The Shootout, the Erie Times-News' Otters blog, has a new platform that can be found at www.GoErie.com/blogs/shootout. But the blog can be found through the previous URL.

– Victor Fernandes

The Erie Times-News' live blog of Erie Otters' hockey won't be held this weekend. But it will return for the start of the OHL playoffs.

– Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters’ Jaroslav Janus was named CHL goaltender of the week, the league announced today.
Janus, 19, posted a 2-1-0-0 record, 1.32 goals-against average, .960 save percentage and one shutout in three games last week. He made 23 saves in a 3-1 win against Owen Sound on Wednesday, followed a 48-save performance in a 1-0 overtime win against Saginaw two nights later. He stopped 25-of-28 shots in a 4-2 loss to Kitchener on Saturday. Overall, he has a 24-20-3-0 record, 3.25 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and three shutouts this season.
Meanwhile, London forward John Tavares, 18, earned CHL player of the week honors. He had six goals and 10 points in three games. His hat trick against Windsor on Sunday broke the OHL’s career record of 213 goals, set by Ottawa’s Peter Lee from 1971-76. Tavares has 215 overall.

Erie Otters forward Andrew Yogan isn't expected to play in the final three regular-season games this weekend, Sherry Bassin, managing partner and general manager, said today.
Yogan's availability for the first round of the OHL playoffs, which begins as early as March 19, also remains in doubt, Bassin said. "He's not 100 percent," said Bassin, who was uncertain if Yogan would skate in practice this week. Last Thursday, Yogan said he hoped to skate this week and play this weekend. He could have skated in Thursday's practice, he said, but club officials wanted to give him another day or two of rest.
"We're just on bikes now," Bassin said of Yogan. "If he gets headaches after that, then it's a whole new process again." In other injury news, Bassin hasn't ruled out veteran winger Michael Liambas playing at some point during the playoffs.
"We're hoping," Bassin said. "We're on the edge of hoping it can happen."
Liambas has missed the entire season with a hip problem that was surgically repaired in December. He has begun participating in drills with the team. His progress in practice should determine the timetable for his return.
"We won't know until this week as to how he can deal with hard practices," Bassin said. "They're bringing him into it gradually. ... We're going to find out."

– Victor Fernandes

What: Erie Otters (32-28-3-1) at Kitchener Rangers (24-35-3-2)
When: Today, 2 p.m.
Where: Kitchener Memorial Auditorium – Kitchener, Ontario
On the air: WFNN-AM/1330, www.ottershockey.com (live stream)
Players to watch: Erie – C Ryan O’Reilly (15 goals, 46 assists, 61 points, 3 short-handed goals), C/RW Justin Hodgman (22-38-60), LW Brandon Biggers (24-34-58, 4 SHG), C Zack Torquato (27-29-56), RW Shawn Szydlowski (23-23-46); Kitchener – LW Chris MacKinnon (25-56-81), RW Jason Akeson (17-42-59), C Jeff Skinner (25-24-49), RW Tyler Randell (23-13-36, 10 power-play goals), D Robert Bortuzzo (0-14-14 in 19 games)
Fast facts: Erie – The Otters play the second game of a season-ending, three-game road trip. … The Otters (14-16-1-1) need wins in the final two games to finish .500 on the road – their first non-losing record since the 2001-02 championship season (21-13-0-0). … D Tyler Hostetter (undisclosed injury) won’t play tonight. … G Jaroslav Janus needs three wins to surpass the franchise’s single-season record for most wins by a goaltender (26), set by Adam Munro in 2000-01 and matched by Josh Disher in 2003-04. … Biggers has points in four straight games (two goals, four points). … The Otters have won five of six meetings vs. the Rangers with two games left in the season series. Kitchener – The defending league champion Rangers were eliminated from playoff contention with a 7-1 loss to London on Thursday. … They have lost five straight and eight of 10. … They have lost three straight at home. … MacKinnon is tied for third in the league in assists and eighth in points. … The Rangers have nearly as many wins on the road (11) as at home (13). … They are tied for 15th on the power play (16.8 percent) and 18th on the penalty kill (76.8).
Up next: at Guelph (Friday, 7:30 p.m.), vs. Kitchener (March 14, 7 p.m.)

