The Lakeshore Canadiens needed overtime to beat the Essex 73s 3-2 in overtime Friday night at the Atlas Tube Centre.
The Canadiens have 37 points and are in second place, two points behind the Stobbs Division-leading 73s following what was hyped as a key division matchup.
The Canadiens started things off with a goal from Stephane Crevier at 3:24 in the first period. The score remained 1-0 Lakeshore until the first three minutes into the second period when Michael Vieira tied it up for the 73s. Essex took the lead before the end of the frame on a goal by William Stadder.
Lakeshore knotted the score once more at 57 seconds into the third period when Brandon Ireland lit the lamp.
The score remained tied at 2-2 until Connor Rosaasen scored the overtime winner for Lakeshore at just 61 seconds into extra time.
Erik Morneau had 23 saves in the net for the Canadiens, while Tyler Ryan stopped 25 shots for Essex.
Lakeshore travels to Wheatley Saturday while Essex visits Mooretown.
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The Dresden Kings scored four straight goals to start off an 8-1 victory over the Wallaceburg Lakers at the Lambton-Kent Memorial Centre.
The Kings are now in fourth place in the Stobbs Division with 32 points. The Lakers sit in last place with four points.
Dresden's first two goals accounted for the scoring in the first period. Geoffry VandenBoorn scored first on the power play, and Kevin Ritzer doubled the lead one minute before the first intermission.
The Kings added two more unanswered goals in the second period. Brady Hogg scored at 7:46 while Brantley Kuipers made it 4-0 Dresden 14 seconds later. Austin Bentley then got Wallaceburg on the board, but Dresden scored two more goals before the end of the frame, with Ritzer's second of the night followed by one for Spencer Preece.
Brodie Conlon then scored two straight goals for the Kings in the third period.
Cody Hitchcock stopped all 18 Wallaceburg shots in goal for Dresden except one. Travis Moore had 35 saves for the Lakers.
Wallaceburg heads to Wheatley on Monday night, while Dresden visits Essex on Tuesday.