What is #FreeFarwell? And more importantly WHY!?!

BY: Brandon Sudeyko

            I guess it is only fair to warn you all that I am clearly biased. I am biased of players teams coaches broadcasters and analysts. The truth is so are you. You have your favourites and you have the people you love to hare and the people you flat out will not give the time of day. And I understand that as ‘media’ I am to be objectionable and unbiased and give everyone a fair opportunity. And that is what I do. You have the opportunity to be liked or hated by me. To sound like a genius or sound like a moron. Everyone has that opportunity. It is nothing new. I guess where I get ragged on is the fact that I ‘play favourites’ with my radio show or my twitter account. Fair enough. I respect those opinions and I disagree. When I fight with KIT fans for example it is as a London Knights fan. Not as the IN THE O… guy. The only thing I have done as the IN THE O… guy which should raise ire of people is the #FreeFarwell Campaign.

            I believe I am… in fact I know I am the creator and architect of this campaign. If you search #FreeFarwell in twitter I am clearly posting the first hashtag. The question I get from many is what is it? what are we freeing farwell from? Doesn’t he do the radio broadcasts though? Well I will tell you what it is and you an decide to be apart of the #FreeFarwell campaign or not.

            The campaign was started just recently not even a week ago I believe where I got entirely fed up with the TV broadcasts of the Kitchener Rangers on RogersTV. As people I am sure Gary Hahn and Andrew Macklin are great people but as Broadcasters for television I am disgusted. My biggest pet peeve is calling players by the wrong name. that is a no no . seriously. You have tons of time to prepare and you either are ignorant or you don’t know the difference between 6 and 8 as in 16 Garrett Meurs and 18 Alex Aleardi of the Plymouth Whalers. Which according to Gary are interchangeable. GET THE PLAYERS CORRECT!

            But I digress a bit. Rogers apparently thought Mike Farwell and Torch were not the combination that could lead a Rangers broadcast well Gary Hahn and Andrew Macklin are failing. Poorly. So starting the #freeFarwell campaign is a way to show my displeasure. And apparently I was not alone. Many people feel the same way including one suggestion to simulcast Don and Mike on both 570News and the RogersTV broadcast.

            So there you go. Everyone who has supported this campaign from the beginning feels the same way as I do. To those who supported and didn’t know why. Now you know. And to those who want to continue the support to bring back Mike Farweel to the TV broadcast keep those #freeFarwell tags coming. All support is appreciated and hopefully someone will listen. Remember it is Community TV and if the Community wants it, the community should get it.

            To all those people, from rangers fans, to media, to teams, to people on twitter, I know I can speak for Mike Farwell when I say, ‘thank you for all the support very appreciated’

            And as this is the final day of the #FreeFarwell campaign, OFFICIALLY, you can still support with signs, t-shirts, face paint etc at Game 5 tomorrow in KITCHENER. Make noise be heard and Support #freeFarwell

And to those haters who believe I am jealous beause I am not on tv. Search the March14th blog to see my first television broadcast. If I can do it… any idiot can do it. But not everyone can perfect it like Farwell. 

GAME DAY PREVIEW: Sudbury Wolves (7) @ Ottawa 67’s (2) – Game 4

BY: Kathryn Jean


Radio: 580 CFRA (Ottawa), 95.5 KFM (Sudbury).
TV: Rogers 22 (Ottawa), EastLinkTV (Sudbury)
Sudbury leads series 3-0
An unlikely hero, Josh McFadden scored three times including the game tying goal with 16.6 seconds left in the extra frame to lead the Sudbury Wolves to a 5-4 defeat of the favoured Ottawa 67’s.  It was easily the 67’s best game of the series, but the Wolves were able to capitalize on their chances as the 67’s ran into some penalty trouble in the final period.
The Ottawa 67’s return home for their first actual home game at the RONA Centre in this series.  Game 1 was played at a neutral Scotiabank Place site in Kanata, Ontario due to a scheduling conflict at the RONA Centre.  The 67’s may be down 3-0 in the opening round vs the Sudbury Wolves, but they can look to their regular season home record for some hope.  The 67’s were unstoppable at home posting a 25-5-4, good for third best in the league.
It might not look good right now for the 67’s, but they have some stats on their side.  The 67’s longest losing streak of the season was only 4 games and happened once when Ottawa was in the middle of a 6-game road swing back in the end of February.  They went on to win 5 straight games and 9 games undefeated in regulation.  Meanwhile, the Wolves have only been able to string together a 4 game winning streak once this season which happened back at the beginning of February.
While it’s not common for teams to comeback from being down 3-0, it is not impossible.  Just last season the Windsor Spitfires rallied from a 3-0 deficit to the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL Western final. The Spitfires went on win the J Ross Robertson Cup (OHL title) and Memorial Cup.
Keys to the game for both teams would be to come out of the gate early.  The Wolves will look to silence a boisterous Ottawa crowd while the 67’s will look to get an early lead to build off momentum.  The Wolves will need to continue to capitalize on their chances, while the 67’s need to stay out of the box.  While the Wolves PP has not been as good in the playoffs, they were still ranked #1 in the league during the regular season and have managed to capitalize on them in clutch moments in the game.
Though 6 points in 3 games is nothing to scoff at, Tyler Toffoli and the 67’s big guns need to step up.  The top line has only managed to combine for a total of 10 points and Shane Prince has yet to record a point in his two games so far.
They may be down, but they are not out.  As Dalton Smith tweeted, “In shock. But still believing. Its a huge hill to climb. Let's take it one step at a time.”  And that’s what the 67’s will have to do – take it one game at a time.

HEAD-TO-HEAD
Ottawa 4 @ Sudbury 5 (Mar 29 2011) Final OT
Ottawa 3 @ Sudbury 5 (Mar 28 2011) Final
Sudbury 8 @ Ottawa 7 (Mar 26 2011) Final OT
LINEUP CHANGES
Ottawa 67’s
Nicholas Foglia, flu, day-to-day **expected to return for game 4
Tyler Graovac, fractured arm, indefinite
Travis Gibbons, lower body, indefinite
Jon Carnevale, concussion, IR
Cosimo Fontana, concussion, IR
Sudbury Wolves
Cody Mintz (scratch in games 1-3)
Jeff Corbett (scratch in games 1-3)
Alex Racino (scratch in games 1-3)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ottawa 67’s
Tyler Toffoli – 3 goals, 6 points in 3 games
Thomas Nesbitt – 2 goals, 5 points in 3 games
Ryan Martindale – 3 goals, 4 points in 3 games
Sean Monahan – 2 goals, 4 points in 3 games
Sudbury Wolves
Michael Sgarbossa – 2 goals, 10 points in 3 games
Andrey Kuchin – 5 goals, 8 points in 3 games
Joshua Leivo – 3 goals, 8 points in 3 games
NHL DRAFT PICKS
Ottawa 67’s
Tyler Toffoli (Los Angeles Kings round 2, #47 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Ryan Martindale (Edmonton Oilers round 3, #61 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Dalton Smith (Columbus Blue Jackets round 2, #34 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Petr Mrazek (Detroit Red Wings round 5, #141 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Eligible 2011: Shane Prince (35th in CS’ North American Skaters midterm ranking)
Sudbury Wolves
Marcus Foligno (Buffalo Sabres round 4, #104 overall, 2009 NHL Entry Draft)
Eric O’Dell (Anaheim Ducks round 2, #39 overall, 2008 NHL Entry Draft)
SCHEDULE

Game 5: Sat., April 2 at Ottawa 2:00 *if necessary
Game 6: Mon., April 4 at Sudbury 7:30 *if necessary
Game 7: Tues., April 5 at Ottawa 7:00 *if necessary

In the O Fight of the Night: Jarred Tinordi vs Andrew Shaw

Andrew Shaw is a beauty... At 5'11'', he gives up a great deal of size to Tinordi, who stands at 6'6''. Shaw isn't new to this type of battle though as he mainly fights players that are much bigger than him. Tinordi definitely lands more punches here, but that's much easier when Shaw's helmet is off and Tinordi's is on. Shaw cautiously throwing punches and a few that land, but pretty even fight and Shawsie gets the crowd going as usual. Good ol' fashion tilly.

GAME DAY PREVIEW - Game 3: Ottawa 67’s @ Sudbury Wolves

GAME DAY PREVIEW:  Game 3: Ottawa 67’s @ Sudbury Wolves – 7:30pm

By: KATHRYN JEAN 

Radio: 580 CFRA (Ottawa), 95.5 KFM (Sudbury).
TV: Rogers 22 (Ottawa)

Sudbury leads series 2-0

If you told most people that the Sudbury Wolves would be up 2-0 going into game 3 of this series, most people wouldn’t believe you.  Game 1 was a bit of a mess on both sides, but Sudbury capitalized on their home ice advantage in game 2.  The Wolves top line of Scarbossa, Kuchin and Leivo have combined for a total of 24 points in 2 games and are dominate every time the step on the ice.