SARNIA, Ontario – Jaroslav Janus handed the Erie Otters a chance to win. Brandon Biggers won it.
Behind Janus’ 48 saves and Biggers’ goal 1 minute, 56 seconds into overtime, the Otters posted an important 1-0 win against Sarnia in front of 3,424 at Sarnia Sports & Entertainment Centre Friday night.
With their second straight win, the Otters (32-28-3-1) moved within three points of the Sting (32-25-4-3) and Guelph in a battle for the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Otters are five points behind Plymouth and Saginaw, who are tied for third, and four points ahead of No. 8 Owen Sound.
Janus earned the No. 1 star in Erie’s latest win. He deserved it. He stopped all 48 shots in his third OHL shutout, including 20 shots in the second period and 16 more in the third.
He spearheaded a penalty kill that stymied all six of the Sting’s chances, including a 5-on-3 for 1:21 midway through the second. Meanwhile, Sting goaltender Dan Spence (40 saves) matched Janus shot for shot until Biggers scored off assists from Justin Hodgman and David Shields. Spence stopped 151-of-157 shots in four games against the Otters this season. He won the first three meetings. But this time, the Otters kept the Sting from completing the sweep of the four-game season series.
The Otters posted their first 1-0 win since beating Oshawa on Jan. 2, 2004, and the first 1-0 overtime win in the franchise’s 13-year history. They have played in only one other 1-0 overtime game – a loss to Sarnia on Nov. 22, 2002. The Otters have played eight 1-0 games in their history.

A rare occurrence
The Otters have played seven 1-0 games in franchise history:
March 6, 2009 – win vs. Sarnia
Jan. 2, 2004 – win vs. Oshawa
Dec. 15, 2002 – win vs. Toronto
Nov. 22, 2002 – OT loss vs. Sarnia
Jan. 31, 2001 – win vs. Plymouth
Oct. 24, 1998 – win vs. Sarnia
Dec. 19, 1997 – loss vs. Sarnia
Dec. 1, 1996 – loss vs. Barrie

SUMMARY

Otters 1, Sting 0 (OT)
Erie 0 0 0 1 — 1
Sarnia 0 0 0 0 — 0
1st Period — None. Penalties — Cazzola (E) hooking, 2:23; Cazzola (E) interference, 18:09.
2nd Period — None. Penalties — Stoughton (S) hooking, 4:04; Gazdic (E) delay of game, 6:52; Cianfrini (E) tripping, 13:48; O’Reilly (E) closing hand on puck, 14:27.
3rd Period — None. Penalties — Preisinger (S) elbowing, 6:07; Ferry (S) cross checking, 16:17; Erie, too many men (served by Hodgman), 17:18.
Overtime — 1. Erie, Brandon Biggers 24 (Hodgman, Shields), 1:56. Penalties — None.
Shots on goal — Erie, 10-8-20-3—41; Sarnia, 11-20-16-1—48.
Goaltenders — Erie, Jaroslav Janus 24-19-3-0 (48 shots, 48 saves); Sarnia, Dan Spence 26-18-4-2 (41 shots, 40 saves).
Power plays — Erie (0-3), Sarnia (0-6).
Referees — Mike Pearce, Ryan Carroll. Linesmen — Glenn Anderson, Sean Pindar.
Attendance — 3,424.

Three stars
* Jaroslav Janus, Otters (48 saves) ** Dan Spence, Sting (40 saves) *** Brandon Biggers, Otters (GW goal)

The Erie Otters have begun selling six-game ticket packages for the 2008-09 OHL playoffs – the club’s first trip to the postseason in four years. If purchased before the March 15 deadline, these packages will cost the same as regular-season ticket prices - $81 for Platinum-level seating, $69 for Gold level and $57 for children. If the Otters are eliminated before games three through six, unused tickets can be redeemed toward the purchase of 2009-10 season tickets, flex packages and individual game tickets in September and October, except for the home opener.
Meanwhile, individual tickets to Game 1 and Game 2 of the Otters’ Western Conference quarterfinal series begin selling at 10 a.m. Monday at the Erie Civic Center box office and all Erie-area Ticketmaster locations, through the club’s Web site at www.ottershockey.com or by calling (814) 452-4857.
Opening-round tickets cost $15 for Platinum seats, $13 for Gold seats and $11 for children ages 12 and under in either section. Current season-ticket holders who haven’t purchased a playoff package will have their seats held until 5:30 p.m. the day of the game. Season-ticket holders also can buy their season-ticket seats for $1 off the box office price by showing their 2008-09 identification cards. Additional seats can be purchased at the regular box office price.

