Guelph Defeat 67's In A Shootout

Coming into the game against the Ottawa 67's, the Guelph Storm held onto the final playoff spot by the slimmest of margins. They were tied with the Soo Grey Hounds who were idle on Sunday. Guelph used one of their two games in hand on the Soo to jump two points ahead of them after defeating the 67's in a shootout by a final score of 4-3.

Both teams played a flawless first period, with Guelph dominating the majority of play. Both goalies Michael Nishi of the 67's and the Storm's Garret Sparks combined to stop all shots they faced. The score after one was 0-0.

The Storm once again pressed the action and at the 6:15 mark of the second they were rewarded when Jason Dickinson put one past Nishi for the 1-0 lead. However after allowing the games first goal Ottawa began to push back and tied the game ten minutes later when Nicholas Foglia beat Sparks, knotting things up again. Shortly after relinquishing the lead Guelph responded in a big way, scoring two goals in just over two minutes. Brock McGinn who was one of the best Guelph players in the game would notch the first one putting the Storm up 2-1, Cody McNaughton would add another to give Guelph a 3-1 lead heading into the third.

After killing a penalty to start the third Ottawa finally caught a break when the league's leading scorer would break in one on one with Sparks and he made no mistake tucking the puck into the net to cut the lead to one. 67's tender Nishi continued to turn away Guelph opportunities and help keep Ottawa within striking distance. Nishi and Ottawa would benefit from a rather fortunate bounce off a skate that beat Sparks 5-hole to tie it up at three. Steven Janes would be credited with the game tying goal. The 67's survived a late scare in the period when they were down two men, but they were able to kill off the penalties. Both teams had earned a point after sixty minutes.

In overtime the 67's took over and had multiple opportunities including what look to be a for sure tape in to win it, but Sparks stuck his pad out and denied the 67's the win. Sparks would continue to come up big for his team and help send this game to a shootout.

In the shootout Sparks continued to shine. Sparks faced Tyler Toffoli, Sean Monahan, and Mike Cazzola and he stopped em all. It was the first time in Spark's OHL career he had gone 3/3 in a shootout. The Storm got the only goal of the shootout from their second shooter Jason Dickinson who had opened the scoring back in the second.

With the Storm's win and a Windsor loss, Guelph jumped to 7th in the West. They are tied with the Spitfires in points with sixty but have two games in hand on Windsor. The Storm are two points up on the 9th place Soo Greyhounds and have a game in hand on them. Guelph's next game is Tuesday vs the Kitchener Rangers.


By Chris McDonald
Follow me on Twitter @ChrisMcdonald91

ITO Hot-Stove: who will represent the East and West in the OHL finals?

Before we begin here, I'd like to thank Brandon Sudeyko and company for filling in for me for last week's ITO hot-stove and doing a great job. As you can tell, I'm back on the saddle here and ready to roll. Joining me today in this week's hot-stove is Matt Leacy, Brandon Sudeyko, Susan Tromanhauser and Trevor Miller.

Without further ado I'd like to introduce you all to this week's debate question: who will represent the East and West in the OHL finals and why?

Todd Cordell

In the East, I'm going to go out on a limb and go with the Barrie Colts. They have one of the most explosive forward groups in the Ontario Hockey League led by Mark Scheifele, Tanner Pearson and company. At the deadline the Colts added some grit up front with Anthony Camara, and upgraded their defense corps as well by bringing in Ryan O'Connor. 17 year old goaltender Alex Fotinos has been brought up to the big club due to the Clint Windsor trade and he's been playing some fantastic hockey. He's currently side-lined with concussion like symptoms, but he should be back relatively soon. In my opinion if the Colts can stay healthy and get solid goaltending from Mathias Niederberger and Alex Fotinos, they can compete with anyone in the East.

Now out west I'm going to go with the Sarnia Sting. I know they're struggling a little bit right now but I believe if and when they get healthy they can make a serious run at it. I love what they did at the deadline in bringing in Adrian Robertson, Ryan Spooner, JP Anderson and company and in my opinion each and every one of those acquisitions will payoff come playoff time. When Nail Yakupov, and possibly Alex Galchenyuk return, the Sting will be a force to be reckoned with. I think they'll show why in the post-season.

Matt Leacy

Talk about a hard question to answer. A lot of teams with great depth and skill in the league this year. There really is no clear cut favorite. That being said, I believe Niagara will win the East, and Plymouth will win the West.

Plymouth has tremendous skill, starting in net with Scott Wedgewood, and lots of players who can score including Richard Rakell and Stefan Noeson. Of course, London, Kitchener and Sarnia will give them a good run for their money, but my money's on the Whalers to take it this year.

Niagara again has strong goaltending from Mark Visinten, and guys like Ryan Strome plus the Hamilton brothers really make them a strong team and a force in the Eastern Conference. Just like in the west, there are very good teams such as Ottawa and Oshawa, but I don't think anyone has the same type of depth as the Ice Dogs.

Brandon Sudeyko

Pick the OHL Finals... but those are about 20 games away and several rounds. But the Trade deadline has passed and I would have to go into the archives to see if my personal pics have changed. They clearly have. When all is said and done, the Western Conference will go through Plymouth and Sarnia. I don’t know why I still give Sarnia credit, especially when they are looking like the same fire wagon team from last season... just more offensive power than the previous incarnation. But there is something about Sarnia. I will call it the mystique factor as I don’t think anyone has seen what this team is capable of. Brett Thompson is your veteran scorer. Sarault is a beast this year. Captain Charlitti is having an outstanding year on the back end. And the team will go deep enough to get both Gally and Yaki back. There is also a guy by the name of Spooner on that team too. There set back is JP Anderson but all you have to do is outscore your opponent by 1. But back to Plymouth, who has been the most complete team in the OHL all season. There is strength on the team, as exhibited by Tom Wilson and Jamie Devane. Skill with J.T. Miller, Stefan Noesen and Rickard Rakell. Their D is probably the 2^nd best 6 pack in the league, and their goaltenders... well you know that story.

