Otters win streak ends at four in 5-2 loss to Windsor

There were good things and bad things in this game for the Otters. The good included playing the visitors on an even keel for the first and third periods, and Jaroslav Janus’s inspired goaltending throughout; the bad included being outshot 22-1 in the middle period and 55-22 on the contest.rrBuoyed by an emotional pre-game ceremony where the team honored Mike Liambas and his family and aired a special video in which the rugged winger thanked Erie for the best years of his hockey life, the Otters countered the vaunted Spitfires at every turn and even opened the scoring in the first.rrZack Torquato, Liamba’s roommate who hugged his former teammate when the latter officiated at the ceremonial puck drop, scored the game’s first goal at 5:43, his 10th, when Mike Cazzola emerged from behind the Windsor net to Troy Passingham’s right and sent a backhand pass into the slot where Torquato redirected it into the goal. Paul Cianfrini had the second assist.rrShugg evened the score 49 seconds later unassisted when the right winger picked up the puck in the corner to Jaroslav Janus’s right, wheeled around at the face-off circle and beat the Erie goalie to the stick side with a wrist shot.rrAlthough the Windsor offence was firing on all cylinders, the Otters kept pace and when Adam Henrique (roughing) and Paul Bezzo (hooking) were whistled off within 25 seconds of each other, Torquato found Greg McKegg with a beautiful cross-side pass for the second game in a row and it was 2-1 Erie. From then on, it was all Janus, especially in the 18th minute when he stopped four shots in a flurry. rrAt period’s end, however, the Otters were hanging on for dear life after Torquato was sent off at 19:31 for hooking and coach Robbie Ftorek was assessed an unsportsmanlike minor for protesting too loudly, giving the Spitfires a two-minute five-on-three. The Otters got a lift when they killed off the two-man disadvantage, but that was short-lived for the simple reason that the league’s best offensive machine was the beneficiary of a second five-on-three in six minutes when Andrew Yogan and Paul Cianfrini were sent off with tripping minors a little less than a minute apart at 5:13 and 6:08. rrVeteran Greg Nemisz, with his 19th, finally broke the ice on a feed from Taylor Hall at 7:25 and the Spitfires took it from there, putting on a full court press that kept the Otters bottled up in their end for the remainder of the period.rrShugg scored his second of the night from Mark Cundari at 10: 27 on a backhander from a scramble to give the visitors their first lead of the night, and then Adam Henrique picked up his own rebound and made it 4-2 with his 19th at 17:46 on a goal that Erie disputed after Brett Cook was tripped at the Erie blue line and there was no whistle.rrShugg closed out his three-goal performance at 19:32 into an empty net, with his 13th of the year, and also had an assist on Henrique’s goal.rrThe Otters entered the game at .500 for the current campaign for the first time since winning the season opener at Sudbury and then losing in a shootout at Sault Ste. Marie, Sept. 19.rThe league-leading Spitfires came into the contest first overall in the OHL with 37 points, four more than both Kitchener Rangers and Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and six more than Barrie Colts. The last time they lost in regulation was a 6-5 loss to the visiting Sarnia Sting on Oct. 11. Their last shootout loss was a 5-4 decision at Saginaw on Halloween night. In the only previous meeting this year, the Otters lost 8-3 at Windsor, Sept. 24. The teams will meet again Dec. 10 at Windsor, and February 5 at Tullio Arena.rKingston native Taylor Hall, who celebrated his 18th birthday Saturday night and was held to a single assist on this night, leads the OHL in scoring with 45 points (21-24), and entered the contest eight points free of the runner-up Tyler Seguin of Plymouth and Jordan Skellett of Saginaw. Shugg leads the OHL in game winning goals with five. rrThe Otters revert to being road warriors next weekend, with three games away from home, in London on Friday night and then a pair of contests at Owen Sound Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.