the second one was a deflection
in the slot.
Earlier this season those pucks weren’t going in,
but now they are.”
He added, “I thought we dominated the puck down low
and used our size in their zone to create
opportunities. Their defence didn’t want to go in
the corners first.”
A day earlier Sarnia played a solid game, but could
only muster a pair of goals against Kitchener in a
3-2 loss. So what was the difference against
Windsor?
“Tonight we scored on our opportunities,” said Sting
head coach Dave MacQueen. “It’s a credit to those
guys in the room. We told them not to beat
themselves up over the Kitchener game and to go out
and play the same way. They were rewarded for their
hard work.”
MacQueen said he liked the way his team responded
when a 5-2 second period lead slipped to 5-4.
“Windsor came back and had the momentum. We got a
little selfish and were blowing the zone looking for
more goals. But it’s all part of the process of
learning how to win on a regular basis in this
league. I thought once we got up 6-4 early in the
third period we were a lot better.”
MacQueen also credited his new goaltender, Troy
Passingham, who the Sting acquired earlier in the
day from Windsor in exchange for goalie John Cullen
and overage defenceman Brent Sullivan. (Sullivan
played for the Spitfires).
“Troy was a calming influence back there. When the
score was 5-4, he was determined not to let the
fifth one in. I know it’s only one game, but that’s
what he did in Windsor. He gives his team a chance
to win.”
Passingham, who came to Sarnia on the Spitfires bus,
said he wasn’t nervous playing against his old team.
“I knew something was up and Windsor was going to
make a move. I’m glad to be here. It was weird
playing against my old team so quickly, but I had to
treat it as just another game and try to keep pucks
out of the net.”
Ritchie, Brandon Alderson and Tyler Peters led the
Sting offence, all with two goals and one assist
each. Alderson finished plus-five on the night. Nail
Yakupov had a goal and two assists while Kale
Kerbashian and Alex Galchenyuk each had a goal and
an assist.
Defenceman Daniel Broussard chipped in with two
assists and was plus-five for the game.
MacQueen was impressed with the line of Alderson,
Ritchie and Kerbashian.
“They set the tone in the first period. They showed
the rest of our team we can compete with Windsor.
Alderson and Ritchie were both using their size to
protect the puck and take the puck to the net. There
were using their big bodies like they should along
the boards.”
Kenny Ryan had two goals for Windsor with singles
going to Tom Kuhnhacki and Alexander Khokhlachev.
Sarnia led 4-2 after the first period and 5-4 after
the second before scoring four unanswered goals in
the third period. Two of the third period goals were
giveaways by the Windsor goalies.
Jack Campbell, who played goal for Team USA at the
world juniors, allowed eight of the Sting goals
before giving way to Josh Malecki at 5:39 of the
third period. Eight of Sarnia’s goals were at even
strength with the other was shorthanded.
Passingham had 31 saves while the two Windsor
goalies combined to make 24 stops.
Windsor was one-for-four on the power play and
Sarnia zero-for-four.
The Sting plays their third game in as many nights
Saturday in Plymouth.
“We can’t rest on our laurels,” said MacQueen.
“We’ve played two solid games but have only two of
four points. It will be two teams both playing their
third game in three nights. We need to go there with
the mindset to get two points.”
STING NOTES
- Ritchie was first star with Alderson second star
and Broussard third star.
- Sarnia again played without forwards Brandon
Francisco and Craig Hottot. They now have only 22
players on the roster. Windsor’s world junior stars
Ryan Ellis and Zack Kassian played. Kassian was
minus-five for the game.
- MacQueen does not rule out more trades before the
Monday OHL trade deadline.
“The plan we put in place this year was to be as
competitive as we can and try to get into the
playoffs. We aren’t going to use the band aid
approach or sell the farm. We are still working the
phones and if something comes along that makes sense
we will do it.”
- Sarnia’s home record is now 11-9-0-1. The Sting
has won two of three games between Sarnia and
Windsor with three more games to go.
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