The East is probably filled with Niagara and Ottawa, but I have a feeling that Goaltending will hurt Niagara, while Ottawa will get stymied again by a hot goaltender and their shooters will hit nothing but iron. Call me Crazy but I am going to call Brampton in the OHL Finals... Their D can lock down the best shooters. Their forwards can play great defensive hockey and by all accounts... every team hates to play against them. ‘They just sit back and wait, I f*!#ing hate playing them. I’m glad it is over,’ said one eastern conference player after a game. The system acts to their strength, they have no problem with patience and contrary to belief... they can score too. OHL Finals... Brampton / Sarnia...

Susan Tromanhauser

I posed this question to the media room in St. Catharines. All were in agreement Niagara should be there representing the East. The key word is should. Niagara has by far the strongest team on paper but paper doesn't win championships.

The West was more difficult to decide. The media types could not agree between London and Plymouth. What they did agree upon was they hoped it was Plymouth as the Wedgewood versus Visentin goaltender dual will make a great story.

Trevor Miller

My pick to come out of the East is Ottawa. I picked them as my favourite early on in the year and I’m sticking with it. Their offense is spread nicely over the roster. Tyler Toffoli is having another banner year taking over the league lead in scoring recently. With Sean Monahan riding shotgun, the pair remind me a little of the Brampton days with Cody Hodgson and Matt Duchene. Add in Shane Prince and newly acquired John McFarland and it’s clear that this team should have no trouble scoring. The likes of Cody Ceci and Marc Zanetti will help the 67’s keep the puck out of their own net, as will the presence of Petr Mrazek in goal.

The easy thing to do for the Western Conference is to pick the London Knights, and it makes sense to do so. Since Dale Hunter moved on to coach the Washington Capitals, the Knights haven’t missed a beat, pacing the west with a league best 71 points.  Greg McKegg and Austin Watson have been huge additions to a London team that was already chock-full of talent. Max Domi has had a rough month of January, recording only two assists thus far, but will most definitely bounce back as the playoff picture becomes clearer. Michael Houser has also been a huge factor in goal for the Knights winning 33 of his 42 starts, five of which are shut-outs.

January 15th - Belleville Bulls vs. Ottawa 67's

by Phil Phillips

After Saturdays 5-3 home lose to the Sudbury Wolves, The Belleville Bulls were looking for a turn around on the road, instead they got turnovers, turnovers and more turnovers, not the good apple kind but the kind that lead to goals against. On a Sunday afternoon 5946 Ottawa 67's fans got their money's worth. With the home team handing the Bulls in my opinion a real gut check of a loss, beating the Bulls 6-1.

The Bulls went with Charlie Graham in net , and the 67's answered with Petr Mrazek. Bulls fans were looking for their team to come out with a chip, maybe even a little angry, but after a early PP, that produced nothing , the Bulls lost their first battle and turned the puck over, leading to Jake Cardwell scoring his 5th from Prince & Cazzola at 7:47. Ottawa wasn't done there, they scored 2 more times in the first, when our old friend Tyler Toffoli scored his 34th on a turnover, and the tasty pastry party wasn't over there, Shane Prince who was left alone in front of the net buried his 22nd after the Bulls turned the puck over again. The 67's lead the the Bulls in shots 14-10 after 20 minutes ,but the Bulls didn't really challenge Mrazek. The 3 goals that the Bulls gave up couldn't be put on Graham as he was left out to dry on all three.

The Bulls came out pretty good in the 2nd , but couldn't beat Mrazek, and before long started playing soft in there own end giving the 67's way to much time and space and they scored on an other turnover, from a guy who must love seeing the Bulls on the docket. Dalton Smith bagged his 12th of thyear and 5th Vs the Bulls this year. But before they even announced the Smith goal , Cardwell lit the lamp again at 9:44 to make it, 5-0 for the home team, the good news, Cardwell's goal was scored on the rush not a turnover. After that it looked like the Bulls might make a goalie switch, but they didn't, leaving us to wonder, how injured John Chartrand is after the Bulls saying hes not 100%. At the 13:10 mark the Bulls tallied a goal , Joesph Cramarossa, (8) with Brendan Gaunce and Luke Judson assisting. With the assist Gaunce has a 5 game point streak going, On the play Judson was playing the point where he played all of the game, and looked okay. The Bulls gave up an other goal, on an other turnover this time to Cazzola (4)from Prince, Cardwell.

There would be no scoring in the 3rd with Ottawa playing the clock, and playing it smart, even employing the trap at times. When the Toro's did get a chance All-World goalie Mrazek was there to shut the door,the Bulls played way to soft in this game, making huge mistakes in their own end, and it wasn't rookies it was some older players, that Belleville needs to play better if they plan on making the playoffs. A good start would be a better showing Vs The Generals on Wednesday night, Ottawa out shot the Bulls 40-38, Bulls PP 0/4 PK 1/1.

