Plymouth prevails 3-2 via shootout
PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Alex Aleardi and Andy Bathgate scored in a shootout to lift the Plymouth Whalers to a 3-2 Ontario Hockey League victory Friday night over the Brampton Battalion, which clinched a playoff berth despite the defeat.
Battalion goaltender Keegan Wilson denied Stefan Noesen, the first to take a shootout attempt, before Aleardi and Bathgate connected. Mitchell Porowski and Patrik Machac both failed to beat Plymouth goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
Bathgate and Beau Schmitz each had one goal and one assist in regulation time for Plymouth. Wedgewood produced 37 saves through overtime.
The victory, combined with the Sarnia Sting’s 3-1 loss to the visiting Ottawa 67’s, clinched the West Division title for Plymouth. The Whalers boast a won-lost-extended record of 41-17-3 for 85 points, second in the Western Conference.
Matt MacLeod and Ian Watters scored for the Battalion, which, in light of rules producing three-point games, secured an Eastern Conference postseason berth in conjunction with the Peterborough Petes’ 4-3 loss to the host Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Wilson made 36 saves, including seven in overtime, in a sterling performance. Wilson batted away a Noesen chance in the closing seconds of the extra frame.
The Battalion, which completed a two-game road trip after a 5-2 setback Thursday night to the Windsor Spitfires, is 32-20-10 for 74 points, third in the Central Division and fourth in the conference.
Plymouth gained a split of the season series, with the Battalion having won 3-0 at home Jan. 19. In that game, the Troops allowed a season-low nine shots overall and a club-record zero shots in the second period.
Both teams had a chance to win it late in the third period. Wilson extended the right pad to rob Rickard Rakell in tight in the 19th minute, and Porowski tipped a puck in front of Wedgewood, forcing him to scramble for the save at 19:26.
Each team scored one goal in the second period to make the score 2-2 through 40 minutes, but the Battalion had Wilson to thank for the deadlock.
Schmitz struck at 15:00, converting from the right side of the crease off a rush after Bathgate slid the puck across the goalmouth. It was defenceman Schmitz’s 14th goal of the season.
The onrushing Watters tied it at 16:34 when he took the puck at the blue line and put a lofted shot past Wedgewood from the high slot, using a defender as a screen. Sam Carrick and Cameron Wind had the assists.
After Schmitz went off for goaltender interference at 5:37, Wilson foiled the Whalers on two shorthanded breakaways from just outside the Battalion blue line, one early and one late in the man-advantage situation. Jamie Devane first stripped Watters of the puck, forcing Wilson to make a blocker save. Watters again surrendered the disc, with Wilson sprawling to deny Aleardi.
MacLeod opened the scoring at 7:40 of the first period with his ninth goal. Porowski carried the puck down the right wing and centred it to the deep slot, where Jamie Lewis touched it on a spin move. MacLeod then pitchforked it high behind Wedgewood on the backhand.
Plymouth capitalized on a two-man advantage after Brett Mackie, who was called for crosschecking, joined Zach Bell in the penalty box at 16:12. Schmitz fed Mitchell Heard in the right circle for an initial shot before Bathgate rifled home the rebound from the lip of the crease at 17:05.
Wilson made a solid save against Aleardi at 5:48 after he drove off the left wing to the front of the net for a forehand effort. Wilson went to his knees to cover up.
The Battalion scratched Spencer Abraham, Philip Lane, Derek Froats and Alex O’Neil. Plymouth scratches were Colin MacDonald, Dylan MacDonald, Matthew Mistele, Mitchell Dempsey and Chris Albertini.
The Battalion hosts the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors at 2 p.m. Sunday.
BATTALION NOTEBOOK: Attendance at the Compuware Sports Arena was 2,842 … The Battalion went 0-for-4 on the power play. Plymouth was 1-for-4 … The Battalion and Whalers are in a virtual tie for second place in league penalty-killing proficiency. Plymouth is ranked second at 84.59 percent, while the Troops are third at 84.56 percent … The Battalion is 14-9-8 on the road. The Whalers are 23-6-2 at home … The Troops are 18-4-5 when they score first and 14-16-5 when the opposition opens the scoring … The Battalion completed play against the Western Conference, going 4-3-3 against West Division opponents and 7-8-5 against conference foes … First-year goaltender Wilson, a ninth-round pick in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection who turns 20 on Saturday, made his 25th start. He got help from a post during a tripping penalty to Battalion defenceman Dylan Blujus late in the second period … Schmitz extended an assists streak to five games, during which he has that number of helpers … Noesen saw the end of a three-game goals streak. He scored five times during the run … Opening line combinations included Carrick centring left winger Brandon Robinson and right winger Barclay Goodrow, Machac pivoting left winger Watters and Mackie on right wing and Lewis centring left winger Porowski and right winger MacLeod. Connor Jarvis centred left winger Geoff Bezruchko and right winger Andreas Tsogkas … Plymouth honoured its billets in a pregame ceremony, delaying the start 11 minutes from the scheduled 7:05 p.m. The Troops stayed in their dressing room during the process … Both Bathgate and Wedgewood, who has a record of 23-9-3, are Brampton residents … The referees were Jason Faist and Ryan Hutchison.