The Sudbury Wolves have done a great job of getting to the puck first and jumping on opportunities they get.  It wasn’t only a lot of saves that Petr Mrazek made, but a lot of quality scoring chances he stood on his head for.  Without Mrazek, the game could have easily been a blowout for the Wolves.

The 67’s admitted to taking the Wolves too lightly.  This isn’t the same team they saw at the beginning of the season.  The Wolves excelled from out of a playoff position into a playoff position in the second half of the season.  You could also look at the 67’s team as one that may have a bit of trouble getting use to 5 new players in the lineup that are fresh off sitting out due to injury.  The loss of veteran leader and solid defenceman Travis Gibbons has definitely hurt them a lot.

The Wolves have used their speed and skill to get past Ottawa in game 2 and the 67’s have caught themselves playing a chasing game.  The 67’s have fallen right into the game play of the Wolves, instead, they need to focus on their game and how to force Sudbury to follow.

This is a crucial game for the Ottawa 67’s.  No one wants to be down 3-0 approaching a possible elimination game on home ice… not to mention a 3 game deficit is much harder to overcome than a 2 game deficit.  The 67’s will need an early good start in game 3 to try to shift momentum the opposite way.  

Head-to-Head

Ottawa 3 @ Sudbury 5 (Mar 28 2011) Final
Sudbury 8 @ Ottawa 7 (Mar 26 2011) Final OT

LINEUP CHANGES

Ottawa 67’s
Tyler Graovac, fractured arm, indefinite
Travis Gibbons, lower body, indefinite
Jon Carnevale, concussion, IR
Cosimo Fontana, concussion, IR

Sudbury Wolves

Cody Mintz (scratch in game 1 & 2)

Jeff Corbett (scratch in game 1 & 2)

Alex Racino (scratch in game 1 & 2)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ottawa 67’s
Tyler Toffoli – 3 goals, 6 points in 2 games
Thomas Nesbitt – 2 goals, 4 points in 2 games
Ryan Martindale – 0 goals, 3 points in 2 games

Sean Monahan – 1 goal, 3 points in 2 games

Sudbury Wolves
Michael Sgarbossa – 2 goals, 9 points in 2 games
Andrey Kuchin – 5 goals, 8 points in 2 games
Joshua Leivo – 3 goals, 7 points in 2 games

NHL DRAFT PICKS

Ottawa 67’s
Tyler Toffoli (Los Angeles Kings round 2, #47 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Ryan Martindale (Edmonton Oilers round 3, #61 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Dalton Smith (Columbus Blue Jackets round 2, #34 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Petr Mrazek (Detroit Red Wings round 5, #141 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Eligible 2011: Shane Prince (35th in CS’ North American Skaters midterm ranking)

Sudbury Wolves

Marcus Foligno (Buffalo Sabres round 4, #104 overall, 2009 NHL Entry Draft)
Eric O’Dell (Anaheim Ducks round 2, #39 overall, 2008 NHL Entry Draft)

SCHEDULE

Game 4: Thurs., March 31 at Ottawa 7:00
Game 5: Sat., April 2 at Ottawa 2:00 *
Game 6: Mon., April 4 at Sudbury 7:30 *
Game 7: Tues., April 5 at Ottawa 7:00 *

Mrazek fed to the Wolves in 5-3 loss

BY: KATHRYN JEAN

SUDBURY – Andrey Kuchin had a pair of goals and an assist to lead the Sudbury Wolves to 5-3 victory over the Ottawa 67’s. The Wolves top line continues to dominate tallying a combined total of 24 points in 2 games.

The story of the game was not Kuchin and his linemates, but rather the stellar play of Ottawa netminder Petr Mrazek. After allowing 7 goals on 28 shots in game one, Mrazek bounced back with an outstanding performance stopping 48 of 53 shots fired his way in a losing effort. Mrazek kept his team in the game giving them a chance to win, without him, the score would have been much more lopsided for the Wolved.

Mike Lomas got the first goal of the game at the 10:02 minute mark of the first period just as the powerplay expired. Michael Scarbossa found Lomas out front as he shot the puck from the top of the faceoff circle and beat Mrazek high stick side. With less than a minute left in the opening period, Dalton Smith threaded a pass to Sean Monahan who was left alone on the door step and flipped the puck past Alain Valiquette to even up the score.

The Wolves outshot the 67’s 17-6 in the opening frame and continued to dominate the play in the second. With Julian Luciani in the box, Andrey Kuchin got his first of the game after deflecting a strange angled pass from Frank Corrado. Despite being outshot 33-13 after 40 minutes, the 67’s managed to keep a 2-2 tie thanks to a Josh McFadden turnover that led to a Tyler Toffoli’s shorthanded goal with 10 seconds remaining in the period.

In the third period, Scarbossa gave the Wolves the lead by finding open ice and letting go a quick wrist shot that finds its way behind Mrazek. Just over a minute later Charlie Dodero gets awarded with a penalty shot after being tripped up on a breakaway. Dodero goes high stick side on Mrazek to get the Wolves an insurance goal. The 67’s tried to rally after Marc Zanetti scored the team’s second short-handed goal of the game, but that’s all they could manage as Andrey Kuchin scored his second of the game late to seal the deal for the Wolves.

Game 3 is tomorrow in Sudbury at 7:30pm. It is a must game win game for the 67’s as they could see themselves going down 3-0 when the game returns to Ottawa on Thursday night for game 4.

67’s look to bounce back after heartbreaking OT loss

BY: Kathryn Jean

SUDBURY – The Ottawa 67’s fell to the Sudbury Wolves 8-7 during the extra frame in game 1 action at Scotiabank Place Saturday afternoon. 

Andrev Kuchin led the way with 3 goals, 2 assists and a +7 rating.  Close behind was linemate Josh Leivo who also had 3 goals, 2 assists but a +6 rating.  The Wolves line (also including Michael Sgarbossa) combined for a total of 16 points on the afternoon.  Ryan Martindale was stellar for the 67’s also scoring a hat trick in the losing cause.  Tyler Toffoli (4 points) and Thomas Nesbitt (3 points) added a pair of goals each.

The 67’s enjoyed a day off yesterday to help recover from bumps and bruises.  Dalton Smith was speared in opening seconds of the first period by Sudbury captain, Marcus Foligno.  Later in the first period Eric O’Dell received a game misconduct after receiving a boarding call from hitting Tyler Toffoli.

Game 1 saw the return of Cody Lindsay, Thomas Nesbitt, Steven Janes and Julian Luciani to the 67’s lineup.   The 67’s top line received good news as Shane Prince made the trip to Sudbury and is expected to suit up in game 2. 

Being down 1-0 in the series, the 67’s realize the importance of game 2.  Due to scheduling conflicts, the series now shifts to Sudbury for games 2 and 3 on back-to-back nights – Monday and Tuesday.  If they capitalize on home ice advantage, the Wolves could go up 3-0 and return to Ottawa for games 4 & 5 if necessary.  Puck drops at 7:30pm.  Tonight’s game will set the tone for the rest of the series.

LINEUP CHANGES

OTT: Shane Prince, concussion & whiplash, day-to-day (expected to return)
OTT: Tyler Graovac, fractured arm, indefinite
OTT: Travis Gibbons, lower body, indefinite
OTT: Jon Carnevale, concussion, IR
OTT: Cosimo Fontana, concussion, IR
SBY: unknown changes

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Leading scorers

OTT: Tyler Toffoli– 57 goals, 108 points
OTT: Shane Prince– 25 goals, 88 points
OTT: Ryan Martindale– 34 goals, 83 points
SBY: Michael Sgarbossa– 36 goals, 82 points
SBY: Josh McFadden– 19 goals, 72 points
SBY: Marcus Foligno– 23 goals, 59 points

NHL Picks
OTT: Tyler Toffoli (Los Angeles Kings round 2, #47 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
OTT: Ryan Martindale (Edmonton Oilers round 3, #61 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
OTT: Dalton Smith (Columbus Blue Jackets round 2, #34 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
OTT: Petr Mrazek (Detroit Red Wings round 5, #141 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
OTT: Eligible 2011: Shane Prince (35th in CS’ North American Skaters midterm ranking)
SBY: Marcus Foligno (Buffalo Sabres round 4, #104 overall, 2009 NHL Entry Draft)
SBY: Eric O’Dell (Anaheim Ducks round 2, #39 overall, 2008 NHL Entry Draft)
SBY: Ben Chiarot (Atlanta Thrashers round 4, #120 overall, 2009 NHL Entry Draft)

Weekend Recap: West much tighter than the East

With 17-games completed in the first round of the 2011 OHL playoffs, it seems that the Western Conference has a much tighter race than the Eastern Conference.

