Team OHL Defeats Russian Juniors 2-1 in Shootout

By JEFF BLAY
In the O Blogger 

Joey Hishon scored the shootout winner for team OHL while Ryan Ellis and Marcus Folingo also added goals during the shootout. Casey Cizikas earned the OHL player of the game as he notched a clutch shorthanded goal in the third period to tie the game 1-1 and ultimately lead team OHL to victory.

The first period was scoreless, with IceDogs goaltender MarkVisentin getting the start in net and stopping all of the eight shots he faced.

Team OHL showed the Russian team the type of physical game they play with some big hits coming from Brock Beukeboom and Devante Smith-Pelly, and the first frame ended with a physical tone and a 0-0 score.

In the second, IceDogs sophomore forward Ryan Strome made several excellent passes out of the corner and one nearly led to a goal. However, Owen Sound Attack top-gun Joey Hishon couldn’t quite solve London Knights goaltender and Anaheim Ducks draftee Igor Bobkov, who also played a solid first period in net for the Russians.

The Russians almost took the first lead of the game as the puck went past Mark Visentin during a scramble in front of the net, but the goal was called off as one of the Russian players used his skate to kick the puck in.

With the goal called off, Mark Visentin would exit the game at the midway mark of the second period with a shutout, stopping 17 shots. Visentin has been hot as of late, as he picked up his first OHL career shutout this past Saturday in the IceDogs 2-0 victory over the Sudbury Wolves.

Not long after Mississauga Majors goalie JP Anderson took over for Visentin in net for team OHL, the Russian team was able to capitalize and open the scoring at the 13:54 mark of the second period. Artem Voronin took a perfect feed from Nikita Dvurechensky to beat Anderson on his left side and give Russia a 1-0 lead.

After the Russian goal, IceDogs defender Dougie Hamilton nearly helped generate a tying goal with a blast from the point that was tipped in front of the Russian net, but Bobkov kept his perfect game intact with a crucial save.

The game would remain a 1-0 Russian lead after 40 minutes of play.

Team OHL tied the game up at the 4:40 mark of the third period as Mississauga Majors teammates Justin Shugg and Casey Cizikas combined efforts to tie the game with a beautiful short-handed goal courtesy Cizikas.

Strome also gave Ethen Werek a chance to gain the lead late in the third with a nifty pass, but Werek lost control of the puck and the game remained at a 1-1 tie, leaving the winner to be decided by a shootout.  

The Russians scored first in the shootout with a nifty move by Los Angeles Kings draft pick Maxim Kitsyn, while team OHL captain Ryan Ellis answered back with an impressive goal of his own.

Sudbury’s home-town hero Marcus Folingo put the OHL ahead, and with a key stop from JP Anderson, Joey Hishon got a chance to finish the game and made no mistake as he beat Bobkov with a beautiful move to the backhand to boost the OHL to a 2-1 victory over the Russian Juniors.

Igor Babkov earned the player of the game for Russia as he stopped 38 shots, while Casey Cizikas was named player of the game for team OHL. 

Scoreboard:

2. RUS Voronin, (1) (Dvurechensky), 13:54

3. OHL Cizikas, (1) (Shugg), 4:40 (SH)