Video highlights (see below) supplied by www.plymouthwhalers.com.
SAGINAW - Eric Locke scored twice in the third period to snap a 6-6 tie and the Saginaw Spirit defeated the Plymouth Whalers, 8-7, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Wednesday night before 2,436 at Dow Event Center.
Plymouth is 10-7-2-1 and remains in second place in the OHL's West Division, two points behind first place Sarnia. Saginaw is 9-10-2-1 and moves into third place in the West Division.
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Saginaw led, 4-2, after one period before Plymouth tied the game at 6-6 after forty minutes.
The game is the highest scoring game Plymouth has played since the Whalers beat Erie, 10-6, on March 7, 2012 in Erie.
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Jimmy Lodge scored two goals (7-8) and two assists as the game's frist star for Saginaw. Locke's two goals (14-15) with an assist earned him the second star. Vince Trocheck also scored twice (14-15) and added two assists as the game's third star. Andrey Alexeev (4) and Justin Kea (5) scored single goals for Saginaw. Dalton Young added three assists for Saginaw.
Stefan Noesen scored twice (14-15) and added two assists for lead the Whalers offensively. Matt Mistele scored twice (5-6), while Tom Wilson and Rickard Rakell scored a goal and two assists each (Wilson's third goal, Rakell's ninth). Ryan Hartman also scored for the Whalers, his seventh of the year. Garrett Meurs and Colin MacDonald added two assists each. RookieAlex Peters - seeing his first regular ice time for the Whalers this season - contributed an assist and was +2.
In addition, the Whalers had two goals called off at various points in the game.
Matt Mahalak started in goal for Plymouth and was lifted at 12:23 of the first period after Saginaw took a 3-1 lead. Mahalak stopped 6-of-9 shots. Riley Corbin went the rest of the way for the Whalers and stopped 19-of-24 in 27:07 of work.
Jake Patterson stopped 31-of-38 shots for Saginaw and played his best hockey in the third period to help preserve the win for the Spirit.
It seemed like the last shot would win the game for either side.
Saginaw scored on their first shot at 1:03 when Lodge pick up a loose puck as the left hashmark. Rakell replied at 7:38, batting home a rebound from the hashmarks at 7:38 to tie the game. The Spirit replied with goals by Trocheck at 9:13, Lodge at 12:23 and Trochekc on a re-direct on a Saginaw power play at 16:31 for a 4-1 lead.
Plymouth started to chip into the lead. Hartman scored on a beautiful individual effort at 17:45 of the first period, walking a Saginaw defender and beating Patterson with the shot.
Noesen went to work in the second period, scoring at 4:46 of the second period to cut the Saginaw lead to 4-3. After Alexeev scored at 8:02, the Whalers battled back to take their first lead of the game on goals by Noesen (right circle at 10:19), Wilson (rebound in front of the Saginaw goal at 11:33) and Mistele at 13:26.
But the Plymouth lead lasted just 1:32 when Kea picked up a loose puck in front of Corbin to tie the game at 6-6 after forty minutes.
The set the stage for Locke's pair in the third period. But goals came on rebounds - one at 2:58 from the right circle, the other at 7:42 from the left side of the Plymouth goal - to give Saginaw an 8-6 lead.
Plymouth came back once more when Mistle scored on a rebound at 14:50. But Plymouth couldn't get the equalizer.
The Whalers outshot Saginaw, 38-33.
Plymouth remain on the road the rest of this weekend, playing in Belleville on Saturday (7 pm, 88.1FM WSDP) and Ottawa on Sunday (2pm,www.plymouthwhalers.com).
The Whalers return home next Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. at Compuware Arena against Windsor.
