OHL defeats the Russians

Press Release

Game 3 of the SUBWAY Super Series turned into an opportunity for some emerging stars to shine.

OHL sophomores Jeff Skinner of the Kitchener Rangers and Tyler Toffoli of the Ottawa 67’s both got on the scoreboard to help Team OHL to a 5-2 win over the Russian Selects in Game 3 of the SUBWAY Super Series on Thursday in Barrie.

Skinner opened the scoring on a powerplay midway through the first period and then added another powerplay marker late in the third period to pad the OHL lead.

“It was a lot of fun playing with all these great players,” Skinner said. “I was just happy to be here and was lucky to get the two goals.”

Despite having a terrific game, Skinner admitted that he was a bit nervous before the opening faceoff.

“There were some butterflies,” Skinner said. “But after a few shifts you sort of get the jitters out and get into the flow of the game. That really helps out a lot.”

Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors’ coach Dave Cameron was the coach for Team OHL and said that he wasn’t surprised to see some of his younger players have success in the game.

“You know they are all capable of stepping up,” said OHL coach Dave Cameron of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors. “What makes them real good hockey players is a lot of times the better the competition, the quicker they are to step up. It’s always nice to see the young guys do it.”

The Russians responded with a pair of goals early in the second period before Taylor Beck of the Guelph Storm tied the game midway through the game on a powerplay. Greg Nemisz of the Windsor Spitfires put the OHL ahead for good less than four minutes later. Toffoli rounded out the scoring with less than five minutes to go in the game.

“I thought it was typical of a game like this,” Cameron said. “I thought it was a real solid effort - a real honest effort and a good result.”

Peter Di Salvo of the Barrie Colts started the game and allowed two goals on 14 shots and then Michael Hutchinson of the London Knights came on midway through the game and turned aside all seven shots he faced.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)