Ottawa 67's Split homestand

by Alex Quevillon

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The Ottawa 67’s (26-11-4-1) split a two-game weekend and pull into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference.  The Niagara Ice Dogs briefly pulled even with Ottawa, but a Sunday win gave the Barberpoles the advantage. 

Friday, January 13 vs. Peterborough

The Peterborough Petes recovered from a rough start on Friday night to register their first win in their divisional rivalry with the 67’s this season.  Ottawa had taken the previous four meetings.  Andrew D’Agostini made 27 saves to preserve the win for Peterborough (20-17-3-3).

Early on, it seemed as though Ottawa had the Petes on the ropes, taking advantage of a tired opponent that had lost at home the night before and had to travel through a treacherous Eastern-Ontario storm.  The newest member of the 67’s, Mike Cazzola, only needed twelve seconds to make his presence felt, scoring his third of the season to give Ottawa the early advantage.

Ottawa continued to pour it on in the first ten minutes, and Shane Prince gave them a two-goal advantage with his 20th of the season.    After that, the Barberpoles seemed all too happy to coast with the lead.  The visitors had other plans.

Before the first period was done, Joey West got Peterborough on the board with a powerplay marker, his 15th of the year.  Luke Hietkamp had the only tally in the second period, an unassisted, shorthanded goal to draw even.

West continued to contribute, setting up Andrew Yogan for the go-ahead goal in the final frame.  Prince scored his second of the night, assisted by Cazzola, to tie the game but it was short-lived.  23 seconds later, Ottawa-born Alan Quine put the Petes ahead for good.

Yogan was taken down on an empty-net breakaway by John McFarland and credited with the goal.  Yogan, an overager, is having a solid start to 2012 with five goals in his last six games.

This game did not feature a re-match between heavyweights Dalton Smith and Derek Mathers, who have fought each other three times in their OHL career, despite Ottawa captain Marc-Anthony Zanetti being decked by a questionable hit from behind from Mathers.  The game did have its fair share of nastiness however.

Brett Gustavsen took on the much taller Stephen Pierog in a short but spirited second-period bout.  Pierog landed more shots, but Gustavsen knocked Pierog down with a big left hand, call it a draw.  The Petes may be without Cole Murdoff after this weekend; he dropped the gloves with Ryan Van Stralen, ripping the rookie’s helmet off.  Van Stralen found out about the helmet infraction the hard way, receiving a two-game suspension earlier in the season for removing the helmet of Owen Sound’s Kurtis Gabriel.

Petr Mrazek made 26 saves in his first loss since the quarterfinals at the World Juniors.

Sunday, January 15 vs. Belleville

Petr Mrazek had a huge bounce back game with 25 saves, while Jake Cardwell scored twice and Tyler Toffoli recorded his 300th OHL point to help Ottawa coast to a 6-1 win over Belleville, their third win against the Bulls in eight days.

For the second game in a row, the 67’s came out flying.  They didn’t take this lead for granted, however.  Cardwell snuck in from the point to open the scoring at 7:47 of the first period.  Within five minutes, Tyler Toffoli and Shane Prince had opened up the lead to three.  In the second, Dalton Smith, who collected the puck after the second goal to commemorate Toffoli’s 300th point, tipped home a Cody Ceci point shot to give Ottawa a 4-0 advantage.

Cardwell scored his second of the game, after Tyler Graovac made a nifty play to set him up.  Joseph Cramarossa ruined Mrazek’s shutout bid but before the period was up, Mike Cazzola scored his second goal in as many games, giving Ottawa a 6-1 lead that they would carry through the final period for the win.

Mrazek made 37 saves and has only allowed six goals in his last five starts.  At the other end, Charlie Graham stayed in through all six goals and finished the day with 34 stops for the Bulls (22-19-1-0), who fall to third in the division and seventh in the conference.

Final thoughts:

-Ottawa’s new “second” line is clicking perfectly.  Shane Prince had three goals and three assists with his new line.  Mike Cazzola has already added two goals and three assists while John McFarland, who has switched jersey numbers (wore 26 last weekend, 21 this weekend), had an assist of his own.

-Cazzola, as expected, brings a lot of what Cody Lindsay brought last year as an overaged second-line center.  Not a lot of size, but he’s going to finish every check, battle for pucks and create open ice for his linemates.  He scored twice this weekend but look for him to be Ottawa’s primary playmaker from here on out.  Cazzola, by the way, is wearing number 39.

-Rookie Mike Vlajkov continues to improve and receive more icetime, but his solid play is being overshadowed by that of Jake Cardwell.  With or without his two goals, Cardwell was still Ottawa’s best defenceman.  Ottawa’s new forwards are nice to have, but they are getting a lot of scoring from the blueline as well.  Cody Ceci is second to only Dougie Hamilton in points by a defenceman, while Cardwell is tied for tenth.

-Ryan Van Stralen stayed on the bench, but was not playing amongst his regular linemates Tyler Graovac and Steven Janes at the end of the third period.  No word yet as to whether they were simply double-shifting Toffoli or if there was anything with Van Stralen.  Dalton Smith was shaken up after taking a Vlajkov shot to the upper body but didn’t appear to miss a shift.

-The 67’s and Petes will square off again on Thursday in Peterborough, before the 67’s return home to take on the Oshawa Generals.

ITO Hot-Stove: which recently traded OHL player will make the biggest impact on his new team?

During the holidays I decided to take a couple weeks off from the hot-stove, but with the holidays over and everyone going back to work and to school, I decided to jump back on the horse and start producing hot-stoves again. Anyways, this is the fifth edition of ITO Hot-Stove since I've joined. Joining me today in this piece is Dwayne Williams, Brandon Sudeyko, Thayne Hallyburton and Phil Phillips.

