Connor Brown recorded his first career hat trick, and eight teammates also recorded points. But the Erie Otters couldn’t hold onto an early three-goal lead, as they lost to Sault Ste. Marie 6-5 in a shootout in front of 2,196 at Erie Insurance Arena Friday night.
Andrew Fritsch scored the winning goal in the fourth round of the shootout for the Greyhounds (8-7-0-0). J.P. Labardo had three assists and scored the lone shootout goal for the Otters (4-7-1-2), which lost for the second time in three shootouts this season. Darnell Nurse scored two goals and Nick Cousins had three assists for the Greyhounds.
The No. 1 line of captain Brown, No. 1 pick Connor McDavid and overager Labardo sparked the Otters’ surge to a 3-0 second-period lead. Brown recorded a natural hat trick – his team-leading eighth, ninth and 10th goals of the season. Labardo assisted on all three goals while McDavid had an assist to extend his point streak to 13 straight games.
Brown scored on the power play off assists from McDavid and Labardo to snap the scoreless tie 9:07 into the game. Brown scored again on the power play, this time from Adam Pelech and Labardo, five minutes later to send the Otters into the second period with a 2-0 lead. Brown completed the natural hat trick – his first OHL hat trick – on a rebound of Labardo’s shot 48 seconds into the second.
The Greyhounds sliced Erie’s lead to 3-2 with two second-period goals – from Nurse at 4:03 and Nick Halagian with 7:52 left.
Connor Crisp redirected Spencer Abraham’s shot past goaltender Matt Murray for a 4-2 Otters’ lead with 5:50 left in the period. But the Greyhounds responded by scoring twice early in the third to tie the score at 4. Former Otter David Broll scored from in front to pull the Greyhounds within a goal at 4-3 at the 2:15 mark. Colin Miller‘s first goal of the season, scored on the power play, tied the score at 4 at the 5:45 mark, only to have the Otters regain the lead with their third power-play goal of the night.
Stephen Harper scored on assist from Luke Cairns to give the Otters a 5-4 lead with 11:37 left. Yet the Greyhounds rallied again to tie it at 5 with 6:25 left on Nurse’s second goal of the game. Then the Greyhounds rebounded from an early deficit in the shootut to claim the win.

- Victor Fernandes

Three former Erie Otters – David Broll, Jaroslav Janus and Greg McKegg – have a chance to win an American Hockey League championship.
The Norfolk Admirals and Toronto Marlies begin the best-of-seven Turner Cup finals today at 7:30 p.m. at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. Janus has a 3-1-0 record, 1.69 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and one shutout in four playoff games with Norfolk this spring. He helped the Admirals finish the regular season with 28 straight wins, the longest streak in North American professional hockey history.
McKegg joined the Marlies earlier this week after leading the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights to the Memorial Cup final.
Broll, who spent the past season and a half with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, also plays for the Marlies. He has no points in one playoff game. Current Otters winger Sondre Olden is no longer with the Marlies. He reportedly was released from an amateur tryout contract in April.
Game 2 is set for Saturday at 7:15 p.m. in Norfolk. The series heads to Toronto for Game 3 (Thursday, 7 p.m.), Game 4 (June 9, 3 p.m.) and Game 5 (June 10, 3 p.m.). Norfolk hosts Game 6 (June 13, 7:15 p.m.) and Game 7 (June 15, 7:30 p.m.).

The Erie Otters hung tough with Sault Ste. Marie for the opening 20 minutes Friday night.

But the Greyhounds exploded for three straight goals in a span of 3 minutes, 6 seconds early in the second period on their way to a 6-3 win against the Otters in front of 2,869 at Tullio Arena.

Nick Cousins, Mark Petaccio and Ryan Sproul scored in that decisive span, which gave the Greyhounds a 3-0 lead. The Otters responded on rookie Stephen Harper’s first of two goals 6:14 into the second.

Sault Ste. Marie finished the period with David Quesnele’s goal at the 18:13 mark to regain a three-goal advantage at 4-1, only to have the Otters slice that lead to 4-3 with less than six minutes left in the game.

Jimmy McDowell scored his first goal as an Otter – and only the eighth in 161 career OHL games – 2:18 into the third period to move the Otters within 4-2. Then Harper scored his second goal – and 19^th of the season – on the power play with 5:44 remaining to slice the Greyhounds’ lead to one goal.

The Otters earned their third and final power-play chance of the night with one minute left. But Sproul scored short-handed into an empty net seven seconds later to seal the Greyhounds’ victory.

The Otters, which fell to 9-43-3-2 on the season, also received two assists from Luke Cairns. Ramis Sadikov stopped 30-of-35 shots in a losing effort. Matt Murray had 30 saves for the Greyhounds.

Cousins paced Sault Ste. Marie (24-29-2-4) with his team-leading 31^st goal of the season and two assists.

Ryan Sproul scored two goals while Brandon Alderson and Quesnele added a goal and assist apiece. David Broll had an assist against his former team. The Otters return to action today at 7 p.m. at home against Kingston.

