Pre-Season Pulse: Friday September 1st

2017 OHL Pre-Season Showcase – HarborCenter, Buffalo, NY:

WINDSOR 4, FLINT 3
Chris Playfair and Joseph Mizzi had three points each with Playfair scoring twice and adding one assist as the Windsor Spitfires edged the Flint Firebirds 4-3 to open the 2017 OHL Pre-Season Showcase in Buffalo. Mizzi found the back of the net and chipped in with two assists while Igor Larionov scored the eventual game winning goal 1:45 into the third period for Windsor. Hunter Holmes, Ty Dellandrea and Kyle Harris responded for Flint as both clubs finished the contest with 40 shots on goal. Windsor’s Brock Baier recorded the win with a 37-save performance.
GAME CENTRE

NORTH BAY 4, KITCHENER 3 – SO
Mat Woroniuk turned away Kitchener’s Connor Bunnaman in the third round of a shootout to secure a 4-3 win for the North Bay Battalion in Buffalo. The Troops got a shootout winner from Vancouver Canucks prospect Brett McKenzie while Woroniuk made 26 saves in the crease. Andy Baker, Luke Moncada and Justin Brazeau all scored for the Battalion who led 3-2 before Bunnaman tied the score at three with 36 seconds remaining in regulation. Bunnaman scored twice on the afternoon while Greg Meireles provided the other Kitchener goal. The Battalion took the shooting column 43-29 as Kitchener’s Luke Richardson made 40 saves in the loss.
GAME CENTRE

ERIE 4, PETERBOROUGH 1
The defending OHL champion Erie Otters got a 29-save performance from Troy Timpano to defeat the Peterborough Petes 4-1. Mitchell Mendonca, Cade Robinson, Patrick Fellows and Josh Wainman all scored for the Otters who outshot Peterborough 37-30. Nick Isaacson provided the lone goal for the Petes while rookie netminder Hunter Jones made 33 saves in the loss.
GAME CENTRE 

Other OHL Pre-Season action:

KINGSTON 4, OSHAWA 3 – SO
Renars Krastenbergs put the Oshawa Generals up 3-2 with a pair of power play goals but Dallas Stars prospect Jason Robertson would knot the score at three at 11:55 of the third before the Kingston Frontenacs would pull out a 4-3 shootout victory. Justin Pringle and Ryan Cranford also found the back of the net for Kingston while Robbie Burt found the back of the net against his former team for Oshawa. Rookie netminder Ryan Dugas backstopped the Fronts to victory in the shootout. Oshawa’s Kyle Keyser made 21 saves in the loss.
GAME CENTRE

BARRIE 3, NIAGARA 0
Goaltenders David Ovsjannikov and Kai Edmonds combined to shutout the Niagara IceDogs in Thorold as the Barrie Colts skated to a 3-0 victory.  Aidan Brown opened the scoring 2:53 into the first period before Jason Willms struck 3:55 into the second frame to give the Colts a 2-0 edge. First overall OHL Priority Selection choice Ryan Suzuki put Barrie up 3-0 with his first goal in the third frame with an assist to Kirill Nizhnikov.
GAME CENTRE

HAMILTON 4, GUELPH 2
Arizona Coyotes prospect MacKenzie Entwistle scored the eventual game winner 4:55 into the third period as the Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Guelph Storm 4-2 at Firestone Arena in Ancaster. The Storm battled back from a 3-0 deficit with third period markers from Barret Kirwin and Tag Bertuzzi but the Bulldogs would hang on behind additional goals from Ben Garagan, Connor McMichael and New Jersey Devils prospect Marian Studenic. Cole Ceci made 16 saves in relief for the Bulldogs while Guelph’s Nico Daws turned aside 26 shots in the loss.
GAME CENTRE

LONDON 7, SARNIA 4
St. Louis Blues first round pick Robert Thomas led the way with three assists while Richard Whittaker and Victor Mete had a goal and an assist each in a 7-4 London Knights victory over the visiting Sarnia Sting. The Knights overcame a 2-0 deficit as Liam Foudy, Andrew Perrott, Alex Formenton, Nicolas Mattinen and Swedish newcomer Jesper Brett also lit the lamp. The Knights won despite being outshot 37-32 as the Sting went 2-for-10 on the power play. Sarnia goals came from Jordan Ernst and Adam Ruzicka before Los Angeles Kings prospect Drake Rymsha tacked on a pair of goals in the latter half of the game. Tyler Johnson started in goal for London, making 20 saves before giving way to Jordan Kooy who made 13 to secure the win.
GAME CENTRE