Three of the four Western series are tied at one game a piece as follows:
Owen Sound Attack, 1 - London Knights, 1
Saginaw Spirit, 1 - Guelph Storm, 1
Windsor Spitfires, 1 - Erie Otters, 1

The only uneven series in the West is the Kitchener/Plymouth battle, as the Whalers have a 2-0 series lead with home and road victories against the Rangers. Many thought Kitchener would be the favourites in this match-up, but if I recall correctly, our own Brandon Sudeyko had Plymouth winning the series; looks like his prediction is solid thus far, but it ain't over until it's over.

The Eastern Conference, on the other hand, seems to be much more lopsided. Three of the four match-ups have the favoured powerhouse teams with a concise series lead. The only upset so far is the Sudbury Wolves' 1-0 series lead over the Ottawa 67's. The game between the two teams was as close as it gets as the Wolves took an 8-7 win over the 67's in the high-scoring thriller. Sudbury currently leads our In the O Poll (scroll down, right side) as the underdog team who will be the biggest surprise in the post-season, and I also had thought the Wolves would be a dangerous team to face in the playoffs.

The rest of the battles go along with what many predicted prior to the start of the playoffs:
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, 3 - Belleville Bulls, 0
Niagara IceDogs, 2 - Brampton Battalion, 0
Oshawa Generals, 3 - Kingston Frontenacs, 0 

The only question now is will the teams with a 3-0 series lead complete the sweep.

The remaining games this week are as follows (not including the if necessary games):

Eastern Conference:
Game 2 - Mon Mar 28 7:30 PM Ottawa at Sudbury
Game 3 - Tue Mar 29 7:00 PM Brampton at Niagara
Game 4 - Tue Mar 29 7:00 PM Oshawa at Kingston
Game 4 - Tue Mar 29 7:05 PM Mississauga at Belleville
Game 3 - Tue Mar 29 7:30 PM Ottawa at Sudbury
Game 4 - Thu Mar 31 7:00 PM Sudbury at Ottawa
Game 4 - Thu Mar 31 7:00 PM Niagara at Brampton


Western Conference: 
Game 3 - Mon Mar 28 7:00 PM Plymouth at Kitchener
Game 3 - Mon Mar 28 7:05 PM Erie at Windsor
Game 3 - Mon Mar 28 7:11 PM Guelph at Saginaw
Game 3 - Tue Mar 29 7:00 PM London at Owen Sound
Game 4 - Wed Mar 30 7:00 PM Windsor at Erie
Game 4 - Wed Mar 30 7:05 PM Kitchener at Plymouth
Game 4 - Thu Mar 31 7:00 PM Owen Sound at London
Game 4 - Thu Mar 31 7:00 PM Saginaw at Guelph
Game 5 - Sat Apr 2 7:11 PM Guelph at Saginaw
Game 5 - Sat Apr 2 7:30 PM London at Owen Sound
Game 5 - Fri Apr 1 7:05 PM Erie at Windsor


Look for the first round to last longer in the Western Conference, but many teams in the East still have a chance to bounce back. 
Click here for expanded playoff brackets.

US Invasion?

BY: BRANDON SUDEYKO

So this caught my Eye… and I am not sure if this is something that has happened before in the first round… I will investigate afterwards… why do research right?

So the way that I predicted the playoffs in the western conference this could be the worst Western Semi Finals in history… not because it is bad hockey. But geographically speaking. It could really end up being Owen Sound, Plymouth, Erie and Saginaw in the Semis… Weird isn’t it. Where’s the London Guelph Kitchener and Windsor… oh… yeah… they would have lost.

So it would be Owen Sound and Plymouth in one series and Erie and Saginaw in the other… here it the problem out of the entire western confrence playoffs there would only be up to 4 games available to watch in Canada. That would be 4 home games for Owen Sound. Now I have already said that it is a shame that Canadians can not watch the hockey the American home games because it is great hockey to watch. Erie is high power offence that people who love Washington Capitals hockey will enjoy. The Whalers play like the Philadelphia Flyers while the Saginaw Spirit play like… well themselves… I don’t have an NHL team affiliate type team for their style. But great goaltending big tough forwards with skill and a D Corps that can rival any team??? Detroit??? Maybe.

But it is very  weird that you will have a conference semi finals dominated by the US teams and one without the usual 4 suspects.

Ok now that I have done some research… the last time all US franchises have been in the Western Semis… would be the 2001 playoffs where it was Plymouth and Erie I the Western Finals… but there was no Saginaw that season and Brampton was in the west because Toronto was in the east with Northbay… man it is so scary going back so far. SO yes this could be the First time the 3 US based franchises could be in the Conference Semis together and with a non traditional Ontario based powerhouse franchise joining them in the four some… very odd. But a great sign that this parity thing kinda exists… at least in one half of the league.

What is an Upset?

BY: BRANDON SUDEYKO

Here is a question I really have to pose because I am not sure if people understand the concept of an ‘upset’ or maybe I am looking to argue. That without a doubt is one reason I am writing this but here it goes.

Last night (Saturday) I was in Bellevegas to watch the Bulls host the Majors in Game 2 of their series. In a vehicle with the HAZEFM.CA/MTSR.CA Majors radio crew.

I was nestled in the back seat listening to the older gents talk OHL and found what was said interesting. A definitely new way of looking at the same issue from people who have followed the Jr. game longer than I have… heck their individual broadcasting careers are longer than my age. So I do have respect and time for them. On the ride found out that Sudbury beat Ottawa in overtime 8-7 and it was mentioned that it was an upset… I kinda coiffed an eyebrow at that and listened to them speak some more on issues around the league as the radio was locked out due to anti theft procedures and an incorrect code in the owners manual. Got to the game in Belleville and watched the bulls lose, but they put up an amazing effort in the game. And then found out some other scores from around the league.

Windsor beat erie in double OT. Plymouth beat Kit in OT and London beat OS in … regulation. But everyone was throwing around the UPSET word to freely. Like when I use PUCK BUNNY. People I am not 100% serious everytime I use it in a tweet. But this Upset word… please. Use it with caution. Just because a 5 defeats a 4 doesn’t mean that it is an upset.

Also we are talking about one game. It is really this simple. One game does not a series make. Agreed?

London evening the series at 1 with Owen Sound is expected. It really is. Why? Because it is LONDON. Even if they are not suppose to win the series you can not count them out of being competitive. No I am not saying that LONDON will defeat the Attack. I positive, without double checking, I said Owen Sound in 7. That means London will win at least 3 games. so just because the 1^st seed in a conference does not sweep the 8^th it does not make it an upset. The same goes for KIT and PLY. A 3 and  matchup. It can not be an upset just because PLY won 2 straight. This is junior hockey. We have seen teams come back from 3-0 deficits and win the series in 7. Hello, Windsor Spitfires? Just last year… against the Rangers… just had to rub that salt in the wounds lol.

But really people the one thing about the west I have said, and I am sure every single ‘expert’ on JR hockey has said this year is THE WESTERN CONFERENCE IS MORE OPEN THAN… ok maybe that is stretching it too far but we all call it the wild wild west. And this proves it. 

Now in the east, well the only thing that they are talking about as ‘upset’ in the east is SBY and OTT. 2 points here. If you were ever watching Sudbury you know that they are a very hot team going into the playoffs who got off to almost as bad a start as Erie in the West. SO Sudbury did have potential, when healthy, to be a possible 3 or 4 seed. But they did not get healthy until January when… surprise surprise they really turned their season around and took off.  So why does this shock people? Because it is 2 versus 7? Ok I can see that argument but if you watched these teams a lil closer you would see that the only upsets in the East would be Bulls over Majors Battalion over IceDogs and Fronts over Oshawa. Oh and the other point here about SBY and OTT it was in OT. Anything can happen. If it was in regulation I would put a lil more stock into the word upset. But in OT. It doesn’t matter because it is sudden death. A bad bounce here. A clear clips off the refs skate, interference doesn’t get called. So many other factors that aren’t the same in the initial 60 minute frame.

So please someone enlighten me on why you use this UPSET word. Please. I am open minded and would like to hear the reasoning and rationale. I really would. But like I said only 3 of these 8 could be upsets and those three series are all… but over right now.