SUMMARY

Greyhounds 6, Otters 3

Sault Ste. Marie  0  4  2  —  6

Erie  0  1  2  —  3

1^st Period — None. Penalties — None.

2^nd Period — 1. Sault Ste. Marie, Nick Cousins 31 (Broll, Alderson), 1:25. 2. Sault Ste. Marie, Mark Petaccio 5 (Staples), 3:44. 3. Sault Ste. Marie, Ryan Sproul 15 (Cousins), 4:31. 4. Erie, Stephen Harper 18 (Cairns, Brown), 6:14. 5. Sault Ste. Marie, David Quesnele 10 (Dubchak), 18:13. Penalties — Alderson (S) cross checking, 11:22; Pelech (E) hooking, 14:35; McDowell (E) interference, 16:23. Penalty shot — Cousins (S) no goal, 16:23.

3^rd Period — 6. Erie, Jimmy McDowell 2 (Cairns), 2:18. 7. Erie, Harper 19 (Pelech, Brown), 14:16 (pp). 8. Sault Ste. Marie, Brandon Alderson 15 (Cousins, Nurse), 15:57. 9. Sault Ste. Marie, Sproul 16 (Quesnele), 19:07 (sh-en). Penalties — McCarthy (E) slashing, 9:53; Fuller (S) hooking, 13:34; Durocher (S) delay of game, 19:00.

Shots on goal — Sault Ste. Marie, 14-10-12—36; Erie, 3-16-14—33.

Goaltenders — Sault Ste. Marie, Matt Murray 12-17-0-1 (33 shots, 30 saves); Erie, Ramis Sadikov 5-21-3-1 (35 shots, 30 saves).

Power plays — Sault Ste. Marie (0-2), Erie (1-3).

Referees — Pat Myers, Seth Ferguson. Linesmen — Ryan Holmstead, Darryl Wolfe.

Attendance — 2,869.

Three stars

* Stephen Harper, Otters (2 goals) ** Nick Cousins, Greyhounds (goal, 2 assists) *** Luke Cairns, Otters (2 assists)

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (23-29-2-4) at Erie Otters (9-42-3-2)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Tullio Arena

On the air: WFNN-AM/1330, www.ottershockey.com (live stream)

Up next: vs. Kingston (Saturday, 7 p.m.), at Mississauga St. Michael’s (Sunday, 2 p.m.)

Fast facts: The Otters return home after beating Belleville 4-1 Sunday to salvage the last game of a three-game East Division road trip. … They have nearly half of their wins in the past 10 games (4-5-0-1). … Erie’s magic number to clinch the No. 1 pick in the OHL Priority Selection stands at six. Any combination of Otters losses and Kingston wins totaling six points would secure the pick. … The Otters need to win seven of their final 12 games to avoid equaling or breaking their single-season record for fewest wins (15 in 2006-07). The 2006-07 team also holds the mark for most losses in regulation (50). … The OHL’s worst offense (131 goals) needs to score 51 goals (4.25 per game) to avoid equaling or breaking the franchise’s record low of 181 set in the 2002-03 season. … F Connor Crisp (shoulder) still hasn’t been cleared for full-contact practice. He will be reevaluated Monday. Club officials haven’t ruled out shutting him down for the rest of the season. … Mike Stapleton, an associate coach and assistant for the Otters from (2006-08), returns to Erie for the first time as Greyhounds head coach. … He has led them to eighth place in the Western Conference. They are one point ahead of Guelph for the final playoff spot following a 7-1 loss at Eastern Conference-leading Niagara Thursday. But Guelph has three games in hand. … Former Otters LW David Broll entered Thursday with four goals, 21 assists and 25 points in 51 games with the Greyhounds this season. The 2009 first-round pick has nine goals, 28 assists and 37 points in 76 games since being traded to Sault Ste. Marie in January 2010. He has 26 goals, 51 assists and 77 points in his first 180 OHL games. … G Jack Campbell, who led Windsor past the Otters in the first round of the playoff a season ago, began Thursday with a 11-10-2-3 record, 3.50 goals-against average, .896 save percentage and one shutout with the Greyhounds this season.

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters (5-36-3-1) at Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (19-24-2-2)

When: Friday, 7:35 p.m.

Where: Essar Centre – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

On the air: WFNN-AM/1330, www.ottershockey.com (live stream)

Up next: at Sudbury (Saturday, 7:05 p.m.), vs. Brampton (Feb. 3, 7 p.m.)

