THE CANADIAN PRESS
OWEN SOUND, Ont. — Andrew Shaw and Joey Hishon each scored twice Tuesday as the top-ranked Owen Sound Attack drew first in the Ontario Hockey League Western Conference final, hammering the Windsor Spitfires 8-1.
After what started as a tight-checking game, Owen Sound picked up their play halfway through the period with a relentless attack against the Spitfires defence and goaltender Jack Campbell.
They were rewarded at the 14:17 mark of the period, as Jarrod Maidens broke the goalless deadlock with his second of the post-season, giving Owen Sound the 1-0 lead.
Windsor went to the power play with 1:55 left in the period, looking to equalize before the end of the first. Instead, the Attack increased their lead with a short-handed goal.
Garrett Wilson and Hishon broke down the ice on a 2-on-2 rush, criss-crossing at the blue line with Wilson carrying the puck. He dropped to Hishon, whose shot went off Campbell’s outstretched glove and trickled into the net.
It was Hishon’s second of the post-season and gave the Attack a 2-0 lead with just under 19 seconds left in the first.
Windsor replied 6:39 mark of the second period, as suddenly offensive defenceman Adrian Robertson snapped a shot low blocker side on Attack goalie Scott Stajcer. It was Robertson’s third of the playoffs, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Owen Sound answered 22 seconds later, as Shaw scored his fourth of the post-season after taking a great saucer pass from Cameron Brace.
Campbell, who has been maligned in Windsor for his sporadic play all season, and the entire Spitfires squad looked as though they decided to shut things down after the third goal.
Hishon, Wilson, Brendan Childerley, and Shaw scored before the period was out, giving Owen Sound a 7-1 lead.
Roman Berdnikov got his fifth of the playoffs, and Owen Sound’s third on the power play, at 10:36 of the third period to close out the scoring.
Stajcer was solid in goal, stopping 38 of 39 shots he faced, while Campbell struggled, getting shelled for eight goals on 33 shots.
Game 2 goes Thursday in Windsor.
Anderson makes 23 saves as Mississauga shuts out Niagara 3-0 in OHL East opener
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Defence helped get the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors to the Ontario Hockey League Eastern Conference final, and they’re not about to change now.
The Majors used their defence-first method once against Tuesday night to shutout the Niagara IceDogs 3-0 in the opening game of the OHL East final.
"It’s been like that all year and it was no different tonight," Mississauga general manager and coach Dave Cameron said of his effective if somewhat unexciting system.
The Majors, who stretched their winning streak to 19 games, scored twice in the first period, added another goal in the second and then threw up a wall around goaltender J.P. Anderson, who wasn’t severely tested by the IceDogs as he kicked aside 23 shots to earn his fourth shutout of the post-season.
"He’s like all good goalies," Cameron said of Anderson. "If he sees it, he’ll likely stop it."
Anderson’s toughest stint of the night came early in the second period with Mississauga defenceman Stuart Percy in the penalty box for holding. The IceDogs had six shots at the Mississauga netminder during that power play but they weren’t solid scoring chances.
The IceDogs, second in points behind the regular-season champion Majors, were expected to give Mississauga a tough run in the final and they still might. But they showed little in the way of energy in the series opener.
"I think we got better as the game went on but we need to challenge them more," said Niagara coach Marty Williamson. "We had two or three power plays in the first period and we didn’t get it done there. We need to get better on the power play."
The Majors didn’t waste any time getting down to business as Jordan Mayer scored his fourth goal of the playoffs just 48 seconds after the opening faceoff.
"We were able to score early and that generates emotion," Cameron said of the quick start.
The Majors then added a couple of goals that Niagara goalie Mark Visentin probably should of had. First, Devante Smith-Pelly threaded a shot from a sharp angle that found a hole between Niagara goalie Visentin and the left goal post.
Jamie Wise, who turned in a stellar performance as a penalty killer for the Majors, put Mississauga up 3-0 in the second when he jammed the puck home from the side of the Niagara net.
"The puck squirted loose (behind the Niagara net) and I was just trying to jam it in," Wise said. "I got a second chance at it and it went in. It was pretty good because I don’t get too many goals."
The Majors were a perfect 0-for-5 in penalty killing. Niagara killed off both Mississauga power-play opportunities.
Mississauga had 31 shots at Visentin.
The series now shifts to St. Catharines, Ont., Thursday night for Game 2. The third game is back in Mississauga on Saturday night.
