Sting Beat Spirit in Wild Game

The Sarnia Sting and Saginaw Spirit faced off yesterday afternoon for Sarnia's Family Day game in 2019.

This game was crazy from the start, with Hugo Leufvenius opening the scoring just one minute and fifty seconds into the game, driving hard down the left side of the ice and then cutting right in front of the crease and finish on the backhand. Mitch Eliot and Ryan McGregor drew the assists on Leufvenius' 32nd goal of the season.

Ashton Reesor made it 2-0 six minutes later with his second goal of the season, a nice wrist shot from the point, assisted by Curtis Egert and McGregor.

Not long after Reesor's tally, Brady Gilmour brought the game to within one goal with his 11th goal of the season. Owen Tippett and Cole Perfetti drew the assists.

With just twenty-six seconds remaining in the period, Reagan O'Grady drove hard to the net and buried his eighth goal of the season, with the assist going to Ryan McLeod. Unfortunately, O'Grady fell awkwardly into the net after he scored and took a while to get to his feet. He did not return to the game.

After an eventful first period, the Sting and Spirit were tied at two goals apiece. Sarnia had the edge in shots, 16-14.

Eight minutes and six seconds into the second period of play, Franco Sproviero scored his 18th goal of the year to make it 3-2. Leufvenius and Sean Josling drew the assists on the power play goal.

Just a minute and thirteen seconds later, Sproviero adds another goal to double Sarnia's lead. Josling and Eliot assisted on Sproviero's 19th goal of the season.

Halfway through the period, while shorthanded, Ryan McGregor shoots the puck and it appears to go into the net off of the far post, and McGregor begins to celebrate with his teammates. However, the referee says no goal, and Saginaw continues to play on. Everyone in the arena, as well as all of the Sting player thought that the puck went in, so the consensus would be that the referees would take a look at the play at the next whistle. However, that whistle was after Sarnia had killed off their penalty, and Nick Grima, who has previously in the box, scored a goal. After a not too long review, it was determined that McGregor's goal was in, and the clock would reset to that time, nullifying Grima's goal. This was one of the crazier things I've seen at a live hockey game. This puts Sarnia up 5-2 on a shorthanded goal by McGregor, his 20th of the season assisted by Josling.

Jake Goldowski made it 5-3 with six minutes remaining in the period, his 10th goal of the season, assisted by DJ Busdeker.

After a crazy second period, the Sting had a 5-3 lead, as well as a 26-25 lead in shots.

Just three minutes and twenty seconds into the third period, Cole Perfetti made it a one-goal game with his 25th goal of the season, assisted by Nicholas Porco.

Just under two minutes later, Blade Jenkins scored his 21st goal of the season to tie things up at five goals each. Perfetti and Reilly Webb drew the assists.

Sean Josling restored Sarnia's lead with nine minutes to play, scoring his 16th goal of the season off of a nice passing play with Jamieson Rees. Ashton Reesor drew the secondary assist.

A while later, Jamieson Rees laid a massive hit on Cole Coskey of Saginaw, and Coskey went down on the ice and stayed down for a while. He would leave the game, becoming the second Spirit player to do so. Rees got a five minute major and a game misconduct. Chances are, he will be suspended as well. It is reported that Coskey broke his jaw

Justin Murray of the Spirit would tie things up yet again with his 12th goal of the season, scored on the power play with under five minutes to play.

Regulation play finished in a tied. Overtime did not resolve anything either, so the game went to a shootout. Cole Perfetti scored for Saginaw, while Franco Sproviero tied things up and Jacob Perreault won it in the third round of the shootout.

Ivan Prosvetov started for the Spirit, and stopped 31/37 shots in the loss. Ethan Langevin started for the Sting and stopped 36/42 shots in the win.

The Sting play again on Tuesday night in the Soo.