Last place on Halloween? That’s a scary thought.
The Sarnia Sting didn’t expect to wake up Saturday in the OHL’s Western Conference cellar. Not after remaking the roster in the off-season and getting off to a strong start and building the league’s best power play.
Yet, after three straight playoff-less seasons, they have the conference’s worst points percentage following Friday’s 4-3 loss to the Erie Otters.
The Sting (6-9-0-1) have lost three in a row and seven of eight after failing to protect a 3-1 lead in front of 3,046 fans at Progressive Auto Sales Arena.
“It’s not crazy to say we’ve been playing some good hockey lately,” Sting forward Jack Van Volsen said. “We’ve just got to find a way at one of these games.”
Parker Holmes had two goals for the Sting and Chase Gaughan scored one.
Sarnia Sting goalie Kale Osipenko (31) makes a save on Erie Otters’ Liam Beamish (91) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone/Postmedia Network)
The Otters’ comeback began at 14:28 of the second period when Ulysses Lombardi scored with six Erie skaters on the ice. Officials didn’t notice, but the Sting did. Head coach Mathieu Turcotte gave the crew an earful as he left the ice after the game.
The Sting gave up their fifth breakaway goal in the last three games when Michael Dec drew the Otters even in the third period at 6:47.
“We were just a little too careless,” Sting captain Alessandro Di Iorio said about the third period. “We had momentum pretty much the whole game and a guy gets a breakaway behind us and our momentum goes away. I think we’ve got to be more aware.”
Ex-Sting forward Kase Kamzik scored the winner with 1:31 left in the regulation. His shot from the bottom of the left circle rang off the right post and past netminder Kale Osipenko.
“Nine times out of 10 we win that game if we play the same way,” Di Iorio said.
Sarnia Sting’s Chase Gaughan (71) battles Erie Otters’ Julius Saari (6) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone/Postmedia Network)
The Sting have allowed at least four goals in eight consecutive games since posting back-to-back shutouts against the Oshawa Generals.
“We’re focusing a lot on our D zone the last couple weeks,” said Van Volsen, who had two assists. “It’s gotten better, but literally we’ve just got to find a way to win some games here. We’re in pretty much every single one.”
They’ve been tied or ahead in the third period in their last four defeats.
Friday’s loss kicked off a five-game homestand. Next is a Sunday matinee with the Flint Firebirds.
“We’ve been on the road a bunch, so being at home is nice,” Di Iorio said. “(We) get some practices in. We’ve got to string a few wins together here.
“Like Vanner said, we’ve been in pretty much every game. We’ve just got to find a way at the end of the games to close them out.”
Sarnia Sting’s Parker Holmes (53) battles Erie Otters’ Tristen Trevino (10) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone/Postmedia Network)
One bright spot was the first career two-game for Holmes, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect known more for his physicality than his scoring.
He’s had the chance to play a bigger offensive role this season after being acquired from the Brantford Bulldogs. His four even-strength goals are tied with Easton Walos and Simon Katolicky for the team lead.
“He gets to the dirty areas,” Di Iorio said. “He took one off the chin on the bench and goes back out there to score. That’s the kind of player he is. He works really hard in practice and in games. Lucky to have him.”
The Sting have the OHL’s best power play with a 33.8 per cent success rate, but they didn’t have a single power play Friday.
“We can’t really control that,” Di Iorio said. “It’s what the refs called, but I think we played a pretty good game five-on-five today. You can’t always rely on your power play to win games. We’ve got to find a way five-on-five.”
NOTES: Osipenko made 24 saves. Otters goalie David Egorov made 25. . . . Walos and Cole Emerton saw their nine-game point streaks snapped. . . . The Sting gave a welcome-back announcement to centre Liam Beamish during a first-period stoppage. He was traded to Erie in the off-season. . . . Recently acquired defenceman Liam Spencer wasn’t in the Sting’s lineup, so defenceman Landon Pickersgill was called up from the Leamington Flyers. . . . Also gone from the blue-line was Adrian Sgro, who’s at the U17 World Challenge in Oakville. . . . The Sting’s power play is five percentage points better than the second-best Sudbury Wolves (28.8 per cent). That’s the same amount separating the Wolves from the 10th-best Otters (23.8 per cent).
Sarnia Sting’s Cameron Aucoin (6) battles Erie Otters’ Kase Kamzik (34) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone/Postmedia Network)
Sarnia Sting’s Dracen Campbell (18) pokes the puck away from Erie Otters’ Michael Dec (25) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone/Postmedia Network)
Mark Malone has covered sports for The Chatham Daily News since 1999 and for The Sarnia Observer since 2017.
mmalone@postmedia.com