SERIES PREVIEW: Ottawa 67’s (1) vs Sudbury Wolves (7)

BY: Kathryn Jean

Radio: Team 1200 (Ottawa), 95.5 KFM (Sudbury).
TV: Rogers 22 (Ottawa)

The last time these two teams met, the Ottawa 67’s easily cruised past the Sudbury Wolves to a 7-3 victory.  Tyler Toffoli was the player of the game as he put on a 5-point performance including 4 straight Ottawa goals and adding an assist on another.  The Ottawa 67’s were only playing with 15 forwards and for the second straight game, lost a player for the game in the early moments of the first period.  Veteran leader Travis Gibbons caught a slapshot to the face and as broke his ankle as he fell to the ice.  Gibbons had surgery early this week and a timeline is not determined.

Perhaps the 67’s won too easily.  Don’t be surprised to see a much closer series than the regular season series has indicated.  The first time these two teams met was back in September in the second game of the season.  Ottawa skated to a 4-2 win, but the teams both had a much different make up.  In the second and final regular season meeting, the playoff round matchups were already determined.  One can argue that the teams were taking it easy – though the players and staff would disagree.

The Wolves are one of the more improved teams in the league since the second half of the season.  In the first half of the season they were only able to mustard up 8 wins in 25 games, however since after Christmas break, the Wolves have been over .500 with help from veteran leaders Marcus Foligno and Eric O’Dell.

The 67’s boast one of the best top lines in the entire OHL (Prince, Toffoli & Martindale) combining for 116 goals and 279 points.  That being said, Shane Prince has been sidelined with a head injury and is hopeful to return for game 2.  The 67’s have missed 3 of their top 5 scorers for the last couple of games including Prince, Thomas Nesbitt (knee) and Cody Lindsay (jaw).  The 67’s will welcome back both Nesbitt and Lindsay to the lineup this afternoon.  Also expected to return is Steven Janes who scored two goals vs the Wolves in the 4-2 win back in September.

Some would tell you that Petr Mrazek has been the MVP for the Ottawa 67’s over the last season.  He leads the league in the save percentage category with 0.920 making timely saves in the clutch moments of the game.  After being sidelined for several games with a groin injury, the 67’s called upon Shayne Campbell to fill in his duties.  Campbell played on his head while facing some of the top teams in the league.

The Wolves are led by Captain Marcus Foligno who appeared in the World Juniors tournament earlier in the season and is drafted by the Buffalo Sabres.  The undrafted Michael Sgarbossa has emerged this season after being traded from the Saginaw Spirit.  Since the trade he has 62 points in 37 games including a plus/minus rating of +16 on a bottom feeder team.  Another Wolves player having a career year is defenceman, Josh McFadden who has 72 points in 67 games.  Out of those 72 points, 44 of them come on the powerplay.

The Sudbury Wolves have the top powerplay in the OHL with Michael Sgarbossa leading the way netting 15 on the season.  Meanwhile, the 67’s will try to counter that as being the least disciplined team and having the top 4 penalty kill in the OHL.

Head-to-head

Sudbury 3 @ Ottawa 7 (Mar 20 2011) Final
Ottawa 4 @ Sudbury 2 (Sep 25 2010) Final

Ottawa 67’s

44-19-3-2, 93 points
2nd Eastern Conference
HOME:  24-5-3-1

Leading scorers

Tyler Toffoli – 57 goals, 108 points
Shane Prince – 25 goals, 88 points
Ryan Martindale – 34 goals, 83 points

Top Performers vs Wolves

Tyler Toffoli – 5 goals, 7 points in 2 games

Sean Monahan – 1 goal, 3 points in 2 games

Ryan Martindale – 0 goals, 3 points in 2 games

NHL Picks
Tyler Toffoli (Los Angeles Kings round 2, #47 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Ryan Martindale (Edmonton Oilers round 3, #61 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Dalton Smith (Columbus Blue Jackets round 2, #34 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Petr Mrazek (Detroit Red Wings round 5, #141 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)
Eligible 2011:  Shane Prince (35th in CS’ North American Skaters midterm ranking)

Lineup changes
Thomas Nesbitt, knee, week-to-week   **expected to return to line-up this afternoon

Cody Lindsay, jaw, day-to-day    **expected to return to line-up this afternoon

Julian Luciani, upper body, day-to-day   **expected to return to line-up this afternoon

Steven Janes, shoulder, day-to- day   **expected to return to line-up this afternoon
Shane Prince, concussion & whiplash, day-to-day

Tyler Graovac, fractured arm, indefinite

Travis Gibbons, lower body, indefinite
Jon Carnevale, concussion, IR
Cosimo Fontana, concussion, IR

Sudbury Wolves

29-35-2-2, 62 points
7th Eastern Conference
AWAY:  13-19-1-1

Leading scorers
Michael Sgarbossa – 36 goals, 82 points
Josh McFadden – 19 goals, 72 points
Marcus Foligno – 23 goals, 59 points

Top performers vs 67’s
Josh McFadden – 2 goals, 3 points in 1 game
Michael Sgarbossa – 1 goal, 2 points in 1 game

Marcus Foligno – 0 goals, 2 points in 1 game

NHL Draft Picks
Marcus Foligno  (Buffalo Sabres round 4, #104 overall, 2009 NHL Entry Draft)
Eric O’Dell (Anaheim Ducks round 2, #39 overall, 2008 NHL Entry Draft)
Ben Chiarot (Atlanta Thrashers round 4, #120 overall, 2009 NHL Entry Draft)

Lineup changes
Unknown

In the O Fight of the Night: Carter Sandlak vs Chris DeSousa

OHL Playoff Breakdown – Western Conference

OHL Playoff Breakdown – Western Conference - Explained

By: Brandon Sudeyko

So a few days ago I put it out there all the possible matchups that could happen for the OHL playoffs. I also listed based on the matchups what I would think that could happen in terms of winners and losers and how many games. What I didn't give you is a reasoning why Plymouth could score an upset, or why Windsor doesn’t stand a chance... Well now it is explained.

(1) Owen Sound Attack vs. (8) London Knights – OS in 6

It is the big bad number one seed going up against the lonely 8 seed. And this is a case where it isn’t a lonely 8 seed who will be disposed of quickly. The London Knights are definitely a surprise team to be here in the playoffs considering that the team was complete sellers at the deadline and managed to continue winning. After trading away Erlich, DeSousa and D’Orazio 3 top guys on the team… they went on a 6 game winning streak. Coupled that with the fact that Michael Houser feels he gets no respect in the league and that it is his draft year, this London team is running off of heart and Soul. On the flip side is the team no one wishes to respect. Don’t know what it is but the feeling of belonging at the top and saying the phrase ‘powerhouse Owen Sound Attack’ doesn’t sit easy. Even after 68 Games. They are number one in the west and we need to realize this. Everyone is familiar with Wilson and Hishon as they have been near the top of league scoring all season. But no one gives them credit. Their goaltending has stood up far better than anyone has ever imagined and they will turn heads because simply… they are hungry for the Wins. The Knights will push them but this is not much of a contest.

(2) Saginaw Spirit vs. (7) Guelph Storm – SAG in 5

Even though the Spirit went 13-17 since the trade deadline the team still has too much firepower. And there was also injuries. Everyteam does get injuries but when 2 of your top 6 is out with nagging upper or lower body things can get tough. But the team is healthy now and the anemic fashion of the Guelph Storm puts no doubt in my mind that this will be easier than the previous series I discussed. The top 4 on Guelph is hard to stop. There is no possible way to stop Holland, Latta, Beck and now Panik. But facing them is a previous member of the 4 Stormmen Matt Sisca. Not that his knowledge can throw off Guelphs big 4. But alongside him is Jordan Szwarz, Josh Shalla, John McFarland Brandon Saad Vincent Trocheck and Ivan Telegin… A top 6 that has 7 players… Scary. On the backend the advantage in the unspectacular but tries his heart out award in the crease goes to Mavric Parks who… face it is not as good as his stats suggest but this man does go balls to the wall every single game and I will never question his desire to win. Simply put the Spirit will come out firing and a blaze of glory to show everyone what happened after the trade deadline was a fluke.

(3) Kitchener Rangers vs. (6) Plymouth Whalers – PLY in 6

Without even giving a reason why I have gotten so much flack for this pick. People have been tweeting me telling me why I am wrong… I haven’t even posted a reason. But here it is. I am a big proponent of the Mental aspect of this game. Specifically at this level. A prime example is Jason Akeson signing his NHL Entry level contract and then buring out after being on a white hot streak. Yes streaks are suppose to end but not go cold turkey. Compile that with the fact that Kitchener enters on a 7 game skid and the Whalers defeated the Rangers in the historic Aud. There are a lot of mental hurdles for Kitchener to climb. The Goaltending I believe washes out. Maxwell and Wedgewood is even, maybe a slight nod to Wedge of PLY while Morrison and Mahalak is also a wash but maybe a slight nod to Morrison. The other argument I received is that KIT had too many injuries to 3^rd and 4^th line guys… Ok I see that response and raise you the fact that Matt Mahalak beat Brandon Maxwell as PLY rested their starter and Rickard Rakell was also out for the PLY. Thus negating the complaints that Rangers were missing players. Look folks, as much as I am still a closet Knights fan and would still kill to see the Rangers fall at any given moment, this series is going to be awesome. And like I have in the past… I am not afraid to admit that I am wrong. This is why it is called a prediction. You can not fault me for having my own opinion and explaining why.  But please feel free to tweet the heck out of me and tell me I am dumb. Great Players. Great Teams. Great Series.