Without further ado I'd like to introduce you all to this week's debate question: which recently traded OHL player will make the biggest impact on his new team?

Todd Cordell

Ryan Spooner

With Nail Yakupov out for approximately a month, and several other top players on the Sarnia Sting out with injuries Ryan Spooner will need to step up, and in my opinion he will.

I think Spooner will hold the Sting in the top four of the Western Conference until some key players return from injury, and go on an absolute offensive tear when some of the top guys return and he gets some help.

All in all I think he'll play a key role in righting the ship for the Sting until they can get some bodies back and play a big part in whatever playoff success the Sting have. Some other players who were moved will have big impacts as well, no doubt, but none as big as Spooner will have in Sarnia. Thus, in my opinion, making him the player that will have the biggest impact on his new team.

Dwayne Williams

John McFarland

I thought that Spooner would have the biggest impact on his team - and has 3 goals and 1 assist in 3 games team - but the Sting have been hit with the injury bug to go along with their aggressive trading activities. They are only 1 win  and 2 losses so far with him in the lineup. (Yakupov long term and Hottot took a shot in the leg today - left and didn't return)

 

My vote: Seems like John MacFarland has put an extra jump into the step of the 67's (like they needed an extra push to get going). He has played 2 games for them - kept off the scoresheet in the first game, and then 1 goal and 1 assist in the 4-0 thumping delivered to the Majors. Offensively I think that Ottawa and Niagara are now the elite teams that the rest of the East will be looking up at for the second half.

Brandon Sudeyko

Jamie Oleksiak

Believe it or not I have to go with Jamie Oleksiak. Not necessarily based on his play, but based on the fact that he is the ‘big’ acquisition for the IceDogs and if they do not make the OHL Finals… this can be a huge disappointment. Then again a new opportunity in a city that will cheer his name may be what the Dallas Stars pick needs. Either way, I believe Jamie will have the biggest impact either negatively or positively… if Niagara can not do it this year… maybe they should have picked Brock Beukeboom’s former Soo Roommate instead of the Big O….

Thayne Hallyburton

Brett Ritchie

 

The Niagara Ice Dogs did not get the superstar that they wanted. Rumours floated around town that they were close to getting Gregg McKegg and that they were in on Ryan Spooner. What they ended up doing was getting Brett Ritchie in one of the deals that they completed this past week when fellow-contender Sarnia Sting, decided they wanted JP Anderson and needed the right draft picks to acquire him. Marty Williamson mad a very smart move here in acquiring the big forward.

 

Ritchie will step right onto the second line in Niagara and bring size and grit to a lineup that might only lack that, making their top 6 extremely scary. Ritchie will be the big body in front of the net on the PP, making what is already the scariest PP in the league even more scary and will provide the secondary scoring that a championship caliber team needs. This move is more of a tinkering move than a huge acquisition and history teaches us that they are usually the most productive of moves. Brett Ritchie will be one of the main story lines if the Niagara Ice Dogs make the trek East in late may for the Memorial Cup.

Phil Phillips

Ryan Spooner

I think the trading of Ryan Spooner to the Sarnia Sting from the Kingston Frontances for Ryan Kujawinski involves the player(s) that will have the biggest impact on their new teams both, short and long term.

The impact that Spooner will have on the Sting has been felt immediately (3GP 3G 1A).  With highly ranked Nail Yakupov joining, Sarnia's another promising young 2012 prospect Alexander Galchenyuk, on the IR. Spooner comes to a 1st place club, where attendance is up 15%, the Sting are hoping for a long playoff run.  Having never made it by the 2nd Rd since the franchise moved to Sarnia, the hope was that Spooner would give the Sting a nice depth scoring option, but now with Yakupov joining Galchenyuk on the IR, his role will increase.  Spooner a 2^nd round pick of the Boston Bruins was an invite to Team Canada’s Selection Camp this past December but could not participate after being diagnosed with mononucleosis. Ryan also is looking for more playoff succsesse, never making it by the 1st Rd in his OHL Career with both the Peterborough Petes & Kingston. Sting GM called Spooner "one of the elite players in all of junior hockey".  In order to acquire him they had to pay a very high price. That being said they feel that Spooner is another piece that will help them contend for an OHL Championship this season.”

That high price they paid was rookie centreman Ryan Kujawinski. The 6'2" 195lbs, 16 year old was Sarnia’s 1st Rd selection in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection, 4th overall, giving the Fronts a 1st rounder from 2011 draft after trading Max Domi to the Knights of London.

“This is part of the rebuilding process,” said General Manager Doug Gilmour. Kujawinski brings an imposing size, he's a good skater for his size and loves to shoot the puck, and in the words of Gilmour has "a ton of potential". Ryan recently competed for Team Ontario at the U17’s in two games with Kingston he has already matched his goal total he had with the Sting in 29 games.  In Kingston he will get more ice and be a big part of this team moving forward.

So Far, So Good; 67's Look To Keep Up Pace in 2012

by Alex Quevillon

The OHL season is more than halfway completed and the Ottawa 67’s (22-10-4-1) start the 2012 fiscal year tied for first place in the Eastern Conference.  With that being said, the New Year and the second half will be the most difficult and trying portion of the season as the 67’s try to solidify themselves as true contenders.  Ottawa center Tyler Graovac, who has missed 18 games due to mononucleosis this season, made the team’s goal quite clear via Twitter:

TyGraovac19 Tyler Graovac

Ottawa vs Kingston 2pm. New years resolution: Winning streak, Mem cup. Let's start today!

