The Erie Otters, on a third period goal by Connor McDavid, edged the Sting 6-5 before a loud playoff crowd of 4,500 at the RBC Centre Sunday night.
The Otters take a 2-1 series lead in the best of 7 OHL Western Conference quarterfinal with game four in Sarnia Tuesday night.
Feeding off the near capacity crowd, the Sting jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Stephen Pierog and Pavel Zacha and led 2-1 after the first period.
The high powered Otters offense erupted for four goals in the first six minutes of the second, including one on the power play and another shorthanded.
The game's first star, Jake Marchment scored three times in the middle frame with OHL scoring champion Dylan Strome getting the other. Strome had two goals and was named third star.
Alex Renaud got one back for the Sting to make it 5-3 after 40 minutes.
The Sting came out re-energized in the third,scoring twice early to tie the game at 5. Former Otter Hayden Hodgson's power play goal was followed less than a minute later by Troy Lajeunesse's first of the playoffs.
Rookie forward Jordan Kyrou, the second star of the game, had two assists for a total of five helpers now in three games.
After a careless icing, McDavid, the consensus number one pick in this year's NHL entry draft, got loose off the ensuing face-off and deftly stick-handled his way across the crease, sliding the puck past Taylor Dupuis' outstretched pad.
The Sting pressed for the game tying goal but were unable to beat Devin Williams in the Erie net.
The Otters outshot Sarnia 37-27.
Defenseman Jakob Chychrun has yet to make his playoff debut for the Sting due to what's believed to be a nagging shoulder injury.
The Sting will try to even the series in game four at the RBC Centre Tuesday night.
Listen to all the action on 103.9 FM, 1070 AM, CHOK.