(4) Windsor Spitfires vs. (5) Erie Otters – Erie in 6

I said if Erie had home ice it would be 5 and now I say Erie on road is in 6. This gives Jack Campbell an opportunity to harness his power from when he is wearing a USA Jersey… maybe he should wear one underneath. Or sew the logo under the Spits… in any event this year Windsor does not have the same fire power while the Otters are now dripping with it. McKegg, Thompson, Szydlowski, Varone, Yogan and even timely Appio goals will be tough to stop. Ryan Ellis will have to play 40 minutes a game… wait he does… Ok so that could be neutralized right there. But I still say that USA Junior Jack is not showing up for this dance and we will see Ramis Sadikov continue his insane season. My Otters concern is the blueline corps. Name me a player back there… I’m waiting… see it is a bit disconcerning but then again they have been doing a good job all year. Erie’s transition game makes Charlie Sheen jealous… yeah that # slogan thing he has… not the blood one the opposite of Losing… Yes I still refuse to use it.

Not the most analytical or scientific reasoning for why these teams will win they way they willl. But then again if you are a fan of the OHL you don’t need me to explain why these teams will win. You just want to know why I am crazy when I say Plymouth in 6. 

MAR 20/11 Belleville @ Brampton Game Review

BY: Brandon Sudeyko

Maybe the title should be this... Mar 20/11 Game Review- Belleville Bulls and Brampton Battalion a.k.a. What the heck is Stan Butler doing?

            So as per my Sunday afternoon ritual I stop into the Powerade centre to see what the small commotion is about. On this particular day it happens to be an eventful day. Not only because it was Fan Appreciation day sponsored by someone I do not want to promote where they were giving out, ‘terrible towels’ for the fans but because the game meant something.

            It is at this point of the season I want two things and two things only. The entire playoff picture to be settled so I can write something about it, conversely I want the games to mean something too. Yes I am bipolar in my thinking. What can I say? I like a good argument.

Today was the later in Brampton where the game had a lot of implications not only for these two teams but for 2 others as well. Hanging in the balance of the final score was the fate of the Kingston Frontenacs and the fate of the Peterborough Petes. Both the Battalion and the Frontenacs have clinched a playoff spot but could flip flop in the standings. A Brampton win would give them 5^th spot and they would face Oshawa where the Niagara IceDogs would await the 6^th seed which in this scenario would be the Frontenacs. While at the same time a Belleville win in regulation would give them a playoff berth where a overtime or shootout loss would give them a 2 point cushion on Peterborough for the 8^th and final spot. A Regulation loss for the Bulls would mean the world to the Petes in their game later on today against the 4^th seed Oshawa Generals. A Bulls regulation loss would mean the petes would need 2 points to get into the playoffs or a single point to send both Belleville and Peterborough to a tie break Tuesday night. Are you confused yet?

            Well here may be the most confusing part. While I am sitting in the media room awaiting the lineup for the game the buzz is circulating that Brampton controls their own fate and that they should come out guns a blazing because a matchup with Oshawa is much better for them.  I can agree with the general consensus on that one. Even though they did blank the IceDogs the last time they came to Brampton, Niagara was missing Friesen, Archibald, Theoret and Strome from their lineup. But the feeling is, Brampton matches better with Oshawa as Cameron Wind and Marcus McIvor can do an effective job shutting down Christian Thomas.

            And then here comes the magic man who writes down the lineup, first the Belleville side of the ledger where a shock to most is that Luke Judson is not in the lineup. Unknown to most as to why, but I didn’t feel the need to let anyone know why he was out of the lineup. Then the Brampton side gets written and once the man started with the third line you realized that 3^rd liners were playing 2^nd and the captain was missing. And then Michael Santini was out… and then Matej Machovsky was starting in net… now the collective mood in the media room turned into anger and disgust as many were hoping to see Oshawa in the Bunker come playoff time but now, they are assuredly going to see Niagara. Talking to many people through out the building and no one could understand it. Why was Stephon Thorne and Michael Santini out of the lineup? Why was 3 1994 birthdates brought in for this game? What was Stan Butler thinking?

The game ended and the final had Belleville winning 3-2 and crushing Peterborough’s hopes for a playoff birth. And thus setting up Brampton with a date against Niagara for at least 2 home games and 2 road games a they stay in 6^th place while the Kingston Frontenacs will get to play the Oshawa Generals in the first round in a 5 and 4 matchup.

            The only logic I can think of behind this is that the Battalion brass believe one of two things: they can beat Niagara instead of Oshawa or it is because they can make some good money with Niagara. And let us not kid ourselves here. Playoffs are all money makers even in Jr hockey. So why not try and squeeze out some more dough from patrons.  The average attendance to the Bunker this year was 1885 people. On average the building is only 40% (1885) filled. That’s right it holds 4800 for hockey and it is less than half full 34 dates out of the year. Niagara visited Brampton 3 times this year and their average attendance was 1940 while Oshawa visited twice with an average attendance of 1828 for their two games in Brampton. Not big enough increases to agree with me eh… Well how about this. Niagara sells out basically all 34 of their home games and they have to deny walk up patrons… not to mention the team travels well, especially in the GTA. Now you are in a playoff intensified atmosphere where you want your team to beat this one team badly… I believe that the 3000 fans that go to every single Niagara IceDogs game will travel up the QEW for at least 2 games in Brampton. So how good does 4500 people in the building look? Not to mention beer, concession and other sales around the building? How much does that influence the pocket book of the Brampton Battalion.

            Personally I really hope someone reads this and says that it is the city who benefits or someone else and they probe me wrong about this theory. But I am convinced that the Stan Butler was looking at the bottom line instead of the matchup on the ice. Bold words, yes I know. And particularly at a man who is one of the most underrated coaches in this league. But definitely he got this matchup wrong.

Niagara has Strome, Aggozino, Friesen, Shipley, Pacan, Archibald, and Freddie Hamilton on the front lines to go up against… Phil Lane Scott Tanski and Barclay Goodrow? While the back end of Graham, Mercer, Dougie Hamilton, Gronvaldt and Rover go up againt Cameron Wind and 3 Rookies (Marcus McIvor, Dylan Blujus and Spencer Abraham) And Is it even a contest in net when you have Visentin vs St. Jacques… Love em both but you know who I am taking.

            Matchup wise this is a bad decision one I am sure some players may agree with me about… maybe not. Maybe they don’t care… the point is someone messed up and this would have to fall on the head of the head coach Stan Butler. And if the Battalion fall then the GM Should deal with him… wait he is the GM too… nevermind. He is just making the GM happy. *sigh*

OHL Playoff Breakdown - Eastern Conference

OHL Playoff Breakdown – Eastern Conference - Explained

By: Brandon Sudeyko

So a few days ago I put it out there all the possible matchups that could happen for the OHL playoffs. I also listed based on the matchups what I would think that could happen in terms of winners and losers and how many games. What I didn't give you is a reasoning why Ottawa will fall in 7 games. Or why Oshawa will take out anyone they face... Well now it is explained.

(1) Mississauga St. Michaels Majors vs. (8) Belleville Bulls – MIS in 5

Is this even up for debate? I believe that no one believes Belleville can actually win this.  I am pretty confident that Belleville believes that they are toast. 

So why do I say MIS in 5 and not 4. What does Belleville have to lose. The pressure here is on Mississauga to get rid of Belleville as soon as possible. They are memorial cup hosts who need to prove that they truly belong as the Hosts of the prestigious event. So all that top level talent that is on the team needs to step up in this first round to shutdown the Belleville Bulls. The only problem is with all the pressure on Mississauga. I expect a 2-1 overtime victory for the Bulls sometime in the series as Subban or Teichmann stand on their heads to pull out a victory. That will probably be on Belleville ice. But if the Bulls can pull out a home split in Mississauga. Expect the flood gates to open up. 

