Team OHL Remains Perfect

Game four of the Canada/Russia hockey challenge, second on Ontario soil, concluded last night in St Catharines with a 3-2 Team OHL victory. A well rested Russian team gave the red shirted OHLers all they could handle and made the entire game highly entertaining. With the small ice surface at the Gatorade Garden City Complex, the game was a tight checking affair with several big hits from both sides.

The game was without a goal in the first period and by the end of the second the game was only knotted at 1 goal apiece. Two goals in the middle part of the third by the OHL side gave them what looked to be a sure win but the Russians came back and scored their second of the night only 31 seconds after the last team OHL goal. The last five minutes of the game saw chances at both ends of the rink but Team OHL was stymied by the Russian goalie, and player of the game, Gayduchenko and the Russian Selects couldn't get the puck past Trevor Cann in the dying seconds for a 3-2 Team OHL victory. John Tavares was all over the ice and earned Team OHL's player of the game.

With this win and the 6-3 win in game 3, Team OHL continues it's perfect record against the Russian Selects in this series. They improve to 12-0 since this series began in 2003. Prior to coming to Ontario, the Russians split their two games versus the QMJHL losing 5-3 in game one and rebounding to win game two 4-3. They next play Team WHL Wednesday night in Swift Current, SK followed by their last game the next night in Prince Albert, SK. The WHL seeks to regain its dominance over the Russians after losing their first ever game to them in 2007.