LeBlanc stings IceDogs
Former Niagara IceDog Jacob Leblanc scored in overtime to give the Sarnia Sting a 3-2 win over the IceDogs Friday night. Photo: OHL IMAGES.
Ex-Niagara IceDog Jacob LeBlanc came back to haunt his former team Friday night.
The 19-year-old Port Colborne native scored three minutes into overtime to give the Sarnia Sting a 3-2 triumph over the IceDogs in an Ontario Hockey League game in St. Catharines.
The IceDogs are now 1-4-3 on the season but managed to pick up points in three of four games in their current four-game homestead.
“Anytime you can get some points it’s valuable because you never know at the end of the season, those could be the difference between making it or not,” IceDogs coach Ryan Kuwabara said. “Obviously we wanted a better outcome but I’m proud of the guys for continuing to battle back.”
The Sting netted the lone goal of the first period before the IceDogs got on the board late in the second when Michael Podolioukh netted his first of the season, a short-handed marker at 16:44, to tie the score.
“Anytime you get a shorthanded goal you have to be doing something right. He’s definitely a guy we’re going to have to lean on,” Kuwabara said.
Niagara’s Gavin Bryant left the game in the second period and did not return.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who can play up and down the lineup so if one guy goes down I’m confident in our guys that they’re able to step in and contribute and obviously we’re in that position now,” Kuwabara said.
The Sting took a 2-1 lead in the third before the IceDogs rallied with a goal from Michael Levin at the 18:07 mark to send the game into overtime.
Kuwabara was pleased with the defensive effort of his club.
“We work on it a lot in practice and we did a great job pre-scouting knowing what they’re going to try to do so we were able to be effective to close down some of those passing lanes and stuff that they do. We had a lot of success, we just didn’t put the puck in the net enough,” he said.
LeBlanc’s goal was his first of the season and the defenceman now has seven points in eight games. Jacob Leblanc and twin brother Andrew LeBlanc (1-7-8) were dealt to the Sting in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2027, a sixth-round pick in 2025, a 14th-round pick in 2024 and a 15th-round selection in 2025. All picks are original Sarnia selections.
The IceDogs acquired both from the Kitchener Rangers last fall in exchange for London’s second-round pick in 2024, London’s third-round pick in 2025, Mississauga’s third-round pick in 2026, and London’s fifth-round pick in 2023.
With files from: https://linktr.ee/ArmchairGMsSportsNetwork
STATS PACK
Sting 3 IceDogs 2 OT
Sarnia’s Jacob LeBlanc and Niagara’s Michael Podolioukh
Niagara IceDogs: Podolioukh (1); Mike Levin (2).
Sarnia Sting: LeBlanc (1); Tyson Doucette (7); Zach Filak (3).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Karsen Chartier (32), by Sarnia on Marcus Vandenberg (33); Power plays: Niagara: 0/2, Sarnia 0/4; Penalty minutes: Niagara 12, Sarnia 8.
Attendance: 3,465
Up next: The IceDogs are at Erie Sunday at 4 p.m. and home to Peterborough Friday at 7 p.m.
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