PLYMOUTH, Mich. - Stefan Noesen had two goals and an assist as the Plymouth Whalers blanked the visiting Owen Sound Attack 5-0 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action.
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped all 19 shots he faced in Game 5 for the Whalers, who lead the best-of-seven second-round matchup 3-2.
The 17-year-old goaltender bounced back from being pulled in a Game 4 loss in which he allowed four goals on 19 shots in 24 minutes of game time.
Mitchell Heard also scored twice for Plymouth while Tom Wilson added a single goal.
Daniel Catenacci was a team-worst minus-3 for the Attack and picked up three minor penalties, the first one leading to the game's second goal late in the first period.
Owen Sound's Jordan Binnington took the loss after allowing five goals on 20 shots in 23 minutes of action. Brandon Hope replaced Binnington early in the second period and stopped all 23 shots against.
Noesen opened the scoring 6:41 into the game and Wilson and Heard sored 16 seconds apart late in the first to give Plymouth a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.
Noesen made it a four-goal advantage 1:33 into the second and Heard scored just over two minutes later, which led to Binnington being pulled for Hope.
The Whalers went 1 for 7 on the power play while the Attack failed to score on either of their chances with the man advantage.
Plymouth has an opportunity to wrap up the series on Sunday when Owen Sound hosts Game 6 at Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. The winner of the series will meet the London Knights in the Western Conference final.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.