What: Erie Otters (31-28-3-1) at Sarnia Sting (32-25-3-3)
When: Today, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Sarnia Sports & Entertainment Centre – Sarnia, Ontario
On the air: WFNN-AM/1330 (tape delay*), www.ottershockey.com (live stream)
Players to watch: Erie – C Ryan O’Reilly (15 goals, 46 assists, 61 points, 3 short-handed goals), C/RW Justin Hodgman (22-37-59), LW Brandon Biggers (23-34-57, 4 SHG), C Zack Torquato (27-29-56), RW Shawn Szydlowski (23-23-46); Sarnia – LW Justin DiBenedetto (43-46-88, 15 power-play goals, 4 SHG), C Jamie Arniel (31-34-65, 15 PPG), LW Matt Martin (33-29-61, 16 PPG), D Mark Katic (11-9-50), D Steve Ferry (7-28-35)
Fast facts: Erie – The Otters clinched their first OHL playoff spot since the 2004-05 season by snapping a three-game losing streak on Wednesday vs. Owen Sound. … The seventh-place Otters (66 points) trail No. 6 Sarnia by four points and No. 5 Guelph by five points. Plymouth and Saginaw, who are tied for third, are seven points ahead. No. 8 Owen Sound is two points behind. … With three wins in their final five games, the Otters would surpass their win total from the previous two seasons (33). … The Otters play the first of their final three road games of the regular season. … The Otters (13-16-1-1) need wins in all three games to finish .500 on the road – their first non-losing record since the 2001-02 championship season (21-13-0-0). … They have lost four of five and six of eight on the road. … D Tyler Hostetter (undisclosed injury) won’t play this weekend. … LW Andrew Yogan (concussion) hopes to begin skating next week and play next weekend. … G Jaroslav Janus needs three wins to equal the franchise’s single-season record for most wins by a goaltender (26), set by Adam Munro in 2000-01 and matched by Josh Disher in 2003-04. … Biggers has points in three straight games (one goal, three points). … Szydlowski snapped an eight-game, goal-scoring drought with a goal vs. Owen Sound. Sarnia – The Sting would sweep the four-game season series with a win. … Coach Dave MacQueen, who led the Otters from 1999-2006, has an 9-1 record vs. his old team. … DiBenedetto, Arniel and Martin have produced 107 of the team’s 205 goals. … The Sting join Brampton, Belleville and Windsor as the only teams with at least three 30-goal scorers. … DiBenedetto is third overall in goals and tied for second in points. … Combs also ranks among the top 20 in goals. … DiBenedetto, Arniel and Martin are in the top seven in power-play goals. … Rookie G Dan Spence has a 3-0 record, 1.66 goals-against average and .956 save percentage vs. the Otters.
Up next: at Kitchener (Saturday, 2 p.m.), at Guelph (March 13, 7:30 p.m.)
* Following Gannon University’s basketball game

Erie Otters forward Andrew Yogan (concussion) said he hopes to begin skating next week and play in the final three games of the regular season next weekend.
"I'm feeling good," he said today. "I'm excited to get ready and get back on the ice. I'll be getting on there pretty soon." For now, he continues getting in shape by riding a bike. He will add stair climbing and weighlifting to his workout regimen soon, he said.
"I want to make sure I'm in tip-top shape," he said. "I don't want to be injury prone when I get back out there. So I want to make sure I'm 100 percent before I get out there."
In other injury news, defenseman Tyler Hostetter (undisclosed injury) won't play this weekend, coach Robbie Ftorek said. Meanwhile, winger Michael Liambas (hip) skated briefly during today's practice - his first time on the ice since undergoing surgery in December.

– Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters have scratched defenseman Tyler Hostetter (undisclosed injury) for the fourth straight game. He joins forward Andrew Yogan (concussion), defenseman Robyn Sertic (concussion) and winger Michael Liambas (hip) on tonight's scratch list.
During the game, Hostetter said he unsure when he will rejoin the lineup.

– Victor Fernandes