Whalers Complete Regular Season With 8th Straight Win, 4-0, Over Windsor

WINDSOR, ON – The Plymouth Whalers often call their road games business trips.  And in winning 10 of its last 11 games on the road, the Whalers have been all business.

On Sunday, Plymouth goaltender Matt Mahalak stopped all 24 shots he faced to record his second straight shutout and Vince Trocheck assisted on three goals as the Plymouth Whalers completed the 2012-13 Ontario Hockey League regular season with a 4-0 victory over Windsor before 5,641 at Windsor Family Credit Union Centre.

Plymouth ends the regular season with an eight-game winning streak and has won 16 of its last 17 games.  The Whalers finished second in the Western Conference with a record of 42-17-5-4.  Plymouth is 26-5-0-1 since Dec. 27.  Windsor finishes 26-33-3-6, in ninth place in the Western Conference and out of the OHL playoffs.

The Whalers open the first round of the OHL playoffs against Sarnia on Friday at 7:05 p.m. at Compuware Arena.

Sebastian Uvira (10), Stefan Noesen (25), Cody Payne (24) and Garrett Meurs (32) scored for Plymouth, but Trocheck’s three assists moved him into first place for the OHL scoring title with 50 goals and 59 assists for 109 points, one point ahead of Sarnia’s Charles Sarault and seven points ahead of Sault Ste. Marie’s Nick Cousins.  Sault Ste. Marie finishes its’ regular season tonight against London.

Trocheck was given every opportunity to win the scoring title on Sunday.

After Uvira scored the only goal Plymouth needed at 4:58 of the first period, Trocheck assisted on the Whalers' final three goals - a stuff, five-hole by Noesen on Windsor goaltender Jordan DeKort at 7:20 of the second period; a rebound by Payne on a power play at 19:48 of the second period; and a one-timer from Meurs from the left circle on another Plymouth power play at 17:34 of the third period.

After Meurs scored, the Whalers streamed off the bench to congratulate Trocheck.  Trocheck is the first American to win the OHL scoring title since London's Patrick Kane won the title with 145 points in 2006-07. The other American to win the OHL scoring title is London's Robbie Schremp in 2005-06 with 149 points.

Trocheck is the first Plymouth player ever to win an OHL scoring title outright.  Tyler Seguin tied Windsor’s Taylor Hall with 106 points in 2009-10.

The Whalers score goals, but they win with defense.  After Mitch Jones was whistled off for tripping at 4:48 of the third period, the Windsor power play held the puck in the Plymouth zone the entire two minutes.  Trapped in the defensive zone, Plymouth penalty killers Zach Lorentz, Michael Whaley, Nick Malysa and Austin Levi (along with goaltender Mahalak) battled the entire time with Malysa blocking three shots.  Windsor did no damage.

Plymouth has won 42 games and in 40 wins, the Whalers have allowed three goals or fewer.

Here are the dates and times for the Plymouth-Sarnia first round OHL playoff series:

PLYMOUTH (2) vs.  SARNIA (7)

Fri.,

March

22

at

Plymouth

7 p.m.

Sat.,

March

23

at

Plymouth

7 p.m.

Mon.,

March

25

at

Sarnia

7 p.m.

Wed.,

March

27

at

Sarnia

7 p.m.

Fri.,

March

29

at

Plymouth

7 p.m.

*

Sat.,

March

30

at

Sarnia

7 p.m.

*

* - If necessary