LONDON, Ontario – The Erie Otters produced an exciting and entertaining performance on national television Friday night.
Better yet, they produced a much-needed win. Connor Brown scored the only goal in a four-round shootout to hand the Otters a 3-2 come-from-behind victory in front of 9,046 fans at Budweiser Gardens and a nationwide viewing audience on NHL Network.
The Otters (3-6-1-1) snapped a four-game losing streak, as well as avenged a pair of earlier losses to the Knights – 8-2 in London Sept. 21 and 4-3 in Erie Oct. 6. In the last meeting, the Otters rallied from a two-goal deficit to force overtime before losing in a nine-round shootout. Erie also rallied from two goals down this time around to force overtime and a shootout.
London (5-3-0-1) took an early lead on Max Domi’s sixth goal of the season 46 seconds into the opening period. Then Josh Anderson’s goal at the 14:24 mark handed the Knights a 2-0 lead. But J.P. Labardo’s goal with 37 seconds left in the period sparked the comeback.
Connor McDavid and Troy Donnay assisted on the goal, with McDavid extending his point streak to 10 straight games. Then the Otters tied the score at 2 on Adam Pelech’s power-play goal 4:39 into the second period. After a scoreless third period and overtime, these Midwest Division rivals headed to a shootout. Yet it didn’t last as long this time, and the Otters enjoyed a better result.
Both teams failed to score on their first three shots. But Otters goaltender Oscar Dansk stopped Ryan Rupert to start the final round, and then Brown beat Knights goaltender Kevin Bailie for the winning goal. Dansk finished with 37 saves through regulation and overtime and four more in the shootout. Bailie stopped 34-of-36 shots in the first 65 minutes and three in the shootout.
Stephen Harper and Luke Cairns also had assists for the Otters, which head home to face Windsor today at 7 p.m. at Erie Insurance Arena.

The shootout already had ventured into the ninth round. Yet Erie Otters goaltender Oscar Dansk wanted it to last longer.
After eight failed attempts, Dansk hoped to give his teammates another chance against London Saturday night at Erie Insurance Arena. But Knights rookie Kyle Platzer scored the only goal of the nine-round marathon to hand the Otters a 4-3 loss in front of 2,667 fans.
The Otters (2-3-1-1) settled for one point and three out of four during their two-game weekend homestand. Meanwhile, the Knights (4-2-0-0) earned their second straight win despite squandering a two-goal, second-period lead. Dansk finished with 19 saves on 22 shots in regulation and overtime before his stellar effort in the shootout. His counterpart, Kevin Bailie, had 26 saves on 29 shots through 65 minutes of action and several more quality saves in the shootout.
No. 1 pick Connor McDavid, Connor Brown and Stephen Harper scored for the Otters. Brown added an assist for a two-point outing.
Seth Griffith and Bo Horvat had a goal and assist apiece for the Knights, while Max Domi added a goal.
McDavid continued his impressive start to his rookie season by scoring 1 minute, 55 seconds into the opening period – his third goal in two nights and fourth goal in seven games. He slid past the Knights’ defense and slipped a shot past Bailie to hand the Otters a 1-0 lead. But that lead didn’t last long, as Domi tied the score at 1 at the 6:23 mark with his fourth goal of the season.
Domi escaped a crowd of defenders behind the Otters’ net and squeezed a shot between the right post and Dansk’s left pad. Then Griffith, who burned the Otters for three goals in an 8-2 Knights’ win in London Sept. 21, scored his seventh goal in six games to snap the 1-1 tie with 8:28 left in the period. Griffth tied Oshawa’s Boone Jenner for the OHL lead in goals.
The Otters dominated at the start of the second. They held the Knights without a shot on goal for nearly eight minutes. Meanwhile, the Otters’ offense generated several quality scoring opportunities. Yet while Bailie stymied the Otters, including key saves in close on Johnny McGuire and Luke Cairns, Bo Horvat scored on the Knights’ first shot of the period to build a 3-1 lead at the 7:56 mark.
But the Otters converted their first power play of the game, as Brown turned a fortunate bounce off a defender in front of the net into his fourth goal of the season. His rebound to Bailie’s left with 2:48 left in the period sent the Otters into the third trailing 3-2.
Then the Otters capitalized on their second power play of the game 9:27 into the third to complete the comeback. After Nick Betz stole the puck from a Knights defender, linemate Jake Evans found Harper in front for his fourth goal of the season.
Harper appeared to give the Otters a 4-3 lead on a power play late in regulation. But the officials whistled the play dead for offsides, a call Harper disagreed with but Otters coach Robbie Ftorek defended. Scott Harrington nearly sealed the Knights’ win in overtime, but his shot from the point glanced off the post and into the ground. Then the Otters killed off a power play in the final 1:32 of the extra period, sending the game into the shootout. But the Otters couldn’t beat Bailie, while Platzer slipped a shot through Dansk’s pads
* News and notes: Head coach Dan Bylsma and former forward Bill Guerin headlined a group of Pittsburgh Penguins officials at the game. Knights defensemen Harrington and Olli Maatta are Penguins prospects. … Scott Howson, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ executive vice president of hockey operations and general manager, attended both games this weekend to watch Dansk, the NHL club’s second-round draft pick this past June. … The Otters scratched Anthony Cortellessa (flu) and Dane Fox (broken foot). Liam Maaskant, Justin Felker and Mitch Eisenberg were healthy scratches. Maaskant and Eisenberg haven’t dressed for a game this season.

- Victor Fernandes

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that a media conference is scheduled for Wednesday at 12 pm at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario, to announce the winner of the Red Tilson Trophy presented to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player of the Year for the 2011-12 season.