(2) Ottawa 67’s vs. (7) Sudbury Wolves – SBY in 7

there is no question that Sudbury is one of the most dangerous and underrated teams in the OHL. On any given day they can definitely beat any team in the East or the West. The Addidtions of Michael Sgarbossa and Michael McDonald offensively. The blueline emergence of Josh McFadden alongside the mainstays of Marcus Foligno, Eric O’Dell, Mike Lomas, and Alain Valiquette. This core of players infused with the youth that is willing to do whatever it takes can overcome the coaching deficiency that is Tret Cull. On the other hand you have this mega power Ottawa 67’s team. Toffoli, Prince, Martindale, Smith, Nesbitt and Lindsay are an amazing top 6. Their back end has solidified itself huge around Petr Mrazek. The big problem is that I believe Sudbury can be a more physical team and even though Mrazek has the better numbers than Valliquette does. There is also an issue of 67’s injuries. And their injuries lie on the back end and the bottom 6 forwards. This can be huge for the 2 games in Sudbury were Cull can match up how he likes.  I will more than likely be wrong about this outcome but I am confident it goes at least 6 and then anything can happen and I can look like a genius.

(3) Niagara IceDogs vs. (6) Brampton Battalion – NIA in 7

This will come as a surprise to most because I have been a big supporter of the IceDogs this season but what is always lost is the fact that the team is built for next season. But that doesn’t mean they can not make a lengthy run. There is too much offensive talent for the Battalion to handle. They can limit most of NIA’s chances because their D corps is one of the best. With Cameron Wind anchoring 4 rookies on the blueline expect the scoring to be down while St. Jacques plays some of their best hockey. Physically this can be very evenly matched so Brampton will have to remember one thing. The last time they played NIA and shut them out at the Bunker. The icedogs were without Strome, Friesen and Archibald. A total of 238 points out of the lineup. Will they stop Strome, Aggozino, Friesen, Archibald, F.Hamilton, Pacan, Shipley, Wilson and Theoret… not all on the same night. And don’t get me started on Niagara’s D.

(4) Oshawa Generals vs. (5) Kingston Frontenacs – OSH in 7

This series can be the most exciting. Not because they will be great games featuring tremendous D and amazing Goal Scoring with tremendous saves from the goalies. But because this series will be the definition of Gong Show. There is so much hatred between these two teams that it will not be an epic series. Will Oshawa win? No doubt. Will it be a very physical series considering these two teams history with penalties and suspensions? Yep. In the end will Christian Thomas and the Generals 3 Top Prospects send Erik Gudbranson and the Frontenacs to the golf course… you betcha. But then again I believe at this point… any team against the Frontenacs will be able to take them out with any trouble. 

Not the most analytical or scientific reasoning for why these teams will win they way they willl. But then again if you are a fan of the OHL you don’t need me to explain why these teams will win. You just want to know why I am crazy when I say Sudbury in 7 and MIS in 5. 

Toffoli shines in 67’s playoff preview vs Wolves

Toffoli shines in 67’s playoff preview vs Wolves

Tyler Toffoli scored 4 goals and added an assist to help the 67’s cruise to a 7-3 victory over the Sudbury Wolves.  It looked as if Toffoli was on a mission.  With one game remaining in the regular season, he found himself 2 points behind in the scoring leaders.  After tonight’s game, Toffoli finished with 108 points which was good for sharing the title of top scorer in the OHL with Kitchener’s Jason Akeson.  

As a first round playoff preview, both teams came out ready to play.  Taylor Fielding netted his first OHL career goal on a partial breakaway to open the scoring.  Later in the first period, Travis Gibbons took a puck to the face after it deflected off of a slapshot.  He fell down awkwardly from the impact and ended up having to be helped off the ice as he favoured his right leg.  Gibbons did not return to the game and was sent to be stitched up and get x-rays done.

Just as Remy Giftopolous came of the box to end a Wolves 5-on-3 powerplay, Josh McFadden sends in a floater from the point that deflected off something and in past Petr Mrazek to tie up the game

Early in the second period, the 67’s regained the lead with help from Sean Monahan.  After making a nice move coming off the wing, he roofs it up top and in for his 20th of the season.  Brett Gustavsen added an insurance goal after beating Brendan O’Neill burying his own rebound. The back to back action continued as Michael Sgarbossa slid a rebound in past Mrazek to bring the Wolves within one.  Tyler Toffoli added two goals before the end of the period to allow the 67’s to head to the dressing room with a satisfying 5-2 lead.

To give Mrazek a rest, the 67’s got Shayne Campbell to take over goal duties as the third period began.  He stopped all but one of the 7 shots fired his way.  Toffoli added his hattrick goal just 52 seconds into the period.  At the 4:38 mark, Justin Sefton scored a shorthanded goal to cut the 67’s lead in half.  Toffoli rounded out the scoring with one final goal to finish his 4 tally’s on the night.

These two teams will face off again on Saturday, March 26^th back in Ottawa.  The playoff opener will be played at Scotiabank Place due to a scheduling conflict at the RONA Centre.  

Game notes:

Toffoli and Akeson will both be awarded with the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (Top Scorer) and the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy (Top Scoring RWer) … Remy Giftopoulos was called up to help the depleted Ottawa lineup.  His Junior A team (Gloucester Rangers) is currently awaiting round 2 of their own playoffs to start … The 67’s were forced to play with 14 players once Gibbons went down with an injury.

GAME DAY PREVIEW: Sudbury Wolves @ Ottawa 67’s

GAME DAY PREVIEW:  Sudbury Wolves @ Ottawa 67’s

Radio: Team 1200 (Ottawa), 95.5 KFM (Sudbury).

TV: Rogers 22 (Ottawa)

It’s a first round preview this afternoon at the RONA Centre.  The host, Ottawa 67’s are coming off a high after edging the Oshawa Generals by a score of 4-3 in regulation to clinch the Eastern Division title for the second straight year.  Petr Mrazek made his return to the lineup after being sidelined with a groin injury. He turned aside 29 of 32 shots while Dalton Smith had a goal and added 2 assists.

The Sudbury Wolves roll into town off a 6-3 victory over the Belleville Bulls.  Michael Sgarbossa had a goal and 2 assists to lead the way.  Jacob Riley had a busy night stopping 35 of 38 shots fired his way.

Sudbury will face Ottawa for on the 2nd (and final time) of the regular season.  The last time these two teams met was all the way back on September 25th in Sudbury where the 67’s skated to a 4-2 win.  Steven Janes had pair of goals while Cody Lindsay and Tyler Toffoli both added a goal and an assist.  The teams were much different that early in the season, so there is no guaranteeing anything.  Jake Cardwell makes his first return to face his former team since being traded to the 67’s on November 12th.  Ryan Hanes also makes his first return to Ottawa after being the other half of that trade.

Head-to-head

Ottawa 4 @ Sudbury 2 (Sep 25 2010) Final

Ottawa 67’s

43-19-3-2, 91 points

2nd Eastern Conference

HOME:  23-5-3-1

Leading scorers

Tyler Toffoli – 53 goals, 103 points

Shane Prince – 25 goals, 88 points

Ryan Martindale – 34 goals, 81 points

Top performers vs Wolves

Steven Janes – 2 goals, 2 points in 1 game

Cody Lindsay – 1 goals, 2 points in 1 game

Tyler Toffoli – 1 goals, 2 points in 1 game

NHL Picks

Tyler Toffoli (Los Angeles Kings round 2, #47 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)

Ryan Martindale (Edmonton Oilers round 3, #61 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)

Dalton Smith (Columbus Blue Jackets round 2, #34 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)

Petr Mrazek (Detroit Red Wings round 5, #141 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)

Eligible 2011:  Shane Prince (35th in CS’ North American Skaters midterm ranking)

Lineup changes

Tyler Graovac, fractured arm, 4-5 weeks

Thomas Nesbitt, knee, week-to-week

Cody Lindsay, jaw, day-to-day

Shane Prince, concussion & whiplash,  week-to-week

Jon Carnevale, concussion, IR

Cosimo Fontana, concussion, IR

Julian Luciani, upper body, day-to-day

Steven Janes, shoulder, day-to-day

Sudbury Wolves

29-34-2-2, 62 points

7th Eastern Conference

AWAY:  13-18-1-1

Leading scorers

Michael Sgarbossa – 35 goals, 80 points

Josh McFadden – 18 goals, 71 points

Marcus Foligno – 23 goals, 57 points

Top performers vs 67’s

Josh McFadden – 1 goal, 2 points in 1 game

Kristoff Kontos – 1 goal, 1 point in 1 game

NHL Draft Picks

Marcus Foligno  (Buffalo Sabres round 4, #104 overall, 2009 NHL Entry Draft)

Eric O’Dell (Anaheim Ducks round 2, #39 overall, 2008 NHL Entry Draft)

Ben Chiarot (Atlanta Thrashers round 4, #120 overall, 2009 NHL Entry Draft)

John Mcfarland (Florida Panthers round 2, #33 overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft)

Lineup changes

Unknown

End of the OHL Season: One Down, Two to Go...

