Owen Sound Attack – I don’t think anyone expected the Attack to start the season with 8 wins and 1 loss to post up second in the OHL after the fourth weekend of the season. After making a couple big trades with the Niagara IceDogs, the team seems to have all the pieces they need to be legit competitors. Attack captain Garret Wilson leads the OHL with 12 goals in just nine games, while the new additions of Andrew Shaw, Matt Petgrave and Andrew Fritsch all sit in the top ten for scoring on the Attack roster. Let’s not forget the fact that Joey Hishon has only played two games, where he has added 2 goals and 3 assists, and Jesse Blacker remains a solid addition on the back end. Goaltender Scott Stajcer has won all seven games he has played in, while backup tender Jordan Binnington is 1-1. For the amount of games played, Owen Sound is the hottest team in the OHL right now.
Saginaw Spirit – Although the Spirit have the overall points lead with 17 to Owen Sound’s 16, Saginaw has played 11 games while OS has played just 9. However, the Spirit were expected to be a team to compete with this season, and they have lived up to, if not exceeded those expectations by starting the season with an 8-2-1-0 record. With a solid depth of contributors, and a successful goaltending pairing, Saginaw has the potential to be a top contending team in the OHL, and as of right now, they are.
Niagara IceDogs – With a new coaching staff, a handful of new players, and a new attitude, the IceDogs have proven without a reasonable doubt that they are one of the best teams in the OHL. Ryan Strome has been on an insane point streak the lapped over from the pre-season to lead all OHL players in points with 20, while also racking up 17 PIM. Let’s not forget the incredible depth of scoring the Dogs have from both the front and back end, with Andrew Agozzino, Alex Friesen, and Freddie Hamilton all in the OHL’s Top 20 scorers, while Dougie Hamilton, Jesse Graham, and Simon Gronvaldt provide some help from the blue line. Last but certainly not least comes sophomore goaltender John Chartrand, who has been filling in for starting goalie Mark Visentin, who is nursing a minor injury day to day. Chartrand has led his team to their past five wins, and has been a key component to the Dogs recent success. Niagara could easily continue their winning streak and move up in the rankings in weeks to come.
Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors – The Majors were projected to be the top team in the OHL prior to the start of the season, and they very well could still be that team. They currently sit in second place in the Central Division, but have played just eight games and still managed to pick up 14 points with a 7-1-0-0 record. This team has all the tools needed to be a top competitor in the OHL. Look for Mississauga to break north in the Eastern Conference Standings over the next few weeks.
Brampton Battalion – The fifth place was a tough one. Could have easily went to many teams including London, Kitchener, Ottawa… However, the Battalion lost a lot this season, but have managed to put together a solid team that shows a lot of promise. With 42 goals for and 33 goals against, this team is well rounded both offensively and defensively. With four players reaching the 10 point mark, and two rookies trailing close behind both with 8 points, this young, underrated team has proven they are one of the OHL’s hottest throughout the first few weeks of the OHL season.
Comments :
Post a Comment