Okay, so perhaps they didn’t get off to the New Year’s start that they wanted.  Ottawa got 32 saves from Michael Nishi and goals from Sean Monahan (23) and Ben Dubois (8) but fell to divisional rival Kingston Frontenacs.  Kingston shut down Ottawa’s powerplay four times on Sunday afternoon and Igor Bobkov stopped a Shane Prince penalty shot to put an exclamation point on the win.

On Friday night, Nishi recorded his first OHL shutout in a 2-0 win over the Peterborough Petes.  Prince had the winning goal while Dalton Smith added an empty netter.  The win, however, was overshadowed by that day’s performance from 67’s goaltender Petr Mrazek at the World Under-20 Championships in Alberta.  Mrazek made 53 saves against Team USA and nearly scored an empty net goal for the Czechs, mixed in with numerous exuberant celebrations.  For a couple of hours, Mrazek was a hero on national television, and Ottawa fans responded with a loud ovation for their absent goaltender during a stoppage in play.

It appears as though the goaltending position should be set the rest of the way.  Between Nishi’s shutout, Mrazek’s amazing performance thus far at the World Juniors and Shayne Campbell expected to be back by February, Ottawa has a trio of capable goaltenders and it is highly likely that all three will remain with the team through next Tuesday’s trade deadline.

If head coach and general manager Chris Byrne wants to become a buyer in the next week, it will be to upgrade at the right wing and center positions most likely.  Ottawa only has two natural right wingers (Tyler Toffoli and Steven Janes), and three centers (Monahan, Graovac and Nicholas Foglia). 

Ottawa’s goal has remained the same since day one, to be a serious contender.  It was a tough blow when they realized that center Ryan Martindale would not be coming back, and that he would be spending the year in the Edmonton Oilers organization. 

Instead, the 67’s acquired Daniel Broussard from the Sarnia Sting to use up their final overaged spot and improve their already deep defence.  Monahan has made a seamless transition to Ottawa’s top line with Toffoli and Prince, but having another center to play on one of the top two lines and spread out the scoring a little more would help immensely. 

Regardless, the next week should be fun to follow as the 67’s may or may not make deals to bolster their roster.  And the rest of the season should be fun to watch as well.  Fans in Ottawa are hoping that this year’s squad will be able to perform in the playoffs after being swept by the Sudbury Wolves last season. 

With that being said, the next few months will not be an easy ride.  The 67’s are tied for first in the Eastern Conference with the Brampton Battalion.  Three Western Conference teams, the London Knights, Kitchener Rangers, and Ottawa’s opponent in the 2002 OHL finals, the Plymouth Whalers, are also ahead of the 67’s and Battalion in the standings.  The road will only get tougher from here.  But whether or not this team’s roster is altered or remains intact, the Ottawa 67’s have one ambition; to be a championship team.

ITO Selects Team Canada for the WJHC

In the O is off to the World Juniors, but before they start or we get there, Canada has to trim the 43-man selection camp roster to 22. 13 forwards and 7 defensemen has been the usual for this team and I set my projected lineup to mirror that. Ladies and gentlemen: my projected 2012 World Junior Hockey Championship entry for Team Canada.

Centres:

Mark Scheifele [OHL]– The undisputed number one on this team. He will have to lead the team. He has game-breaking stuff and is capable of carrying a team on his back.

Ryan Strome [OHL]– An elite level offensive talent, Strome will be relied on to provide secondary scoring for the team as the tournament goes on. Strome is just too talented to leave off of this roster.

Zach Phillips [QMJHL]– Last year he was a beast through the QMJHL playoffs and into the Memorial Cup. Again he will be depended on as a checking centre that is also able to chip in offensively.

Michael Bournival [QMJHL]– Bournival is someone that will be asked to play an energy role on this team after being the last man cut last year. The nice thing with him is he has the scoring chops to move up in the lineup if needed.


Left Wingers:

Jaden Schwartz [NCAA]– Jaden comes back and will be looking to get the gold medal that eluded him last year. He will play a top line scoring role on this team. For Canada to win gold, Jaden will have to lead the way.

Jonathan Huberdeau [QMJHL]– Dynamic, electric, talented; these are adjectives that describe Jon’s game. He should be one of Canada’s leading scorers and will fit right in with Ryan Strome on a powerhouse second line.

Quinton Howden {WHL]– another returnee, Howden will be asked to play a checking role on this team. This is what he does well and if Canada wins gold, you can bet Howden will be a big reason why.

Tanner Pearson [OHL]– Maybe the one guy that can rival Spooner for the hottest player in the O. Pearson is leading the league in scoring but is also a dynamic penalty killer. He is a valuable player and would fit in nicely as the 13th forward.

Max Reinhart [WHL]- Max is my substitute selection for this team. He is able to play centre or the wing and that will make him a valauable player as injuries and poor play moves guys up and down the depth charts. He is a WHL boy and Hay likes that.

Ryan Spooner [OHL]– Maybe the OHL’s hottest player at this point, Spooner is a pure sniper. He can provide scoring on the 4th line in limited ice time, but he is also able to move up in the lineup if injuries or bad play takes over the aforementioned players. [ANNOUNCED THAT HE IS OUT WITH MONO]


Right Wingers:

Devante Smith-Pelly [NHL]– The Ducks have loaned DSP to this team and he will be looked upon to make a large impact. DSP is a banger with huge offensive touch. He will be the perfect winger for Mark Scheifele opening up plenty of ice for him and will be a pest around the opponents net.

