No Breaks for Plymouth Whalers in 4-2 Loss to Owen Sound

Photos by Rena Laverty - Ryan Moore ties the game for the Whalers in the third period; Frantic action around Owen Sound goaltender Jack Flinn in the third period.

Note - See the broadcast of this game on CN-900 TV at 4 pm on Sunday.

PLYMOUTH - The Plymouth Whalers deserved a better fate on Saturday at Compuware Arena against the Owen Sound Attack.

Plymouth worked hard, played hard and forechecked hard, but lost, 4-2, before 2,642 at Compuware Arena.

SCORESHEET

The hockey term, “puck luck,” is often used to describe the bounces and breaks that happen in the game. Anyone who knows the game understands that puck-luck is another term for hard work. Hard work is usually rewarded.

The Whalers were not rewarded against Owen Sound, who improved to 23-17-2-7 and moved into sixth place in the Ontario Hockey League West Division race.

Plymouth hit three goal posts in the game – Connor Chatham and Jacob Collins in first period and Sonny Milano in the final two minutes of the game when the Whalers were looking for the equalizer.

Plymouth – now 17-29-2-2 – was not rewarded on Owen Sound’s first goal, scored by Erik Bradford to open the second period. A Plymouth defender fell down and Bradford skated to the slot to beat Whalers goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic at 0:36 of the second period.

Bradford scored the second Owen Sound goal (and 21st of the year) on another fortunate bounce at 8:25 of the second period to give the Attack a 2-0 lead. Thomas Schemistch’s shot from the high slot was high and wide and rattled off the glass behind the Plymouth goal. The puck bounced directly to the Whalers’ blue ice and Bradford – through a maze of players – found the puck and swept it in.

The Whalers fought back to tie the game. Connor Chatham scored on a power play at 9:51 of the second period to cut the Owen Sound lead to 2-1. On the play, Sonny Milano and Victor Crus Rydberg won battles for pucks in Attack territory and Chatham snapped the puck quickly from the hashmarks past Owen Sound goaltender Jack Flinn.

Plymouth kept coming and tied the game at 2-2- at 4:19 of the third period. The play was started by Danny Vanderwiel, who worked the puck out of the right corner and drove to the net. Flinn stopped Vanderwiel’s stuff, but the puck pinballed to Moore at the hashmarks and he buried it to tie the game.

That set the stage for Schemistch’s game-winner on a strange play and a penalty that was not called.

As Schemistch carried the puck from the right point in the Plymouth zone to the right wing, Connor Chatham was picked on the play – nowhere near the puck. Interference could have been called, but Schemistch followed his own rebound to score his fourth of the season to give Owen Sound a 3-2 lead at 9:23 of the third period.

Plymouth didn’t quit. Alex Nedeljkovic was pulled with 1:30 left and – with a faceoff in the Owen Sound zone with 1:20 left – Plymouth head coach Don Elland called a time out to set strategy.

The Whalers buzzed in the Owen Sound zone and had several chances to score, but Daniel Milne iced the game with his 12th of the season to close the scoring.

Plymouth is back in action on Wednesday in Saginaw against the Spirit (7 pm, 88.1FM WSDP).