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SARNIA STING
2010 - 2011 |
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Sarnia Sting at Sault Ste. Marie
Greyhounds
October 6, 2010
By
DAVE BORODY
SAULT STE
MARIE
- What a
difference
it makes
when your
team has a
power play
that works.
The Sarnia
Sting scored
four power
play goals
on their way
to a 5-2 win
over the
Sault Ste,
Marie
Greyhounds,
Wednesday
night before
4,356 fans a
the Essar
Centre.
The win
improved
Sarnia’s
record to
3-1-1-0 in
the Ontario
Hockey
League. For
Sault Ste.
Marie they
have lost
three in
a row after
winning
their
opening
three games
of the
season.
“We don’t
have any set
plays,” says
forward Kale
Kerbashian,
when asked
about the
much-improved
Sting power
play.
“But we have
lots of
skill and
everyone
knows how to
score. We
just try and
be creative
and we are a
little
selfish at
times. But
we have to
be.”
Sting head
coach Dave
MacQueen
says the
power play
takes what
the defence
gives them.
“We’ve got
too much
skill to not
click on the
power play.
We spend a
lot of time
on it at
practice. We
have speed
and skill
and try not
to be too
fancy. We’re
trying to
convince our
defence just
to get pucks
to the net.
That
resulted in
one of the
goals
tonight.”
As for the
game overall
MacQueen
said, “it
was a
special
teams night.
I thought
our penalty
killing was
outstanding.
And
obviously
scored four
power play
goals. We
kept our
composure
and took
advantage of
our
opportunities.”
He added,
“our guys
have
confidence
we can score
and even if
we get down
one or two
we aren’t
going to
pack it
in.”
Nail Yakupov
had another
outstanding
game for the
Sting with a
goal and
three
assists. He
was named
the game’s
first
star.
Kerbashian
had a goal
and two
assists
while
Brandon
Alderson,
Tyler Peters
and Alex
Galchenyuk
had one goal
each.
When asked
about the
performance
of Yakupov,
MacQueen
said, “both
Nail and
Alex not
only bring
the fans out
of their
seats, but
they bring
myself and
Trevor (Letowski)
off the
bench. They
love to play
and you can
set it in
their faces
when they
get a point
or the team
wins. They
want to get
better and
will
practice
twice a day.
Fans are
going to
enjoywatching
them the
next couple
of years.”
Just over
two minutes
into the
game Sarnia
was given a
five-minute
power play
after Jake
Carrick was
banished
from the
game after
picking up a
five-minute
major for
boarding
along with a
fighting
major.
But the
Sting looked
very
tentative
with the man
advantage as
they managed
just two
shots on
goal.
In fact with
less than 30
seconds
remaining on
the power
play, the
Greyhounds
scored a
shorthanded
goal as
Brett
Thompson was
put in alone
and he made
a nice deke
before
slipping the
puck past
Sting goalie
John Cullen.
“Your always
concerned
when you get
off to a
slow start
like we did
tonight,”
said
MacQueen.
“When you
get a
five-minute
power play
two minutes
into the
game, you
don’t seem
to have the
same
emotion.
Obviously we
were out of
sync early.”
But Sarnia
bounced back
and tied the
game at
16:26 on a
power play
when
Kerbashian’s
sharp-angle
wrist shot
eluded
Greyhounds
goalie Bryce
O’Hagan.
Sault
Ste.Marie
took a 2-1
lead with 24
seconds left
in the
period when
Egor
Omelyaneko
banged home
a centering
pass
from close
range.
The Sting
dominating
the second
period
outshooting
the
Greyhounds
18-5 and
were
rewarded
with two
goals, both
on the
power play.
Yakupov
tied the
game at
12:02 when
he cut in
from the
left side
and fired a
wicked wrist
shot over
the shoulder
of
O’Hagan.
Just under
three
minutes
later Sarnia
took their
first lead
when Peters’
high shot
from the
left point
went
past a
screened
goaltender.
Sarnia
increased
their lead
to 4-2 six
minutes into
period three
on their
fourth power
play of the
night when
Galchenyuk
cut to the
middle of
the ice and
wristed home
a shot form
the slot.
After
killing off
back-to-back
penalties,
Alderson put
the game out
of reach at
17:53 when
he cut in
front and
lifted a
backhand
over the
goalies.
Sarnia
finished
with a 40-25
edge in
shots on
goal. Cullen
was the
winning
goalie and
was
benefited by
for
goalposts
the
Greyhounds
hit.
The Sting
returns home
this weekend
for a pair
of games.
They host
the Owen
Sound Attack
on Friday
night and
the
Belleville
Bulls
Saturday
night. Both
games begin
at 7:05 p.m.
at the RBC
Centre.
- Yakupov
was first
star with
Kerbhasian
second star
and Thompson
third star.
- Sarnia
finished
four-for-eight
on the power
play while
Sault Ste.
Marie was
zero-for-six.
- Not
dressing for
the Sting
were Kyle
Flemington,
Blake Thomas
and Ryan
Zupancic,
all healthy
scratches.
Sarnia lost
defenceman
Anthony
Donati in
the third
period when
he was given
a game
misconduct
for being
the third
man in a
fight.
That carries
and
automatic
two-game
suspension.
- Peters’
goal gives
him 10
points (four
goals and
six assists)
on the
season, tops
in the
league.
- The New
York
Islanders
sent former
Sting
captain Matt
Martin to
the
Bridgeport
Tigers of
the American
Hockey
League on
Wednesday.
Martin
suffered a
lower body
injury
during
training
camp and
played in
just one
pre-season
game.
Earlier this
week three
other
ex-Sting
players,
Michael
Haley, Mark
Katic and
Justin
DiBenedetto
were also
sent to
Bridgeport.
- There
is a new
photo on the
Sting bus.
It’s a large
action shot
of ex-Sting
superstar
Steven
Stamkos, now
a member
of the Tampa
Bay
Lightning.
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