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Wolves Sting Sarnia, snap four game losing streak

MacKenzie Savard earns first OHL win

For the first time this season the Wolves scored seven goals in a game and MacKenzie Savard from Dowling picked up his first career OHL win on home ice as Sudbury beat Sarnia 7-3.

“The way that we’ve been playing these guys have been due to have a bit of a break out night,” said Wolves Head Coach David Matsos. “These guys came out to play tonight and they got rewarded for their efforts, it was a pretty clean game for us.”

For Sudbury it was a complete team game, and one of the better efforts of the season.

“By committee, I don’t think there was one man out there that really fell short of what they were supposed to do, everybody contributed in some way,” said Matsos.

And it came at an opportune time with teams underneath them in the standings gaining ground, coming into the game they were just four points up on 9th in the Eastern Conference.

“We got some points to make up at home too, we just got ourselves over .500 at home again and we got some points we got to make up here. Tonight’s tonight, and I want them to enjoy it because they’ve earned it, but tomorrow’s a new day, we’ve got a real tough opponent coming in tomorrow and we just need much of the same,” said Matsos.

With the win Sudbury moves ahead of Ottawa into 6th spot in the Eastern Conference, they get some breathing room from North Bay and Niagara who both lost and now the Wolves sit four points up on 8th place North Bay.

MacKenzie Savard, in his second career OHL game and second straight start, picked up the win in front of friends and family.

“You score seven goals I think it’s pretty hard to lose, so it was great to get that first win under my belt, and I really appreciate the effort the guys gave me tonight,” said Savard. “It’s a great feeling especially being in my home crowd, I think it was kind of surreal. I’ve been here for just over a month now, I’ve been practicing with the team all year last year, finally getting that first win, especially in my second start was a big feeling.”

And there was a neat little Northern connection as well, as the first goal from Sarnia was scored by Jacob Stos, who is from Lively.

Both are really good friends and played a number of years with the Nickel City Sons.

“I didn’t even know it was him that scored, it was kind of a bang-bang play and he put it up high glove on me. Credit to him, good shot it was a quick play but I’m never going to hear the end of that one,” said Savard.

The Wolves played a very physical game, which they seem to do often against Western Conference teams, but this game it really brought results.

“I think if I would be the other team, I would be scared to play against us, everyone is so big, play hard and finish checks. I would not want to play against them,” said David Levin.

Levin had quite the night finishing with two goals giving him 18 now and an assist.

Other goals were scored by Dmitry Soklov(34), C.J. Yakimowicz(8), Alan Lyszczarczyk(8), Macauley Carson(17) and Aiden Jamieson(2).

Ryan Valentini, Owen Lalonde and Reagan O’Grady all finished with two assists a piece.

The one negative for the Wolves was actually turned into a positive as the Sting had 11 power play opportunities but Sudbury killed off 10 and scored a short-handed goal on a five-on-three penalty kill.

It’s how it’s been going for the top team in the Eastern Conference on the penalty kill and fourth overall.

“Our shot blocking was really low, but I think that’s just execution in the neutral zone and possession and just winning battles in the corners. I thought our killers did a great job, really good job tonight for us,” said Matsos.

The first period saw two goals from Sudbury.

The second saw five combined and Sudbury led 5-2 after two.

The third period didn’t start the way the home side wanted as Jordan Kyrou scored on the power play just 28 seconds into the period making it 5-3.

For Kyrou it extended his point streak to 14 games.

But the Wolves responded with a goal from Levin that came off a Valentini pass that was worthy of a second, third, fourth and fifth look if you could.

Valentini carried the puck over the blue-line on the right side, drove to the net taking a couple players with him.

He no-look passed it back to Levin who trailed behind him and Levin clapped one home.

“That was a beautiful pass, he’s an awesome player, awesome guy and it was a great pass. I was really surprised with that, I wasn’t even ready and he passed it back and I shot it top shelf, it was great,” said Levin.

Jamieson added the seventh goal and sealed it.

The win was a big one, as mentioned it snapped a four game losing skid, but Sudbury welcomes Sault Ste. Marie to town on Saturday.

The Soo sits second in the Western Conference with 25 more points than Sudbury has.

 


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