Brett Connolly [NHL]– Another loaner from the NHL. Steve Yzerman and the Tampa Bay Lightning really wanted Brett to be on this team. An eye injury to Martin St. Louis seemed to spell disaster for those hoping he would be loaned, but Yzerman did it anyways. He will be asked to play a key role and should fit in nice with Ryan Strome.

Mark Stone [WHL]– Stone is an easy choice here as he would have been the undisputed #1 on this team without the NHL loaners. Stone is a superstar in the making and might be the best 3rd liner in this tournament.

Tyler Toffoli [OHL]– Many think that Toffoli’s chances of making this team were eliminated with the addition of the two big guns, but I just don’t see too many guys who are pure sniper’s on this team, not to mention how good he is in shootouts. Toffoli should make this team and as Canada likes to have….will be a 4th liner who can move up in the lineup if needed.

Defense:

Ryan Murray [WHL]– He’s draft eligible this year but you wouldn’t know it based on his game. He will be asked to play the shutdown role for this team.

Mark Pysyk [WHL] – Should be Murray’s defensive partner. He has offensive touch but will be asked to play against the other team’s best players in this tournament.

Brandon Gormley [QMJHL]– Gormley is the best Defenseman in the Q and will slot in nicely in the top 4. He moves the puck quick and takes the body. He is very tough to play against.

Dougie Hamilton [OHL]– Dougie is an offensive defenseman but he is able to take care of his own end as well as anyone in the O. At least one Hamilton should make this team.

Nathan Beaulieu [QMJHL]– Is another St. John Sea Dog that has a tonne of talent. He fits perfectly into the 3rd pairing on this team as Coach Don Hay loves puck moving defensemen.

Ryan Murphy [OHL]– I see Ryan as being kind of the Ryan Ellis of this group. He and Murray should run the 1st power play unit. Murphy will be important. He just has to buy in and accept a smaller role if Don Hay asks.

Jamie Oleksiak [OHL]– I feel like the big American-turned Canadian will make this team based on the fact that he switched his hockey allegiance from USA to Canada with hopes to play in this tournament for the Canadian side. I feel like he wouldn’t have made that decision if he weren’t guaranteed a spot. He should be the 7th defenseman.

Goaltending:

Mark Visentin [OHL]– you cannot leave your 2011 starting goaltender at home when he is still eligible. Yes, he had a bad third period in the gold medal game and yes he has not had a great season to date, but experience is at a premium on this team. He’s been there before and for a goaltender this is very important.

Tyler Bunz [WHL]– Is probably the best goaltender in the Canadian Hockey League this season. He deserves this place and if Visentin falters at all, Don Hay should have all the confidence in the world in him to go in there and do the job. He may even win the job pre-tournament.

What I could see happening on Don Hay’s team is that he substitutes some of the OHL players that I have slotted further down the depth charts like Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson for guys that he is more familiar with, like his stud right winger from his team, the Vancouver Giants, Brendan Gallagher or maybe inserting a big body in Brad Ross or Ty Rattie who is lighting the league up offensively, but is weak defensively. The final decisions will be very interesting!

Final Count:
8 OHL
6 WHL
5 QMJHL
2 NHL
1 NCAA

Thoughts from the Editor... week ending Nov 20

^{Here I am, another Sunday and more crazy thoughts and stats to fill up some space, but also to add a different perspective on how you may be viewing the OHL right now. Leave a comment below... positive or negative.}

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The Niagara IceDogs continue to struggle and be seen as a giant anomaly. Niagara currently sitting at a record of 11-10-0-2 have let up the third most goals in the Eastern Conference while scoring 4^th highest in the Conference. 6 players boast better than a 0 +/- while Steven Shipley still leads the team with a -10.

Mark Visentin is enjoying a roller coaster season. With a 6-7-0-1 record, Visentin still has a plus 3 GAA and a SV% under .890 but he does have 4 shutouts this season. 7 of the 15 games he has appeared in his GAA has been 1 or less. In the other 8 games, 4 or higher.

The Oshawa Generals should not be forgotten although they are trying hard to be an afterthought. Despite having 9 players with at least double digits for points, 2^nd in the Eastern Conference in Goals for, the Generals are sitting in 8^th place in the conference. In true Generals fashion this team leads the Conference in PIM with 536, 64 more PIM than the next team. Oshawa has also let in the most goals in the Eastern Conference, 9 more than Kingston, and are third worst in the league. Goaltending and Defence is an issue and they should either blow up the lineup or definitely get help because  something is wrong in Oshawa.

After marching up the East Division, putting up 6 straight victories, the Belleville Bulls dropped Two 4 point games this week. Bulls are currently sitting in 3^rd in the division with Peterborough and Ottawa just sitting ahead of them. The Bulls, despite their 6 game winning streak, never played a complete 60 minute game during the stretch, relying on the unbelievable goaltending from Subban and Chartrand.

For those experts who said the Plymouth Whalers would be unstoppable, well it looks like you can begin to brag once again as the Whalers have rattled off a 9-0-01 record in their last 10. Whalers have scored the second most goals in the league while taking over top spot in the West Division leading Sarnia by 1 point. JT Miller has been unbelieveable since I handed him a single American Dollar with 9 goals and 23 points in his last 16 games. Scott Wedgewood is also on fire in the month of November with a 5-0-0-1 record in 6 games this month sporting a 1.64GAA 946V% and 2 shutouts in November.

