Otters even series with Sarnia with game 2 win
Erie, Pennsylvania – The Otters evened the series with a 3-1 win in game two over Sarnia Friday night in Erie. Remi Elie picked up his second goal of the playoffs and Devin Williams made 24 saves in the win.
The Otters started the first period with more jump than in game one, picking up multiple chances right off the opening face off. Troy Donnay was called for tripping on his first shift back from suspension, but the Otters were able to kill the penalty. After some pushing and shoving, Cory Genovese and Noah Bushnell dropped the gloves at center ice for the first fight of the playoffs with Bushnell getting an extra roughing minor. Nick Baptiste had two near breakaways, but the chances were broken up at the last second, keeping the scoreboard even at zero.
Where the Otters had chances in the first period, they capitalized in the second. Elie had a chance shorthanded on a breakaway, but was robbed by Dupuis. At the other end, Williams stopped a flurry of shots of his own, including what looked like the Sting’s opening goal.
McDavid broke open the scoring barely five minutes into the period after a flurry of activity in front of Taylor Dupuis gave the captain an opening. After Sarnia killed a five-on-three, Elie had his revenge, giving the Otters a two-goal lead off a turnover in the neutral zone gave Elie enough of a lead to slip the puck past Dupuis. Both goaltenders saved key shots, but with Erie back on the power play, Baptiste buried a slapshot for his first goal of the playoffs.
Taylor Raddysh found an opening at the back door right as the third period started, but he couldn’t settle the puck down to get a shot on net. Kevin Spinozzi’s shot on Williams rebounded and Nikita Korostelev put the puck into the net to break the shutout. Jake Marchment and Alex DeBrincat both had chances on Dupuis to give the Otters their three-goal lead back, but both were denied by Dupuis. Shots from Kyle Maksimovich and Elie were deflected. Chances went back and forth from both teams, but with time winding down, the Otters denied the Sting with an extra attacker and evened the series with a 3-1 win.
The Otters head to Sarnia for games three and four Sunday and Tuesday, before coming back to Erie on Friday for game five.
The Iron Workers Local Union No. 3 Ironmen of the Game:
1. Remi Elie – 1G, 1A
2. Connor McDavid – 1G, 1A
3. Devin Williams – 24 saves
