Nolan Burke (Nashville Predators) scored at 10:30 of the first overtime and the Sarnia Sting beat the Guelph Storm 5-4, in front of another large sellout crowd of 4,336, at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena, Sunday afternoon.
Sarnia tied the game at 4-4 with less then two minutes to play in regulation on a goal from Marko Sikic, against his former team, with Sasha Pastujov (Anaheim Ducks) assisting, to send the game into the extra session at 18:02.
Burke’s game winner put Sarnia up two games to none, in the best four of seven games, in the first round of the Western Conference Quarter-Final series, with game three scheduled on Tuesday night, (April 4th), at the Sleeman Centre, with puck drop at 7pm.
After the game, an excited Burke, explained what happened on the winning goal to Sarnia Sting, Your TV, play-by-play announcer, Terry Doyle. “I won the draw back,” said Burke, “And I was just trying to get to the net and the puck hit my skate and went in. I will take them any way I can get it.”
Luca Del Bel Belluz had a pair of goals. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, now has three markers in the two games played and was selected as the first star. Burke, in addition to the game winner, also had an assist and was named as the second star. He has two goals and three points in the series.
Zach Filak also scored for Sarnia. Pastujov and Ty Voit (Toronto Maple Leafs), had a pair of assists each. Voit, now has four points in the series, after assisting twice in game one.
Christian Kyrou (Dallas Stars), Ethan Ritchie and Ethan Del Mastro (Chicago Black Hawks), chipped in with one assist each. Kyrou has three assists in the series.
Ben Gaudreau (San Jose Sharks), turned in another solid effort for a second straight game, stopping 31 of 35 shots. Sarnia held Guelph with-out a shot (5-0), in the overtime period. Both teams had 35 shots on goal.
Storm goaltender Brayden Gillespie was chosen as the third star after making 30 saves.
Sarnia owned the face-off circle for a second straight game 46-36.
A wide open first period, saw the teams combine, to score four goals. The Sting capitalized on their first power-play as Del Bel Belluz scored his second goal of the playoffs at 4:34. Both Burke and Del Mastro assisted on the goal. Former Sting Max Namestnikov tied the game, unassisted, at 11:45 with the Storm’s first goal of the playoffs. A three-way passing play from Voit and Pastujov led to the Sting’s second goal, as Del Bel Belluz, finished things off with his second goal of the game, on a deflection from in front, at 14:26. Just 42 seconds later the Storm tied the game on a goal from Ben McFarlane at 15:08. Cam Allen and Cooper Walker drew the assist. Sarnia lost their captain at 6:40, after Nolan Dillingham was ejected from the game, on a check to the head call. Guelph out-shot Sarnia 16-10.
The second period saw more minor penalties along with a couple of fights that had Sarnia at one time down four defensemen. Del Mastro was assessed a misconduct penalty and was lost for the second half of the period and Fischer was involved in a fight, which meant spending five minutes in the box. The
Sting managed to grab the lead 3-2, as Filak deflected a shot from the high slot off the stick of Ritchie at 12:15. Voit was also credited with the second assist. Walker tied the game at 16:20 on the power-play, from Matthew Poitras (Boston Bruins) and Michael Buchinger (St. Louis Blues). The shots were 12-9 in favor of Guelph in the middle stanza.
By Carl Chimenti
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