Whalers Grind Out 3-2 Playoff Win Over Sarnia, Lead Series, 2-0

The Plymouth Whalers battled on several fronts in a 3-2 victory over Sarnia on Saturday night before 2,893 at Compuware Arena.

Not only did they battle the Sting and their potent power play to take a two-games-to-none lead in the best four-of-seven OHL Western Conference quarterfinal series, at times they battled referees Ryan Hutchison and Scott Ferguson and penalty issues.

No playoff run is easy and the Whalers - after blowing out the Sting in Game 1, 11-2 on Friday - worked through a ton of adversity tonight to win their tenth straight game and 18 out of 19 dating back to Feb. 9.

Plymouth started the game without Matt Mistele, who was suspended for a checking to the head penalty in the first period in Game 1. Mistele played the rest of the game Friday, but was suspended by the Ontario Hockey League office about two hours before Game 2 on Saturday. Mistele's suspension is listed as indefinite by the OHL office.

 On a night when Vince Trocheck didn't record a point for the Whalers for just the second time in 28 regular season and two playoff games, other teammates stepped up.

Zach Lorentz took Mistele's place on a line with Mitchell Heard and Garrett Meurs and clicked.  First-star Heard and second-star Lorentz scored a goal and an assist apiece and the Plymouth penalty killers did yeoman work all night long. Heard and Lorentz each scored their first goals of the playoffs.

Tom Wilson scored the game-winner for Plymouth at 6:36 of the second period.  Wilson’s second playoff goal in two games gave the Whalers a 3-1 lead at the time.  His goal was set up by an outstanding shift of the line of Rickard Rakell, Stefan Noesen and Sebastian Uvira, who kept the puck alive in the Sarnia zone for at least 40 seconds, winning battles all over the ice.  Wilson - jumping on the ice to begin his shift - snapped a shot from the hasmarks to beat Sarnia goaltender JP Anderson.

Sarnia received power play goals from Nickolas Latta (1) and Reid Boucher (2).

After Boucher cut the Plymouth lead to 3-2 at 5:31 of the third period, the Whalers penalty killers went to work, stopping three consecutive Sting power plays later in the third period.  Sarnia also pulled goaltender JP Anderson with 38 seconds left for the extra attacker, but Plymouth held on for the victory.

Plymouth outshot Sarnia, 36-27.  Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25-of-27 Sarnia shots for the Whalers to record his second win in as many starts for Plymouth.

Sarnia has scored four goals in the series, all on the power play.  

In a strange turn of events, Rakell (who has just 36 penalty minutes in 149 regular season games), was assessed eight minutes by Ferguson and Hutchison.

Games Three and Four will be played in Sarnia on Monday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. at RBC Centre in Sarnia.  Both games can be heard locally on 88.1 FM WSDP beginning at 6:45 p.m. on both nights.