Sting Open Rivalry Week With 6-4 Victory Over London Knights
By Carl Chimenti
Rivalry week in the Ontario Hockey League kicked off with a bang as the Sarnia Sting (6-6-1-0) sent a big crowd of 3,154 home happy inside the Progressive Auto Sales Arena Wednesday night, winning the first installment in the Battle of the 402, as they handed their arch-rivals just their second loss in regulation, beating the London Knights (7-2-0-1) 6-4, behind four power-play goals.
Logan Hawery scored twice with the man-advantage in the third period, with the winning goal and the insurance marker, his second and third of the year. Both goals came as the Knights were trying to kill off a five-minute major penalty. The goals came at 8:03 and 10:40. In all, the Sting went 4/9 on the power play.
Easton Walos had four assists, with three of those coming with the man-advantage, and was the first star. Both Walos (7-6-13) and Hawery (3-8-11) extended their current point streaks to seven games. Captain Alessandro Di Iorio (Columbus Blue Jackets) captured the second star with a goal and an assist. It was his first game back from injury.
Jack Van Volsen also contributed a goal and an assist. Jonas Gulbrandsen (2nd) and Simon Katolicky (Calgary Flames), with his 4th, scored one goal each. Dracen Campbell chipped in with a pair of assists. Brenner Lammens, Cameron Aucoin and Cole Emerton had one assist each. Emerton ran his team-high point streak to eight games (1-10-11).
Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko stopped 16 of 20 shots, as Sarnia outshot London 31-20. The Sting were also better in the face-off circle, 36-25. Former Sting Ryan Brown (Dallas Stars), who was named captain of the Knights earlier this week, was the third star, with two goals and an assist.
The Sting wrap up their portion of rivalry week Friday night in London, in the back end of the home-and-home series at Canada Life Place.
Both teams scored twice in the opening period, which included a power-play goal for each team. Sarnia opened the scoring at 4:43 with an even-strength marker. Gulbrandsen picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and drove to the net with strength and speed, beating Medvedev from his backhand. Walos drew the lone assist.
The Sting fell into some penalty trouble shortly after and found themselves down two men for 56 seconds. London made them pay, tying the game on the front end of the infractions at 7:58 with a power-play goal from Marcus Nordmark (Anaheim Ducks), with assists from Jaxon Cover (Ottawa Senators) and Brown.
The Sting went back in front with a power-play goal of their own at 11:33. Van Volsen tipped the puck into the net from in front, after a shot off the stick of Walos. Emerton drew the second helper. Brown tied the game with 61 seconds remaining in the first with an unassisted goal at 18:59. The Sting dominated on the shot clock 13-5.
The second period was almost a repeat of the first period, with both teams once again scoring twice, including one power-play goal for each team. London went in front for the first time early with a goal 21 seconds in. Brown scored with the man-advantage.
Less than two minutes later, London appeared to score again when the puck landed on the goal line. Play continued until the next stoppage. The potential scoring play went under a lengthy review, and it was decided that the puck did indeed cross the goal line. Cody Wood was credited with the goal at 1:42.
Sarnia pulled to within one goal at 8:27 as Di Iorio scored a goal on the power-play after receiving a short pass from Walos and cycling the puck to the high slot before letting go a wrist shot that found the back of the net. Both Walos and Campbell were credited with the helpers.
The Sting wasted no time in tying the game as Katolicky netted the goal 54 seconds later at 9:21, with Lammens and Cameron Aucoin assisting. Sarnia was once again better on the shot clock, 9-5.
