In a game that saw the Soo Greyhounds and Sarnia Sting combined to have 19 power plays, it was fitting that a power play goal that decided the outcome.
The Hounds, ranked ninth in the Canadian Hockey League, managed to battle back after falling behind 5-3 after two periods and tie the game late in the third period only to see Sarnia's Dave Pszenyczny score on the power play with 15 second left in the game to give the Sting a 6-5 win in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday night at Memorial Gardens.
Sarnia opened the scoring early on the power play after the Hounds were given back-to-back minor penalties to give the Sting a two-man advantage. Sarnia capitalized as Joey Tenute scored, beating Hounds goaltender Kevin Druce high to the glove side, to give the visitors the early lead.
The lead was short-lived as Jeff Carter scored for the Greyhounds at 7:46, also on the power play, to tie the game at one.
In the second period it looked as though the Sting were going to break the game open. After a Tyler Kennedy power play goal, which was scored on a two-man advantage, John Hecimovic, the game's second star, scored on the power play at 5:52 to tie the game at 2-2.
Moments after Hecimovic's goal, Michael Haley scored the game's first even strength goal, to give the Sting the lead. Hecimovic capped off the Sting's four-goal second period with two more goals to complete the hat trick and give the Sting a 5-2 lead.
Scott Dobben gave the Hounds some life heading into the third period after he beat Sarnia goaltender Ryan Munce on a breakaway to make the score 5-3 heading into the third.
In the third, the Hounds pulled to within one goal when Carter moved in alone on Munce and beat the Sting goaltender while the Hounds were shorthanded. Late in the period, at 18:14, Kennedy scored his second goal of the evening to tie the game at 5-5.
Late in the period, a questionable call by referee Sean Reid on Jeff Doyle of the Hounds, gave the Sting a power play with just over a minute left in the game and they capitalized.
After Dan Sisca moved the puck to Dan Carcillo, Carcillo moved the puck in front to Pszenyczny who potted the winning goal with 15 second remaining.
Hounds fans and coaches were livid following the goal as Sisca, was down along the boards, which caused a few Hound players on the ice to slow as they assumed the injury would lead to a stop in play. Play continued and led to the game winner.
Hounds coach Marty Abrams was disappointed after the loss, especially considering the fact they clawed back to tie the game. "To claw back like that is tough," Abrams said. "We didn't play very well in the first period. We almost dodged a bullet, but not quite."
Abrams was disappointed with the play of some of his young players, although he did say that the play of younger players at this level does seem to drop off as the Christmas break nears.
"It always seems to happen around Christmas," Abrams said. "We need younger guys to step up."
Abrams defended Doyle following the game, calling the Hound overager a "passionate, emotional guy." Abrams went on to say that the call on Doyle that led to the game winning goal, is something that, late in a game, "probably is a non-call but it doesn't really matter now."
The game also featured some post game festivities as Hound defenceman Brad Staubitz and Marco Caprara of the Sting squared off. While they were going at it, the rest of the players from both clubs got into a shoving match which led to some extra penalties being handed out.
Fighting majors were assessed to Caprara and Staubitz as well as roughing minors to Matt Manias and Jeff Larsh of the Hounds along with Soo product Jeff Whitfield of the Sting.
The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Hounds on this homestand as they prepare to face Guelph on Friday night and Mississauga on Saturday night.
In other Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday night, the Owen Sound Attack used a goal by Bobby Ryan at 13:37 of the third period to squeak out a 2-1 win over the Belleville Bulls.