After a RED HOT start, London’s Michael Houser is being overshadowed yet again. With a 5-2 record in November he is being outshined by the like of the aforementioned Wedgewood and Subban but still sporting a respectable 2.86GAA and 9.14SV%. I point this out because the lack of ‘statistical evidence’ suggesting he is a top goaltender does not mean that he is not pulling out all the stops to steal games and help his team when they don’t play in front of him.

Ottawa’s Tyler Toffoli is looking to not only take over the top spot in the OHL Scoring race but run away with the Goal Scoring title as well. My preseason prediction of Sean Monahan outscoring Toffoli was a bit of a joke but if anyone could do it, it would be a player on his line. Tyler currently has 24 goals in 22 games while sitting 8 pts behind Barrie’s Tanner Pearson in the overall scoring title with 43pts to date. At current pace Toffoli could have 70 goals if he stays healthy… although he is expected to make a big splash and more than likely make Team Canada for the World Junior Hockey Championship. Back to Back 50 Goal seasons is not out of the realm of possibility with Tyler.

Kitchener fans need not worry that John Gibson has an American passport anymore. Gibson is in the T-5 with a .927SV%, in the T-10 with a 2.70GAA and 4^th in the league with 11 wins.

4 of the 5 Goalies in the league with the most wins are American born, Michael Houser, Brandon Maxwell, John Gibson and Jack Campbell.

There are 3 European Goaltenders in the top 10 in OHL Wins category, Petr Mrazek, Mathias Niederberger and Johan Mattsson.

The Top 3 Canadian Born goaltenders in the Wins Category is JP Anderson, Matt Murray and Scott Wedgewood. Team Canada WJHC Incumbent Mark Visentin, is tied for 17^th in the league with 6 Wins.

ITO Prospect Profiles: Sean Monahan

This week we take a look at a soon to be top prospect in the Nation’s capital, Sean Monahan this year. He possesses quick feet, an eye for the net and a bullet of a shot. Let’s get to know the game of Sean Monahan a little better…

NHL Draft Prospect: Sean Monahan—Ottawa 67s

The Line:
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 190 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Center
Draft Eligible: 2013

After spraining a wrist in his first OHL training camp and missing all of the pre-season last year, there were many questions as to where his development would take the Brampton, Ontario native. Would he be behind all season, and out of the first round picture come the fall of 2011? Or would he be one of the guys making noise? The 2011 U17 tournament in January of this past year answered all of those questions as he helped team Ontario to the gold medal. He came back to Ottawa playing great hockey and never looked back. This season he is playing with Tyler Toffoli and Shane Prince on the team’s first line.

Monahan’s game is not all about the offence, even though he puts up more than his fair share of points, but his defensive poise for a 17 year-old is second to none. He is as good a two-way player in the game as there is at this level never mind his age. His skating ability is well above average and because of this he is able to stick with his man on defensive zone coverage and burn a defender when he is in the offensive zone. Monahan also possesses a very good shot and great vision on the ice.

There is not a lot to like in Monahan’s game, as would be expected with many of the projected first round picks for this draft or any draft. The one thing that is holding him back from the Yakupov-level is his puck skills. If he can continue to evolve into the player he looks like he wants to become he will be a very good mid-round pick in this year’s draft.

NHL Player Comparison: Dustin Brown – LA Kings

2007/12 Team Needs - East Division

As we continue the content-a-day giveaway... We get to the final division, the East. So lets take a look at who these teams may be targeting on Saturday. and don't forget the OHL Priority Draft this Saturday May, 7th live on ontariohockeyleague.com.

To preface, the lists of what the team declares as 'holes to be filled' is not FACT. These are my opinions and are corroborated with others and is a general guess as to what they may be trying to fill come draft day. If they are not adressed during draft day remember that they can also trade for players already in the league. Also, this is 'in a perfect world scenario' as the first 7-10 picks will be best player available and defy the logic of what I am talking about.

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Kingston Frontenacs - With all the scrutiny that this team goes through in terms of not having this, or giving away that. This is Kingston's time to get this or that. But the question is where to begin. This team needs a better blueline, they need confident goaltending and they need people to put the 'biscuit in the basket'. So i guess with my babbling I would have to say, Kingston's draft board will be filled with the best available players. I do have to say that even though many are not to happy about the potential of a Palazzese, Perry goalie tandem. You have to understand it could be worse... and that the Fronts will not be contending next year so it is not that big of an issue.

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Belleville Bulls - It came down to the wire to earn the playoff spot and whether you believe in Teichmann or not. The team has quality goaltending in Subban, and possibly Altshuller. Or even another year with Tyson. Their defence is basically returning as a whole unit for the 11/12 season so that leave the forward position for the Bulls. The team has a top pick so more likely they will fall into a best available but they would kill for an impact forward the likes of a Brendan Gaunce... hopefully not the playoff hair. then again... a Subban is eligible to be drafted... so all bets out the window here.

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Peterborough Petes - Peterborough had a tough year, on and off the ice. With all of the changes around the team nailing one position will be difficult. Peterborough needs to have confidence between the pipes, but a 95 birth year goalie wont bring that. Their young Defence is not comparable to Brampton, but with all the ice time and experience they gained this year, could be a force next year. That leaves the forward position for the Petes and considering they draft 2nd overall... they have the pick of any 95 birthday they want. Nicholas Ritchie.

