Sarnia Sting head coach Dave MacQueen didn’t mince words when asked about his team’s performance against the Saginaw Spirit Thursday night.

“Embarrassing. It’s as simple as that.”

The Spirit defeated the Sting 4-1 before 2,893 fans at the RBC Centre in Ontario Hockey League play.

It marked the third time this season Saginaw has beaten Sarnia and in the process outscored the Sting 13-3.

MacQueen did not like the effort of his team.

“Where was our jump? Where was our energy? In the first period we turned the puck over six times in their zone, five times in our end and seven times in the neutral zone. After the period we told our players to start chipping pucks in and chipping pucks out. So what happens to start the second period, we turn the puck over four more times in the neutral zone.

“Right now the players are on a different page and it won’t work. No one is going to the net. When we do, the second guy circles away. Maybe it’s time to show the players the entire game on video. There’s no excuse not to have some passion to play this game.”

MacQueen was also upset with his team’s lack of veteran leadership.

“One of our rookies (Craig Hottot), gets in a fight two seconds into the third period to try and spark the team. He might have broken his jaw, but he went to the penalty box anyway because he didn’t want to come off the ice. So what is our response? Nothing.”

Hottot served his penalty, but did not return to the game. He went to the hospital for x-rays.

The game was scoreless until the 16:01 mark of the second period when T.J. Brodie put the Spirit up 1-0 when his seeing eye shot from the point went through traffic and past Sting goalie Adam Courchaine.

Just prior to the goal, Sarnia held a two-man advantage for a minute and 34 seconds. They had three shots on goal and puck never left the Saginaw zone, but the Sting never had a real good scoring chance.

Saginaw went up 2-0 at 2:44 of period three when Jason Skellett’s long wrist shot changed directions and went into the top corner of the net.

Seconds later Brandon Alderson of the Sting had a great chance from close range, but his low shot bounced off the goal post.

The Spirit then put the game out of reach as Garrett Ross was left alone in front of the Sting net and tipped in a goalmouth pass at 10:03.

Kale Kerbashian of the Sting spoiled Edward Pasquale’s shutout bid with 58.4 seconds remaining on a power play when he finished off a three-way passing play with Brent Sullivan and Miroslav Preisinger. It was Kerbashian’s fifth goal of the year.

Ivan Telegin closed out the scoring for the Spirit with 22 seconds remaining.

The Sting finished one-for-six on the power play while Saginaw was one-for-two.

“A couple of weeks ago our power play was 29 per cent. Now it’s like 17 per cent,” said MacQueen. “But as soon as we go on the power play, the veterans look at you like it’s their right to go on the ice. If they aren’t going to score, I’m going to try other guys. Right now we have to question our veteran leadership. They seem to be going in circles all night instead of a straight line.”

MacQueen knew when the season began his team might struggle scoring goals, but says recently the offence has really dried up.

“We had two scoring chances after two periods. We had none in the first period and two in the second period. Both of those chances were by defencemen. You don’t win many games like that.”

He added, “You just can’t go out and play like we did tonight and expect to win games. We’ll see how they respond in Plymouth.”

Saginaw finished with a 31-29 edge in shots on goal.

The Sting travel to Plymouth tonight to meet the Whalers for the first time this season while they return home Sunday to host the Ottawa 67s beginning at 2 p.m.

Sarnia’s overall record is now 9-8-1-0 while their home record dipped to 4-4-1-0.