News Release

SESTITO’S THIRD PERIOD GOAL GIVES WHALERS 3-2 WIN OVER KITCHENER    

PLYMOUTH – Tom Sestito’s power play goal at 4:45 of the third period snapped a 2-2 tie and the Plymouth Whalers defeated the Kitchener Rangers, 3-2, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Saturday night before 3,199 at the Compuware Sports Arena.

Plymouth finishes the regular season at 49-14-2-3, good for 103 points, second overall in the OHL and the second highest point total in franchise history. The 1998-99 Whalers went 51-13-4 for 106 points.

Kitchener finishes the regular season at 47-17-1-3 for 98 points.

Evan Brophey scored the other two Plymouth goals and has 36 on the season with 71 assists for a team-leading 107 points. Chris Terry added two assists for the Whalers as the game’s second star. Nazem Kadri (7) and Kevin Henderson (33) replied for Kitchener. Charles Lavigne stopped 51-of-54 Plymouth shots in goal for Kitchener as the game’s third star. Plymouth goaltender Jeremy Smith stopped 31-of-33 Kitchener shots to pick up the victory.

The teams trade a goal apiece less than one minute apart in the first period. Kadri accepted Steve Downie’s cross crease pass and banged home the puck from the right wing goal line at 16:46 to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. Brophey tied the game at 17:42. Plymouth tied the game at 17:42 when Terry was checked on the left wing side of the Kitchener goal, the puck pinballed into the slot for Brophey, who made no mistake.

Henderson (power play at 5:24) and Brophey (power play at 10:30) traded goals in the second period.

Terry set up Sestito for the game winning goal. On the play, Lavigne challenged Terry, who came in tight on the left wing. As Lavigne got tied up with a Kitchener defenseman, Terry slid the puck in front to Sestito, who put the puck into the empty net.

Plymouth outshot Kitchener, 54-33.

Plymouth will open up the playoffs next Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at the Compuware Sports Arena in a first round matchup against the Guelph Storm (33-23-3-9). Dates for the rest of the series will be announced within the next couple of days. Tickets are available by calling the Compuware Sports Arena at (734) 453-8400 or by going to Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com.