Jackson Parsons Stops 20 Shots As Kitchener Blanks Sarnia 5-0
By Carl Chimenti
Jackson Parsons was perfect, stopping all 20 shots and Luke Ellinas (Ottawa Senators) scored two goals, which was more than enough, and the Kitchener Rangers (15-3-2-1) shut-out the Sarnia Sting (7-12-1-3), Sunday afternoon in front of 3,701, on Grey Cup Sunday, at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena.
Parsons stopped 10 in the first, 7 in the second, and 3 in the third, to pick up his second shut-out this season, and sixth career OHL blanking. For his effort, Parsons was selected as the second star. Ellinas scored the first two goals of the game, both in the second period, and was named the first star. Newly signed Jack Pridham (Chicago Black Hawks), had three points, which included his first career OHL goal. Pridham, contributed four points, in his first two OHL games this weekend. Cameron Reid was the third star. Tanner Lam had a pair of assists. Kitchener out-shot Sarnia 34-20, but the Sting were better in the face-off circle 37-30. The Rangers scored the lone power-play goal, going 1/6, while Sarnia went 0/3.
Nick Surzycia was busy in net for the Sting with 29 saves. Despite the third game, in two and a half days, Sarnia seemed to have more of an edge in the opening period against a rested Kitchener team, who were off last night. The Sting tested Parsons with 10 shots on net to the Rangers five, but the game remained scoreless after the first twenty minutes. Di lorio had the best chance to score when he found the puck on his stick in front, and he let go a shot that Parsons was able to save. Surzycia made his best save on Adrian Misaljevic, using his blocker to deflect the puck away.
Kitchener had the only power-play late in the period, but the Sting penalty kill was up to the task. Another period with a lot of shots from the opposition, as Kitchener took 19 shots in the second period. The game remained close until two late goals put the Rangers up 3-0 after forty minutes of play. Ellinas scored the first of his two goals in the period at 11:14 from Lam and Andrew MacNiel. The score remained 1-0 until Kitchener struck for two late goals, 54 seconds apart. Ellinas scored his second at 18:27 and Justin Bottineau added the third goal from Jakub Chromiak and Chris Grisolia with 39 seconds remaining in the second period, at 19:21. Sarnia had seven shots on goal. The Rangers had a couple of man-advantages to the Sting’s one but neither team were able to convert.
