Spirit take down Sting

By DAVE BORODY
SAGINAW, Mich. – The Sarnia Sting has had their share of problems with most teams in the Ontario Hockey League this season, but especially with the Saginaw Spirit.
The Spirit defeated the Sting 4-1, Saturday night before 4,719 fans at the Dow Event Centre.
The Sting went 0-6 against Saginaw this season. In those six games Sarnia managed to score only eight goals while allowing 28.
Putting the puck in the net was again a big problem for the Sting in last night’s game. They had 33 shots on Saginaw goalie Edward Pasquale, including some quality chances, but managed to score just once.
Sarnia thought they had scored a second goal five minutes into the third period, which would have tied the game at 2-2.
Miroslav Preisinger’s backhand from close range appeared to hit the top of the net and then come out quickly. Referee T.J. Luxmore immediately pointed to the net and said it was a goal even though the red light never went on.
After what seemed to be a long video review, the video goal judge said the puck hit the crossbar and never entered the net.
It’s going to be interesting to see the replay of that play on tape,” said Sting head coach Dave MacQueen. Something hit the mesh, either the puck or a stick. The referee told us on the bench that the video replay guy said he was 100 percent sure the puck hit the crossbar and never went in so the referee had to disallow the goal. I thought the puck hit the mesh and not the crossbar.”
Preisinger added, I saw the net move and I thought the puck went in the net. It kind of sums up our season as we just can’t seem to catch a break.”
The goal was huge because just over a minute later Saginaw scored on a power play to take a 3-1 lead.
There’s no question that was the turning point of the game,” said MacQueen. It was a big momentum changer. We took a penalty seconds after play resumed and a minute later they scored to take a two-goal advantage.”
As for the game overall, MacQueen said, in the first period we played like we were playing out the string this season. But we got better in the second and third periods and kept hanging around. That disallowed goal and their third goal were huge.
When we got down 3-1 it made it that much tougher. We don’t score a lot to begin with and it was difficult to come back. We took some undisciplined penalties and once they got their fourth goal, it was over.”
Sarnia was outshot 17-9 in period one and trailed 1-0 as Josh Shalla scored for the Spirit on a wraparound at 7:12.
The Sting tied the game at 11:56 of period two on the power play when Craig Hottot took a pass from Joe Rogalski and sent home a low slapshot from the point. It was Hottot’s sixth goal of the year.
Ivan Telegin of the Spirit was awarded a penalty shot 33 seconds later when he was pulled down on a breakaway. But Sting goalie Shayne Campbell stopped the penalty shot.
But at 17:55 Saginaw scored what turned out to be the game-winner as Jordan Szwarz knocked in a loose puck after Campbell stopped a point shot.
Saginaw’s third goal came at 6:32 of period three on the power play as Telegin whipped home a cross-ice pass. The Spirit made it 4-1 at 11:14 when Tyler Murovich’s wrist shot just trickled between the legs of Campbell.
Campbell faced 43 shots in the Sting net.
A melee broke out in the final seconds near the Saginaw bench.
Our guys were a little frustrated,” said MacQueen. I didn’t see what started it, but somebody ran somebody. It’s funny how Saginaw doesn’t play tough until the game is over. They seemed to wait until the game is over before running our young guys. They didn’t want to do that earlier in the game and have to face our veterans.”
Sarnia has six games remaining in the season. They will play three games next weekend. They host the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Thursday night at 7:35 p.m. at the RBC Centre, play at Guelph on Friday and then host the London Knights Saturday night, also at 7:35 p.m.
STING NOTES
– All three stars were from Saginaw, Telegin, Shalla and ex-Sting Jordan Hill. Hill has played 21 games with the Spirit and has two goals and 13 assists and is plus-six.
– Sarnia was again one player under the limit of 20 with four regulars out of the lineup.
– Sarnia was one-for-five on the power play and Saginaw one-for-six.
– The Sting has scored only 163 goals this year. Only Brampton has scored fewer at 151.



Dave Borody is a freelance writer who covers games both home and away for the Sting Website.