With nine regulars out of the lineup, mainly due to injury, the Sarnia Sting still made a game of it in London Saturday night, losing 5-3.
Once again goaltender Taylor Dupuis gave his team a chance to win.
London took a 2-0 lead on goals by Cliff Pu and Aaron Berisha in the first period but it could have been worse with the Knights outshooting Sarnia 19-6.
Sting head coach Trevor Letowski.
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The Sting got on the board about five minutes into the second period when Davis Brown, while laying on the ice in front of the London goal, was able to sweep the puck past Michael Giugovaz for his 15th of the season.
London went ahead 3-1 on the power play early in the third but defenseman Jakob Chychrun, taking a shift at forward to bolster the depleted Sting roster, tipped a point shot into the net for the 10th goal of his rookie campaign.
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Defenseman Jeff King returned to the lineup from injury and played up front with the likes of Pavel Zacha and Nikita Korostelev not dressed. Defenseman Kevin Spinozzi was also a late scratch.
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The Sting was 0 for 5 on the power play.
Christian Dvorak put the Knights up 4-2 with a wrist shot to the top corner and Mitch Marner hit the empty net to make it 5-2.
Marner, the OHL scoring leader, had a goal and two assists.
Trade deadline acquisition Anthony Salinitri got the Sting's third goal in the last minute on a pretty backhand to the top corner, making the final score 5-3. It was his second goal in as many games.
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Chase Campbell recorded his first OHL point, assisting on Brown's goal.
London outshot Sarnia 40-33 and has beaten the Sting in all four meetings so far this year.
Sarnia (22-16-3-2) falls back into fifth place in the Western Conference, two points behind Guelph who came from behind to beat the Spirit in Saginaw 5-4 Saturday.
The Sting is back in London next Friday and then has a home and home with the Spitfires, in Sarnia Saturday and at Windsor Sunday evening.
Listen to all the action on 103.9 FM, 1070 AM, CHOK.
