Tyler Ryan stopped all 32 shots thrown at him for the Essex 73s as they shut out the Flags in Mooretown 3-0 in Game 2 of their PJHL playoff series.
Essex now has a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round playoff series.
The first period of Game 2 was scoreless, though both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play. The 73s' Cody Leeming found himself with a game misconduct for cross checking and goaltender interference.
An unsuccessful penalty shot in the second period from Essex's Michael Vieira kept the game without a score. That changed when Eric Shaw's shorthanded goal at 9:44 gave Essex a 1-0 lead. Matthew Rosati's goal at 13:42 doubled the 73s lead and sent the teams to the locker room for the second intermission with a 2-0 Essex lead.
Shaw struck again in the third period with a goal at 14:24.
Jake Wilkins had 22 saves in goal for Mooretown. Game 3 of the series is Tuesday night in Essex.
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Chris Playfair got a hat trick as the LaSalle Vipers shut out the Predators in Lambton Shores 6-0 in junior B hockey.
The Vipers solidify their first place standing in the Western Conference with 71 points. The Predators are last with 18 points.
Manny Silverio scored the only first period goal on either side. The goal came at 11:22 and put the Vipers up 1-0. The two teams exchanged an unsuccessful power play in the opening frame.
The score remained 1-0 until well into the second period. Playfair doubled the Vipers' lead at 15:49 in the second period, and just ten seconds after that, Silverio struck again with his seond goal of the night to make it 3-0 LaSalle at the second intermission.
The Vipers scored three more goals in the final period. Cale Allen made the score 4-0 at exactly ten minutes in the stanza. Playfair completed his hat trick with two straight goals to end the game, the first at 13:32, the second just 39 seconds later.
Dershahn Stewart turned away all 33 Predators shots in goal for LaSalle, while Tynan Lauziere had 48 saves for Lambton Shores.
The Vipers host St. Thomas Wednesday night while the Predators welcome the Chatham Maroons next Saturday night.