1 Down… 2 To Go 

By: Brandon Sudeyko

There are just 2 game nights left in the OHL regular season now. Or to be exact, one game night and one mid-afternoon day left in the OHL Regular Season now.

And with the close of Friday night action what do we now know??? 

Western Conference

In the west… we know really only one playoff matchup. Well two. But the other we don’t know who home is going to be. so here is an unsophisticated breakdown of the west right now…

What we do know is that the 3^rd seed KIT Rangers will play the PLY Whalers who are 6^th. The other thing we know is that Erie and Windsor will play each other but we do not know who is 4^th and who is 5^th.

SO as per the unsophisticated rules of the breakdown here is what I believe will happen in each Western Conference playoff scenario with no explanation.

(1) Owen Sound Attack vs. (8) London Knights – Owen Sound in 6 OR

(1) Owen Sound Attack vs. (8) Guelph Storm – Owen Sound in 5

(2) Saginaw Spirit vs. (7) London Knights – Saginaw in 7 OR

(2) Saginaw Spirit vs. (7) Guelph Storm – Saginaw in 5

(3) Kitchener Rangers vs. (6) Plymouth Whalers – Plymouth in 6

(4) Erie Otters vs. (5) Windsor Spitfires – Erie in 5 OR

(4) Windsor Spitfires vs. (5) Erie Otters – Erie in 6

That is the West…

Eastern Conference 

In the East… things are slightly easier right now. Ok it really isn’t the only thing is that you know who has Home Ice for the first round. So lets unscientifically breakdown all the possibilities.

(1) Mississauga Majors vs. (8) BEL Bulls/PBO Petes – Mississauga in 5

(2) Ottawa 67’s vs. (7) Sudbury Wolves – Sudbury in 7 OR

(2) Ottawa 67’s vs. (7) Brampton Battalion – Ottawa in 5

(3) Niagara IceDogs vs. (6) Brampton Battalion – Niagara in 7 OR

(3) Niagara IceDogs vs. (6) Sudbury Wolves – Niagara in 7 OR

(3) Niagara IceDogs vs. (6) Kingston Frontenacs – Niagara in 6

(4) Oshawa Generals vs. (5) Kingston Frontenacs – Oshawa in 7 OR

(4) Oshawa Generals vs. (5) Brampton Battalion – Oshawa in 5

and that is the east.

Still, nothing can be set in stone but those are my BS answers to who I think can win out of the first round. If you are asking why no explanation… can you not see how many scenarios there are… I will keep these and I will expand when each opponent is final. It will be up by Monday I promise… maybe Tuesday.

Game Review - 67's Clinch East Division With Win Over Generals

67’s clinch Eastern Division title

As always, special thanks to Kathryn Jean (twitter.com/msconduct) for the Game Preview.

Marc Zanetti scored the game-winner to clinch Ottawa the East Division title.
Photo courtesy Krista Windsor 

Marc Zanetti scored the eventual game winner at the 2:56 mark in the third period to give Ottawa a 4-3 lead over the division rival, Oshawa Generals.   Dalton Smith stole the spotlight after scoring a goal and adding two more helpers in the win.

The 67’s, who were already playing a short bench, suffered another loss early in the game forcing the 67’s to play with only 14 players.  Less than two minutes into the game Tyler Graovac suffered a fractured forearm after a collision with a Generals player.  Graovac was re-evaluated after the game and is expected to miss the next 5-6 weeks.

With Mark Petaccio in the box for elbowing, Dalton Smith got on the board first for the 67’s after he gained possession off a rebound from Jake Cardwell’s shot from the point.  The Generals responded a few minutes later after a turnover created an odd man rush. Mrazek made a great initial save but Boone Jenner was right there on the door step and made no mistake to snap it in. 

The 67’s found themselves killing off a long 5-on-3 man advantage halfway through the first period.  As the first penalty expired, Dalton Smith sent a nice outlet pass to Toffoli who drove the puck past Di Salvo on a bit of a breakaway.   Moments later, J.P. Lobardo tied the game up again after a scramble in front of the net.  After 40 minutes of play, the shot clock read 21 to 10 in favour of the 67’s.

 The game continued with back to back action as both teams took their turns scoring.  Early in the first period Ben Dubois helped retake the lead by deflecting the puck past Di Salvo off Cardwell’s on the powerplay.  Halfway through the second period, Ottawa native Calvin de Haan capitalized on their powerplay opportunity as his shot deflects off of defender Adam Sedlak and up over Mrazek.

Marc Zanetti became the hero of the game scoring after receiving a great pass from Toffoli and went upstairs on Di Salvo to score his first goal since returning from a lower body injury late last week.  The 67’s were able to hang on to edge the Generals after some glorious chances both ways.

Next game:

Saturday, March 19^th – Brampton Battalion @ Oshawa Generals, 7:05pm

Sunday, March 20^th – Sudbury Wolves @ Ottawa 67’s, 2pm

In the O BUMP! With Brandon Sudeyko - Part 3

Is It a Gift... or a Curse?… (Part 3)

By: Brandon Sudeyko

As mentioned in part one and part two... 

Over the past couple weeks during the now infamous, shootout, involving myself and Thayne Hallyburton there has been a specific comment brought up each and every week. The In The O… BUMP!

What started off as just a cool lil notch in the belt so to speak, may actually be a lot more. It could even in fact be a Curse as one recent player was sidelined due to injury. This got me thinking a bit and I will put it in your hands to Judge.

To decide whether there is an ITO Bump or not is basically judge by their stats. Maybe a player who never scores a goal got one? ITO Bump! Maybe a goaltender gets a shutout? ITO Bump! Or maybe the player gets suspended or injured… ok not so much a bump as a roadblock to success. 

SO here is the criteria that qualifies a player to be judged on whether or not they are a recipient of the ITO Bump

1.    Interviewed by myself, Brandon Sudeyko, and no one else from the ITO Staff

2.    Over the Phone Interview, no postgame, Top Prospect, Live interview etc.

3.    The period of time is 2 weeks from the interview date

It is as simple as that. So lets break it down.

January 16^th – End of the Season

Cody Lindsay, Ottawa 67’s – February 2^nd

6GP 2G 2A 4Pts +4 8PIM

Zack Kassian, Windsor Spitfires – February 2^nd

7GP 3G 5A 8Pts 9PIM 2PPG 2GWG

Scott Laughton, Oshawa Generals – February 8^th

7GP 1G 4A 5Pts+2 6PIM

Josh Shalla, Saginaw Spirit – February 9^th

5GP 2G 2A 4Pts +1 4PIM 1PPG

Derek Holden, Erie Otters – February 17^th

4GP 1G 1A 2Pts -3

Sean Jones, Kingston Frontenacs – February 23^rd

6GP 1A 1Pts -2 6PIM

Garrett Meurs, Plymouth Whalers – February 23^rd

6GP 5A 5Pts +1 7PIM

Scott Kosmachuk, Guelph Storm – February 24^th

6GP 1G 1A 2Pts +1

Franky Palazzese, Kingston Frontenacs – March 1^st

6GP 1-2-0-1 .906SV% 4.31GAA

Luke Judson, Belleville Bulls – March 3^rd

6GP 3G 4A 7Pts -7 1PPG

Matt Murray, Soo Greyhounds – March 10^th

1GP 0-1-0-0 .906SV% 3GAA

Jamie Doornbosch, Kitchener Rangers – March 10th

3GP 1A 1Pt -2

Steven Sanza, London Knights – March 10^th

2GP -4 2PIM

Brandon Archibald, Saginaw Spirit – March 15^th

1GP 

Mike Halmo, Owen Sound Attack – March 17^th

NO GAMES PLAYED YET

Christian Thomas, Oshawa Generals – March 17^th

NO GAMES PLAYED YET

This is the end of Part 2... up next... well the final part, so part 3.

Additional Notes for the OHL's Final Weekend

Things to watch for this weekend in the OHL

By: Brandon Sudeyko

Here are a few list of things to pay attention to this weekend. Some ‘milestones’ and plateaus for teams and players.

