The Sarnia Sting
couldn’t have
written a better
script for their
opening game of the
season Friday night.
Backed by the
28-save performance
of new goalie John
Cullen, the Sting
rolled to a solid
4-0 victory over the
Windsor
Spitfires before
3,399 delighted fans
at the RBC Centre.
Two more newcomers,
first round first
pick, Alex
Galchenyuk and top
European pick Nail
Yakupov scored their
first
Ontario Hockey
League goals.
Cullen
came to
the
Sting in
a trade
with
Kingston
just
before
training
camp
began
and
immediately
took
control
as the
team’s
number
one
goalie.
“It’s a
good
feeling,”
said
Cullen,
when
asked
about
the
shutout.
“That’s
the best
way you
can
start
the
season.
I got
into the
game
early
and the
guys
played
solid in
front of
me.”
And
whenever
the RBC
Centre
quieted
down,
there
was one
voice
you
could
hear
loud and
clear
and that
was
Cullen’s.
“I’ve
been
doing
that for
awhile
now. I
like to
be the
quarterback
back
there.
It helps
me stay
in the
game and
it
also
helps my
teammates
with the
defensive-zone
coverage.”
Sting
head
coach
Dave
MacQueen
was
pleased
with
Cullen’s
performance,
the
game’s
first
star. |
|
“He’s confident and
he talks out there
to help our defence
in our own end. He
didn’t allow a lot
of rebounds. He
made some big saves
in the first period
to help us get our
legs and get going.
He gave us some
extra confidence
whenever
he made a big save.”
The first period was
scoreless although
Windsor had a great
opportunity late in
the period when
Sarnia played
two-men
short for a minute
and 50 seconds. But
they killed off both
penalties, thanks
mostly to Cullen who
made five saves,
including two
outstanding stops
from close range.
“Your goalie has to
be your best
penalty-killer and
John provided that
for us tonight. The
big key of the game
to me
was killing off
those two penalties.
If they had scored
there it could have
been a different
hockey game,”
MacQueen
said.
The game was
scoreless until the
12:29 mark of the
second period when
Sting forward Craig
Hottot jammed a
rebound up and
over Spitfires
goalie Jack
Campbell. The goal
came off a Daniel
Broussard shot.
Hottot missed a
number of games last
season with a broken
jaw and started off
slowly at training
camp this year. But
he
has picked up his
game of late.
“We weren’t happy
with Craig early as
we expected more,”
said MacQueen. “But
he’s got to play
like a little
rat and be in your
face. When he does
that, he can be a
very, very effective
player.
“You look at his
goal tonight. He was
in there battling
and was willing to
go to the dirty
areas. We need his
grit and
sandpaper. He also
did a real nice job
of killing penalties
tonight.”
After Campbell
stopped Kale
Kerbashian on a
shorthanded
breakaway, the Sting
took a 2-0 lead with
just under two
minutes
remaining on a power
when Galachenyuk
picked up his own
rebound and calmly
lifted a backhander
under the crossbar,
knocking the water
bottle off the net.
“It was good,” said
Galachenyuk, when
asked to describe
his first OHL game.
He tried to explain
how the goal went
in.
“We were on a power
play. I tried to
find an open spot.
My rebound came
right to me and I
wanted to put the
puck in
the air over the
goalie.”
The Sting put the
game out of reach
with two quick goals
early in the third
period.
Yakupov scored at
2:36 when he raced
in from the left
wing and fired a
quick wrist drive
that beat Campbell
on the short
side.
Brandon Alderson
extended the lead to
4-0 at 4:40 on the
power play. Alderson
cut around the
Windsor defenceman
from the
right wing and
slipped a backhand
past Campbell. Tyler
Peters assisted on
both third period
goals.
|
After
that it
was
protecting
the
shutout
for
Cullen.
He had
to make
one
great
stop
with
seven
minutes
remaining
when a
Windsor
player
beat the
Sarnia
defence,
but
Cullen
turned
aside
the low
shot
from
close
range.
MacQueen
liked
the way
his team
got
better
as the
game
went on.
“I
thought
we were
a little
nervous
in the
first
period.
Windsor
had a
chance
to play
the
night
before
and was
skating
a little
better
than we
were.
After
the
first
period
we
talked
about
shooting
the puck
more and
getting
pucks to
the
net.
“In the
second
period
we came
out and
played
with
more
energy
and got
pucks to
the net.
We
forced
them to
give out
some
rebounds
and
that’s
how we
were
able to
score
some
goals.
You
never
expect
your
goalie
to make
all the
spectacular
saves,
just
stop the
ones
he’s
supposed
to.
Cullen
did that
and gave
us a
chance
to win.” |
Yakupov not only
scored, but also
dished out a couple
of solid bodychecks.
“He plays with a
little bit of an
edge and in your
face,” said MacQueen.
“That’s why he is
going to play pro
hockey someday.
That’s what his
scouting report
said. A couple of
times he was
circling around a
little too much, but
he competes no
question about
that.”
MacQueen was asked
about his line
combinations.
“There were some
things I liked. They
probably need more
time to build some
chemistry. But we
have some depth this
year to be able to
take guys in and
out.”
The Sting finished
with a 34-28 edge in
shots on goal.
Sarnia resumes
action tonight when
they travel to
London to take on
the Knights. The
Sting will be home
twice next
weekend as they host
Sault Ste. Marie on
Friday night and
Guelph Saturday
night. Both games
begin at 7:05 p.m.
-
Cullen was first
star with
Galchenyuk
second star and
Alderson third
star.
-
Defenceman Ron
Soucie played
his first game
for the Sting
after missing
the entire
training camp
and exhibition
schedule with a
neck problem.
-
Scratches for
the Sting were
Kyle Flemington
(suspension)
while J.C.
Campagna was a
healthy scratch.
-
General
Manager Dave
MacQueen
announced
prior to the
game that
the club had
traded
defenceman
Anton
Zupancic to
the Oshawa
Generals for
a 15th
(conditional)
round pick.
Zupancic
split last
season
between the
Sting and
the Sarnia
Legionnaires.
-
The Sting
honoured Brett
Ritchie in
pre-game
ceremonies for
helping Canada
win a gold medal
at the world
under-18
tournament last
month in
Slovakia.
-
The winner of
the Sting car
giveaway was
Todd Clarke.
-
The team wore
their new third
jerseys.