Fast facts: The Otters are winless in 11 straight games (0-9-2-0), the third-longest skid in franchise history. The 2007-08 club had a 16-game streak (0-14-1-1). The 1996-97 club lost 13 in a row (0-12-1-1). … The Otters lost three one-goal games last weekend, including overtimes losses to Peterborough and London. They allowed eight goals in those games (2.6 per game), a stark contrast from their OHL-worst total of 221 goals against (4.9 per game). … They have lost 10 straight road games, three shy of the franchise mark of 13 set in 1996-97. They haven’t won on the road since a 7-3 victory in Sarnia Dec. 9. … RW Johnny McGuire (hand) is expected to play tonight. … … Rookie D/F Tyler McCarthy (ill) has missed the past four games. … Former Otters LW David Broll has two goals and 18 points in 40 games this season. He has scored seven goals in 64 games with the Greyhounds and 24 in 169 OHL games. … Mike Stapleton is in his first season as Greyhounds coach. He served as an associate coach and assistant for the Otters from 2006-08. … The Otters could face G Jack Campbell, who helped Windsor eliminate the Otters in a seven-game, first-round playoff series last spring. … Sault Ste. Marie (42 points) has lost four straight and nine of their last 10 games to slip to ninth in the Western Conference. The Greyhounds trail Guelph by one point for the final playoff spot in the conference. … The Otters are the least penalized team in the OHL (605 minutes). The Greyhounds have the fifth-highest total (836).

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters forwards Greg McKegg and Sondre Olden have been invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ training camp, which begins Friday at MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence in Etobicoke, Ontario. The Leafs’ preseason opener is set for Monday against the Ottawa Senators at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. Former Otters David Broll and Tim Connolly also are on the Leafs’ camp roster.

Otters overage defenseman Tyler Hostetter, who has signed with the Philadelphia Flyers, opens camp today at 5 p.m. with a preseason rookie game against the Washington Capitals at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The full camp with rookies and veterans begins Saturday at Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J.

Greg McKegg (Contributed/Toronto Maple Leafs)

OSHAWA, Ontario – Erie Otters forwards Greg McKegg and Sondre Olden scored a goal apiece in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators on the final day of the 2011 Rookie Tournament at General Motors Centre.

Then according to mapleleafs.nhl.com, they joined former Otters winger David Broll in earning invitations to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ main camp, which begins Friday in Toronto and is headlined by the preseason opener Sept. 19 against the Senators.

McKegg finished the tournament tied for the team lead with four points (two goals, two assists).

At Traverse City, Mich., former Otters center Phil Varone scored his second goal in the NHL Prospects Tournament in the Buffalo Sabres’ 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday at Center Ice Arena. Former Otters teammate Shawn Szydlowski had no points for the Sabres.

Otters goaltender Ramis Sadikov didn’t play for the Red Wings. The Sabres face the New York Rangers today at 7 p.m. in the championship game. The game can be seen on NHL Network and Madison Square Garden Network.

But Varone and Szydlowski might not face former Otters teammate Andrew Yogan, who didn’t play in a 4-3 double-overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. While I watched the broadcast of the Rangers’ win Sunday against the Dallas Stars, it appeared Yogan was injured while crashing into the boards.

Meanwhile, former Mercyhurst College standout Scott Pitt had a goal, assist and a plus-2 rating for the Hurricanes against the Rangers on Tuesday. Otters defenseman David Shields, who’s expected to begin his professional career this season, had no points and a plus-1 rating in the St. Louis Blues’ 6-1 win against the Stars.

- Victor Fernandes

Greg McKegg (Contributed/Toronto Maple Leafs)

OSHAWA, Ontario – Erie Otters captain Greg McKegg had a goal and two assists to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2011 Rookie Tournament at General Motors Centre on Sunday.

Otters teammate Sondre Olden didn’t record a point for the Leafs. Former Otters winger David Broll was injured in the game, according to the team’s website. The Leafs face the Ottawa Senators on Monday at 7 p.m.

At Traverse City, Mich., Otters goaltender Ramis Sadikov allowed four goals on 26 shots in the Detroit Red Wings’ 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild in the NHL Prospects Tournament at Center Ice Arena.

Former Otters Shawn Szydlowski (goal) and Phil Varone (assist) led the Buffalo Sabres to a 6-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Former Otter Andrew Yogan scored a goal in the New York Rangers’ 6-2 win against the Dallas Stars.

Overage defenseman David Shields, who’s expected to begin his pro career this season, had no points in the St. Louis Blues’ 2-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. Former Mercyhurst College standout Scott Pitt had no points and a minus-2 rating for the Hurricanes.

Tuesday’s schedule is N.Y. Rangers vs. Carolina at 3 p.m.; St. Louis vs. Dallas at 3:30 p.m.; Minnesota vs. Columbus, 6:30 p.m.; and Buffalo vs. Detroit, 7 p.m.

OSHAWA, Ontario – Three players with connections to the Erie Otters – current Otters Greg McKegg and Sondre Olden and former Otter David Broll – are playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2011 rookie tournament at General Motors Centre.

None of them scored goals in a 4-2 opening-night win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. The Leafs face the Pittsburgh Penguins today at 7 p.m., with coverage on mapleleafs.com starting at 7:30 p.m. The Leafs face the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Check out this story on former Erie Otters winger David Broll featured on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ website.