Plymouth Whalers Shut Out Saginaw Spirit, 2-0

SAGINAW - Scott Wedgewood stopped 35 shots and J.T Miller and Rickard Rakell scored the goals as the Plymouth Whalers defeated the Saginaw Spirit, 2-0, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Sunday afternoon before 2,628 at the Dow Event Center.

Plymouth took five out of a possible six points over the weekend and improves to 10-6-2-1, good for 23 points and fourth place in the Western Conference race.  The Whalers remain a point behind third place Sault Ste. Marie (12-7-0-0, 24 points),who defeated Ottawa, 3-2, on Sunday.

Saginaw is now 7-10-0-0, good for 14 points and ninth place in the Western Conference.

A key to the game happened eight seconds into the game.  Plymouth's Mitchell Heard and Saginaw's Vincent Trocheck - both chirping before the opening faceoff - fought just after the puck was dropped.  Heard and Trocheck received five minutes each for fighting, but Trocheck was given a game misconduct and an ejection for removing his helmet before the fight.  That's an automatic ejection (rule 18.3) and carries a one-game suspension.

Trocheck always seem to play well against the Whalers and is one of the best face-off men in the league.

Plymouth took a 1-0 lead on the power play at 9:12 of the first period on Miller's goal.  He skated into Saginaw slot, moved past three Spirit defenders and beat Saginaw goaltender Jake Paterson for his ninth goal of the season.

Audio - listen to the call of Miller's goal.

Saginaw outshot Plymouth, 13-10, in the first period, but Wedgewood saw every shot clearly and recievied plenty of support from his teammates.

Rakell gave Plymouth a 2-0 lead at 2:42 of the second period after the Whalers killed off Heard's slashing plenty at 0:27.  Rakell carried the puck into the Saginaw zone to the left circle, cut to the slot and buried the puck, top-shelf, over Paterson's shoulder for his eighth goal of the season.

Audio - listen to the call of Rakell's goal.

Later in the period, Saginaw left wing Dean Pawlaczyk ran Whalers defenseman Austin Levi hard to the end boards behind the Plymouth goal and received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for checking to the head at 11:38.  The hit will be reviewed by the OHL office and may carry a suspension.

Plymouth had a clear territorial advantage in the second period in outshooting Saginaw, 13-7.

Wedgewood continued to play well in the third period.  Saginaw outshot Plymouth, 15-8, in the third period, but Plymouth played well over sixty minutes and Wedgewood recorded the first Plymouth shutout of the year and the fourth of his career.

The Whalers play in Guelph on Friday before returning home for two games next weekend at Compuware Arena, hosting Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and Erie on Sunday at 2 p.m.