Sting Clinch Sixth Place With Win In Plymouth
Plymouth, MI – The Sarnia Sting closed out the regular season Saturday night in Plymouth looking for a win to secure sixth place in the Western Conference.
The Sting would look good early on in this one jumping out to a 3-0 lead just 10 minutes into this one.
Daniel Lombardi opened the scoring and then Steven Stamkos would score back to back goals to both tie and then break the Sting record for goals in a season with his 57th and 58th.
The record was held previously by Ivan Novoseltsev who scored 57 times in 1998-99.
The Whalers would reply with one in the first and then would further chip away scoring twice in the second to tie the game 3-3 just 10 minutes into the middle frame.
Ryan Wilson would then restore the Sting lead with a powerplay marker, but it would be the resiliant Whalers getting back to even the score with a powerplay goal of their own making it 4-4 heading into a crucial third period.
In the third it would be goaltender Andrew Perugini closing the door making several outstanding saves keeping the game tied before Matt Martin would cap a gorgeous passing play with his linemates Stamkos and Justin DiBenedetto netting the eventual game winner giving the Sting a hard fought 5-4 win.
With the Sting win and Sault Ste. Marie’s overtime win over Saginaw it is now set that the Sting will face the Windsor Spitfires in the opening round of the OHL playoffs.
