NEWS RELEASE For more information please visit PlymouthWhalers.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Saturday, February 13, 2010

WHALERS COME FROM BEHIND TO DEFEAT SARNIA, 5-4, IN OVERTIME

Tyler Seguin’s four points, game-winning goal brings Plymouth back from 4-1 deficit

PLYMOUTH, MI — Tyler Seguin’s second goal of the game at 4:02 of overtime brought the Plymouth Whalers all the way back from a 4-1 deficit as they defeated the Sarnia Sting, 5-4, in an Ontario Hockey League game played before 2,586 Saturday night at Compuware Arena.

Plymouth broke a two-game losing streak and is now 33-22-0-2, good for 68 points, second place in the OHL’s West Division and fourth seed in the OHL Western Conference playoff race. Sarnia remains in last place in the OHL with a record of 14-38-3-1. Sarnia is now 0-15-2-0 over its last 17 games.

(Above) Josh Brittain screens Sarnia goaltender Shayne Campbell as Tyler Seguin's shot goes in for the overtime winner. (Below) Seguin celebrates his fourth point of the night with the crowd.

“I think we’re going to use this game as a turning point,” Seguin said after the game. “We’ve had a couple of bad games lately and tonight we didn’t have the best start, but we finished strong.”

Plymouth lost Wednesday in Guelph (6-3) and last night in Saginaw (5-2).

Seguin described the game-winning goal, which came on a power play with Sarnia’s Craig Hottot serving a penalty for tripping at 2:32 of the overtime. On the play, Seguin carried the puck over the Sarnia line, waited at the high slot and then scored top-shelf past Sarnia goaltender Shayne Campbell, who was screened by Whalers forward Josh Brittain.

“In practice, we’ve been working on screens in front of the net,” Seguin said. “I couldn’t see much side door, but he went down and I went up top.”

In all, Seguin scored two goals (38-39) and added two assists. Seguin leads the OHL in scoring with 39 goals and 51 assists for 90 points in 52 games. Joe Gaynor (13), Ryan Hayes (12) and Tyler Brown (9) also scored for the Whalers.

Kale Kerbashian (21), Zack MacQueen (8), Daniel Broussard (1) and Brandon Alderson (13) scored for Sarnia.

Sarnia outshot Pymouth, 14-5, in the first period and led 3-1 after twenty minutes on a power play goal by Kerbashian (hard shot left circle at 2:45), MacQueen (shorthanded set up out in front of the Plymouth goal at 6:40) and Broussard (shot right point at 19:42). Gaynor scored the only Plymouth goal of the first period, snapping a shot from the right side of the Sarnia goal at 4:42.

Alderson gave Sarnia a 4-1 lead 50 seconds into the second period when his shot from the right circle eluded Plymouth goaltender Matt Hackett. Hackett regrouped at that point in the game and pitched a shutout the rest of the way.

With Sarnia still leading, 4-1, later in the second period, the Whalers mounted their comeback. Gaynor won a faceoff in the Sarnia zone and shoveled the puck to the right side of the Sarnia crease to Hayes, who scored at 14:08. Seguin cut the Sarnia lead to 4-3 at 17:03 with a rising shot that Campbell reacted late on.

“(Phil) McRae and I were coming in two-on-two,” Seguin said. “He went wide and was going to crash the net, so I was trying to get a shot through. I saw the far side open and luckily it went in. The goalie kind of slouched down a bit and I was able to tuck it over his shoulder.”

Seguin and AJ Jenks teamed up to set up Brown’s equalizer at 17:03 of the third period. Brown skated hard through the Sarnia zone and redirected Seguin’s pass from the high slot past Campbell.

“We needed one goal, so everyone on the bench was saying crash the net,” Seguin said. “Brownie can fly and I saw him go to the net hard and luckily the pass went on his tape.”

With Hottot serving his penalty in overtime, Sarnia had a chance to score shorthanded when Kerbashian skated in to Plymouth territory on the left wing, circled behind the Whalers goal and tried a wrap-around on the right side of the net but hit the outside of the post. Seconds later, Seguin scored the game-winner.

“It’s a big two points,” Seguin said. “We were facing adversity and this is going to happen in the playoffs a lot, so I‘m glad we responded well.”

Sarnia outshot Plymouth, 36-33.

The Whalers are off until Friday when they host Mississauga at 7:05pm at Compuware Arena (6:50pm, WSDP 88.1FM). Next Saturday, Sarnia returns again for another 7:05pm start (6:50pm, WSDP 88.1FM).

For information on Whalers ticket packages, including the Bob Evans' Great Save 4 for $44 Pack, or to plan a group event, visit plymouthwhalers.com or call 734-453-8400.

www.plymouthwhalers.com

PLYMOUTH WHALERS: Compuware Arena | 14900 Beck Rd. | Plymouth, MI  48170 | phone: 734-453-8400 | fax: 734-453-4201

MEDIA CONTACTS: Pete Krupsky, Director of Communications, 734-453-8400 x62513, peterk@plymouthwhalers.com

Natalie Shaver, Sales and Marketing Administrator, 734-453-3216, natalies@plymouthwhalers.com