In Play on Facebook
Earlier tonight, Spitfire and Team OHL Captain Ryan Ellis along with Windsor and Team OHL Assistant Captain Zack Kassian took to the ice for the second leg of the 2010 Subway Super Series, played in Sudbury, Ontario. Team OHL swept the two game series against the Russians tonight, as they won a close 2-1 overtime shootout decision.
Team OHL had a 1-0 series lead entering tonight’s game, courtesy of a 4-0 victory over the Russians in London last Thursday.
This marks the third season in which Ellis and Kassian have participated in the Subway Super Series for Team OHL, as both players were part of the event last season and in 2008.
A spirited first period saw both teams play a physical, defensive minded game. Team OHL enjoyed the best chance of the period, with Matt Puempel (Peterborough Petes) jumping into the opposing zone on a partial breakaway before being stopped by Russian netminder Igor Bobkov (London Knights).
The rest of the period saw both goalies stand tall with Team OHL netminder Mark Visentin (Niagara IceDogs) and Russia’s Bobkov holding the fort for their respective sides. The first period ended in a 0-0 deadlock with Team Russia outshooting Team OHL 11-8.
The goalies continued to impress in the second period. After a hooking penalty was assessed to Nikita
Dvurchensky from Team Russia at the 6:27 mark, Team OHL enjoyed some great scoring chances on the power play. Ellis unleashed two mammoth blasts which were turned aside by Bobkov and the Russian side killed the man advantage.
Team Russia answered back with an excellent shift following the penalty kill and pressured the OHL side, ultimately scoring a goal which was disallowed midway through the period. Team OHL switched their goalies at the 10:30 mark, replacing Visentin with J.P Anderson (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors).
Kassian enjoyed a great chance in the slot two minutes later and was robbed by the quick glove of Bobkov. The teams went back and forth before a Team OHL turnover led to the game’s first goal, with Artem Voronin converting a Nikita Dvurchensky feed at 13:54 to give the Russians a 1-0 lead.
Team OHL pressured the Russians for the rest of the frame with Bobkov continuing to make big save after big save. Bobkov’s stopped all 18 shots faced in the period, preserving a 1-0 lead for the visiting side after 40 minutes of play.
The third period opened with both teams enjoying chances in the first minute of play. Team OHL started to activate their defencemen in the Russian zone with the hopes of tying the game. The increased aggression resulted in an overzealous Devante Smith-Pelly (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors) taking a tripping penalty for the OHL side at 4:27.
With their first power play, the Russians turned over the puck over at centre ice courtesy of some determined work from Justin Shugg (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors). On the turnover, Team OHL evened the score at 1-1 on a shorthanded breakaway marker by Casey Cizikas (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors) at 4:40.
The OHL dominated the rest of the final frame while putting the clamps on Team Russia. Russia was limited to just one shot in the frame with Team OHL enjoying many scoring chances and 14 shots on goal. However, Bobkov came to the rescue for the Russians yet again and his heroics sent the game to a five-man overtime shootout.
In the shootout, Russia took an early 1-0 lead on a nifty, top shelf marker by Maxim Kitsyn. Ellis wouldn’t let the game get away though, and tied the affair, deking out Bobkov and beating him on the forehand side.
The hometown hero Marcus Foligno (Sudbury Wolves), broke the deadlock, squeezing the puck past Bobkov on the backhand to give the OHL a 2-1 lead. J.P Anderson stopped all three remaining Russian shooters and Joey Hishon (Owen Sound Attack) ended the affair, roofing a backhand to clinch a 3-1 shootout win for the OHL.
The game ended with the OHL securing a 2-1 win.