The Red Tilson Trophy is the most prestigious individual award presented annually by the league to the Most Outstanding Player in the Ontario Hockey League during the regular season schedule of games as voted by sports writers and broadcasters in the OHL. The award is in honour of Albert “Red” Tilson, who was killed in action in Europe during World War II. Tilson was the OHA scoring champion for the 1942-43 season after scoring 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 22 games with the Oshawa Generals. Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires captured the award last season.

2011-12 Red Tilson Trophy Nominees
Barrie Colts – Tanner Pearson
Belleville Bulls – Brendan Gaunce
Brampton Battalion – Sam Carrick
Erie Otters – Adam Pelech
Guelph Storm – Matt Finn
Kingston Frontenacs – Darcy Greenaway
Kitchener Rangers – Tobias Rieder
London Knights – Michael Houser
Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors – Riley Brace
Niagara IceDogs – Mark Visentin
Oshawa Generals – Kevin Bailie
Ottawa 67’s – Tyler Toffoli
Owen Sound Attack – Mike Halmo
Peterborough Petes – Andrew Yogan
Plymouth Whalers – Stefan Noesen
Saginaw Spirit – Brandon Saad
Sarnia Sting – Nail Yakupov
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds – Nick Cousins
Sudbury Wolves – Michael Sgarbossa
Windsor Spitfires – Kerby Rychel

- From OHL news release

The Erie Otters are close on the scoreboard. But they are falling behind in the standings.

The Otters fell to Oshawa 4-2 in front of 2,865 at Tullio Arena Saturday night, their second straight loss and ninth in the past 10 games. Erie (4-11-1-0) also has nine times by two goals or fewer.

“At least we’re in every game,” winger Shawn Szydlowski said. “At least we’re not getting blown out.”

The Generals (8-3-1-2), the highest-scoring team in the Eastern Conference and second highest overall, wasted little time in gaining the lead. Andy Andreoff scored his seventh goal of the season, off an assist from Lucas Lessio, to take a 1-0 lead 1:49 into the opening period. Meanwhile, the Otters’ power play, which ranks among the league leaders, failed on all three chances with the man advantage in the period.

The Otters finally solved Generals backup goaltender Kevin Bailie midway through the second period, as the No. 1 line of Mike Cazzola, Greg McKegg and Szydlowski combined to tie the score at 1. The Generals regained the lead at 2-1 on Andreoff’s second goal of the night 1:05 after Szydlowski’s goal. But rookie Macaulay McDonnell tied the score at 2 with 5:10 left in the period.

In the period’s waning moments, the Otters failed to capitalize on a puck in the crease. On Oshawa’s ensuing rush down ice, Jeff Brown pushed a rebound in the crease past Otters goaltender Ramis Sadikov for Brown’s first goal of the season and a 3-2 Generals’ lead.

That lead stood up in the third period, as Bailie faced only six shots he faced to earn his first win of the season. The Otters failed on three power-play opportunities in the third, including an early 5-on-3 for nearly two minutes, and finished the game 0-for-7.

With Sadikov on the bench for an extra attacker during a 6-on-4 power play late in the game, Generals winger Alain Berger sealed the Otters’ fate with a short-handed, empty-net goal.

Andreoff and Berger (goal, assist) led the Generals’ attack. Sadikov made 27 saves for the Otters.

* News and notes: Otters winger Anthony Luciani will have the cast on his injured right wrist removed on Tuesday. He hopes to learn a return date on that day. … The Generals played without leading scorer Christian Thomas (11 goals, 19 points), who was suspended because of a match penalty for slew footing on Friday against Belleville. … Aaron Beaton, a longtime Otters and Mercyhurst College fan who died Sept. 25 because of complications from a stroke, was honored in a pregame ceremony. Members from local youth, high school and college teams, including Lakers forwards Meghan Agosta and Brandon Coccimiglio, formed a circle at center ice and raised their sticks in the air during a moment of silence.

- Victor Fernandes

SUMMARY

Generals 4, Otters 2

Oshawa  1  2  1  —  4

Erie  0  2  0  —  2

1^st Period — 1. Oshawa, Andy Andreoff 7 (Lessio), 1:49. Penalties — Sabourin (O) hooking, 3:13; Lessio (O) cross checking, 10:30; Szydlowski (E) hooking, 12:40. Penalties — McKegg (E) no goal, 11:02; Valentine (O) hooking, 17:04.

2^nd Period — 2. Erie, Shawn Szydlowski 7 (McKegg, Cazzola), 10:40. 3. Oshawa, Andreoff 8 (McDowell, Jensen), 11:45. 4. Erie, Macaulay McDonnell 3 (Holden, Broll), 14:50. 5. Oshawa, Jeff Brown 1 (Jenner, Berger), 18:53. Penalties — Cook (E) 5-min. fighting, 2:44; Clark (O) 5-min. fighting, 2:44; Valentine (O) slashing, 5:28; McKegg (E) holding the stick, 5:37.

3^rd Period — 8. Oshawa, Alain Berger 7 (Labardo), 18:39 (sh-en). Penalties — Clark (O) tripping, 6:19; Valentine (O) checking from behind, 6:29; Suellentrop (O) hooking, 17:30.

Shots on goal — Oshawa, 8-11-12—31; Erie, 10-11-6—27.

Goaltenders — Oshawa, Kevin Bailie 1-1-0-1 (27 shots, 25 saves); Erie, Ramis Sadikov 4-8-1-0 (30 shots, 27 saves).

Power plays — Oshawa (0-2), Erie (0-7).

Referees — Joel Washkurak, Dave Lewis. Linesmen — Mike Harrington, Sean Pindar.

Attendance — 2,865.

Three stars

* Andy Andreoff, Generals (2 goals) ** Macaulay McDonnell, Otters (goal) *** Adam Pelech, Otters (defense)