Goal Milestones

50 Goals

SAR Nail Yakupov – 48 with 2 Games left to play

ERI Greg McKegg – 47 with 1 Game left to play

SAG Josh Shalla – 46 with 2 Games left to play

40 Goals

OS Joey Hishon – 37 with 2 Games left to play

WSR Tom Kuhnhackl – 37 with 2 Games left to play

GUE Peter Holland – 37 with 2 Games left to play

KIT Gabriel Landeskog – 36 with 2 Games left to play

MIS Devante Smith-Pelly – 36 with 2 Games left to play

SAR Kale Kerbashian – 36 with 2 Games left to play

30 Goals

MIS Casey Cizikas – 29 with 2 Games left to play

ERI Anthony Luciani – 29 with 1 Game left to play

OSH Nicklas Jensen – 29 with 3 Games left to play

OSH Alain Berger – 29 with 3 Games left to play

OS Andrew Fritsch - 28 with 2 Games left to play

LDN Vladislav Namestnikov – 28 with 3 Games left to play

SSM Nick Cousins – 28 with 2 Games left to play

BEL Luke Judson – 28 with 2 Games left to play

Assist Milestones

75 Assists

WSR Ryan Ellis – 73 with 2 Games left to play

70 Assists

NIA Ryan Strome – 69 with 1 Game left to play

65 Assists

OTT Shane Prince – 63 with 2 Games left to play

55 assists

BAR Colin Behenna – 54 with 2 Games left to play

GUE Michael Latta – 54 with 2 Games left to play

GUE Taylor Beck  - 53 with 2 Games left to play

KIT Ryan Murphy – 53 with 2 Games left to play

Point Milestones

110 Points

KIT Jason Akeson – 106 with 2 Games left to play

105 Points

NIA Ryan Strome – 102 with 2 Games left to play

OTT Tyler Toffoli – 101 with 2 Games left to play

100 Points

SAR Nail Yakupov – 98 with 2 Games left to play

Goalie Wins

40 Wins

MIS JP Anderson – 38 with 2 Games left to play

30 Wins

NIA Mark Visentin - 29 with 1 Game left to play

LDN Michael Houser - 29 with 3 Games left to play

SAG Mavric Parks – 28 with 2 Games left to play

PLY Scott Wedgewood – 28 with 2 Games left to play

SBY Alain Valiquette – 27 with 3 Games left to play

Saves Club

1900 Saves

SBY Alain Valiquette – 1854 with 3 Games left to play (Need 46)

1800 Saves

OTT Petr Mrazek – 1784 with 2 Games left to play (Need 16)

ERI Ramis Sadikov – 1762 with 1 Game left to play (Need 38)

LDN Michael Houser – 1744 with 3 Games left to play (Need 56)

Shutouts

5 Shutouts

NIA Mark Visentin – 4 with 1 Game left to play

OTT Petr Mrazek – 4 with 2 Games left to play

Team Goals For Milestones

290 Goals For

Mississauga St. Michaels Majors – 281 with 2 Games left to play

280 Goals For

Owen Sound Attack – 272 with 2 Games left to play

Erie Otters – 277 with 1 Game left to play

Windsor Spitfires – 271 with 2 Games left to play

Team Penalty Minutes 

1400 Penalty Minutes

Oshawa Generals – 1391 with 3 Games left to play

1300 Penalty Minutes

Mississauga St. Michaels Majors – 1285 with 2 Games left to play

Saginaw Spirit – 1233 with 2 Games left to play

In the O Games of the Weekend - March 18

By: JEFF BLAY

Friday, March 18: 
Oshawa Generals (38-17-4-6) vs Ottawa 67's (42-19-3-2)
67's are first in the East Division while the Generals are just three points behind. Great test for both teams, and Oshawa still has a slight chance of taking over the 67's spot with a game in hand.

Kitchener Rangers (38-19-4-5) vs Plymouth Whalers (35-25-2-4)
Rangers are currently third in the Western Conference while the Whalers are sixth, meaning, if the playoffs started tomorrow, these two teams would be facing each other in the first round. A big game and another good test for both clubs.

Saturday, March 19: 
Belleville Bulls (20-42-0-4) vs Sudbury Wolves (27-34-2-2)
Bulls are still fighting for the 8th seed with Peterborough, while the Wolves are currently in the seventh place spot, but could still catch Brampton for sixth should they win all their remaining games, and Brampton loose all of theirs. Important game for both teams, but more important for Belleville.

Peterborough Petes (19-44-1-2) vs Barrie Colts (15-47-2-2)
The Colts could play the season-enders here against Peterborough, who must win the game if they want to continue to press for the eight seed in the Eastern Conference. Although both Peterborough and Belleville have games Sunday as well, these Saturday evening games will be their most important.

Owen Sound Attack (44-17-1-4) vs London Knights (32-38-4-1)
The Attack have clinched first in the Western Conference while the Knights currently sit in eighth place, meaning these two will likely be first round playoff opponents. However, with London having a game at hand and being just four points behind the seventh place Guelph Storm, the Knights could still squeeze into the seventh place spot with a successful weekend.

Sunday, March 20:
Ottawa 67's (42-19-3-2) vs Sudbury Wolves (27-34-2-2)
As of today, these two clubs are matched up as first round playoff opponents. The Wolves are a dangerous team despite their deceiving record, but Ottawa has the only season series lead with a 4-2 win in September. It's been a while since these two teams have faced each other, so this game is up for grabs.

Game Day Preview: Oshawa Generals @ Ottawa 67's, March 18

GAME DAY PREVIEW:  Oshawa Generals @ Ottawa 67’s

Courtesy @misconduct

It’s a big game for both clubs.  The Oshawa Generals roll into town coming off a 4 game winning streak – their latest victim was the Peterborough Petes by a score of 4-3 in a shootout.  Christian Thomas had a big two goal night including the game tying goal.  He also scored the first goal in the shootout ultimately leading to the victory.   Thomas’ two goal game moves him into the OHL leading goal scorer, two ahead of Ottawa 67’s forward, Tyler Toffoli.

The Ottawa 67’s are coming off two disappointing overtime losses with the most recent being against the league’s top team, the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.  Justin Shugg scored a pair of goals including the overtime winner 34 seconds in to edge the 67’s 3-2.  Sean Monahan continued his hot streak with a goal and an assist in a losing effort.  Tyler Toffoli had two assists which gave him his 100th & 101st points on the season.

Oshawa will face Ottawa for the 6^th and final time in the regular season.  Ottawa leads the season series 3-2; however, all but the first game have been close 1-goal games.  Two of the games came went to the shootout.  Ottawa won both of those shootouts.  The last time these two teams met was Jan 15^th in Oshawa where the Generals skated to a 6-5 victory.  Cody Lindsay had a pair of goals on the night but was outshadowed by rookie Nicklas Jensen who had a goal and 3 assists.

The Generals come into tonight’s game with a game in had a 3 points back on the division leading 67’s.  A win today for the 67’s (in any fashion) clinches the top seed in the East Division and the second top seed in the Eastern Conference.  If the 67’s only obtain 1 point or no points, the Generals have a chance to catch up.

Head-to-head
Ottawa 5 @ Oshawa 6 (Jan 15 2011) Final
Ottawa 4 @ Oshawa 3 (Dec 19 2010) Final SO
Oshawa 3 @ Ottawa 4 (Oct 24 2010) Final SO
Ottawa 4 @ Oshawa 3 (Oct 11 2010) Final
Oshawa 6 @ Ottawa 3 (Oct 1 2010) Final

Ottawa 67’s 

42-19-3-2, 89 points
1^st Eastern Division

2^nd Eastern Conference
HOME:  23-5-3-1

Leading scorers

Tyler Toffoli – 52 goals, 101 points

Shane Prince – 25 goals, 88 points

Ryan Martindale – 34 goals, 81 points

Top performers vs 67’s

Cody Lindsay – 5 goals, 9 points in 5 games

Thomas Nesbitt – 1 goal, 7 points in 5 games

Shane Prince – 2 goals, 5 points in 5 games

Top NHL draft prospects

Shane Prince (35^th in CS’ North American Skaters midterm ranking)

Lineup changes
Petr Mrazek, groin, day-to-day (likely to return)
Thomas Nesbitt, knee, week-to-week
Cody Lindsay, jaw, day-to-day
Shane Prince, concussion & whiplash,  week-to-week
Jon Carnevale, concussion, IR
Cosimo Fontana, concussion, IR
Julian Luciani, upper body, day-to-day
Steven Janes, shoulder, day-to-day

Oshawa Generals

38-17-4-6, 86 points

2^nd Eastern Division

4^th Eastern Conference

AWAY:  19-10-2-2

Leading scorers

Christian Thomas – 54 goals, 94 points

Andy Andreoff – 33 goals, 75 points

Boone Jenner – 21 goals, 60 points

Top performers vs 67’s

Christian Tomas – 2 goals, 13 points in 5 games

Lucas Lessio – 5 goals, 9 points in 5 games

Nicklas Jensen – 1 goal, 5 points in 4 games

Top NHL draft prospects

Boone Jenner (18^th in CS’ North American Skaters midterm ranking)

Nicklas Jensen (20^th in CS’ North American Skaters midterm ranking)

Lucas Lessio (44^th in CS’ North American Skaters midterm ranking)

Colin Buellentrop (117^th in CS’ North American Skaters midterm ranking)

Lineup changes

Injuries unknown

Anton Zupancic (suspended)

Alain Berger (suspended)

Emerson Clarke (suspended)