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Oshawa Generals - This team is poised for a tremendous run come 2011/12. What do they need... nothing. No one this team can draft in the first round will help them improve in terms of pushing them over the age. They do need a goaltender, because if the team believed in Kevin Baille... they wouldn't have traded for DiSalvo. The D will suffer a bit as an OA moves on, De Haan will be in NYI of the NHL and Maggio or Zupancic will be your veteran defender. as for offence... a big CHECK! so stick with a defenceman here.

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Ottawa 67's - After the disappointing first round exit by the 67's this year... They will be looking for a spark plug to show the fans the best is still to come... even though they will more than likely lose Martindale and Toffoli to the AHL if not NHL next season. Mrazek is back. So no worrying about Goaltending as there are two goalies who could come on up for experience. Their young forwards really stepped up in the later third of the season so there is no reason to think they will regress. That leave the blueline which will lose an OA to graduation and possibly 1 or both 91 birth years. to the Dfence could be young and need some more top quality help.

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We are done the divisions and you now know what to possibly expect from each team when they are on the clock. Make sure you look at In The O... Mock Predictions for the First Round in the OHL Priority Draft. Starting Monday there will be a more indepth look at each of the 20 rosters in the OHL.

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 *

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)

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

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

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)

GAME DAY PREVIEW: Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors @ Ottawa 67’s, March 13

Another game preview courtesy of Kathryn Jean (@msconduct)

Radio:  Team 1200AM (Ottawa), TheHazeFM.ca (Mississauga)

TV: Rogers TV (Ottawa/Mississauga)

Photo courtesy Daniel Ho, CC

The Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors roll into Ottawa to face the 67’s with a hot 6-game winning streak.  The latest of the Majors victims came in Brampton at the Powerade Centre on Friday night.  The Majors scored five unanswered goals to defeat the Battalion 6-2.  Devante Smith-Pelly led the way by scoring 3 goals before the third period.  The win marks the Majors 49th victory on the season giving them 100-points for the first time in their modern era history.  Michaeal D’Orazio returns to the lineup after coming off a 3-game suspension.  He received a game misconduct penalty for abuse of official after a fight with Oshawa’s Emerson Clark on Mar 5th.

Meanwhile, the home team is coming off a disappointing 3-2 overtime loss to the big conference rival, Niagara Ice Dogs.  Ryan Strome scored a pair of goals including the tieing goal late in the third and the game winning goal with 5.5 seconds left in the extra frame in front of an angry Ottawa crowd on Friday night.  Standout rookie, Sean Monahan had a goal and an assist in the loss.  Monahan has been hot of late scoring 7 goals in the last 5 games.  The game was not the only thing the 67’s lost.  Prince was taken out of the game after a questionable open ice hit by Tim Billingsley of the Ice Dogs.  Later in the game Cody Lindsay took a puck to the face and did not return.  And last but not least, Thomas Nesbitt missed the rest of the game after Myles Doan stuck out his leg and hit him knee-on-knee.  All three players will not play tonight along with the 5 other teammates already out of the lineup nursing injuries.  Veteran leader, Mark Zanetti and Petr Mrazek are expected to make their return this afternoon.

The last time the two teams met was on February 13th where the 67’s skated to a 4-2 victory at the Hershey Centre.  Tyler Graovac had a goal and an assist in the win marking his 4th goal against the Majors in 3 games.  Petr Mrazek stood on his head stopping 41 of 43 shots fired his way.

Head-to-head

Ottawa 4 @ Mississauga 2 (Feb 13 2011) Final

Ottawa 1 @ Mississauga 6 (Jan 16 2011) Final

Mississauga 2 @ Ottawa 7 (Oct 3 2010) Final

Ottawa 67’s 

42-19-2-2, 88 points

2nd Eastern Conference

HOME: 23-5-2-1

Top performers vs Majors

Tyler Graovac – 4 goals, 5 points in 3 games

Ryan Martindale – 3 goals, 1 assist in 3 games

Adam Sedlak – 1 goal, 3 assists in 3 games

Thomas Nesbitt – 0 goals, 3 assists in 3 games

Shane Prince – 0 goals, 3 assists in 3 games

Leaders

Tyler Toffoli – 52 goals, 99 points

Shane Prince – 25 goals, 88 points

Ryan Martindale – 34 goals, 81 points

Top NHL draft prospects

Shane Prince (35th on Central Scouting’s North American Skaters)

Injuries

Marc Zanetti, knee, day-to-day (expected to return)

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, indefinite

Jon Carnevale, concussion, IR

Cosimo Fontana, concussion, IR

Julian Luciani, upper body , day-to-day

Steven Janes, shoulder, day-to-day

St. Mikes’ Majors

49-13-0-2, 100 points

1st Eastern Conference (1st in OHL)

AWAY: 26-5-0-1

Top performers vs 67’s

Justin Shugg – 3 goals, 3 points in 3 games

Casey Cizikas – 1 goal, 3 points in 3 games

Chris DeSouza – 0 goals, 3 points in 3 games

Leaders 

Justin Shugg – 38 goals, 82 points

Casey Cizikas – 29 goals, 64 points

Smith-Pelly – 35 goals, 63 points

Top NHL draft prospects

Stuart Percy (51st on Central Scouting’s North American Skaters)

Joseph Cramarossa (68th on Central Scouting’s North American Skaters)

Dylan Demelo (199th on Central Scouting’s North American Skaters)

Injuries

Casey Cizikas, broken wrist, 2-4 weeks

Riley Brace, cautionary, game time decision

Justin Shugg, cautionary, game time decision

Game Review - Strome clutch in IceDogs 3-2 OT win over 67's

Strome clutch in IceDogs win over 67’s

Ryan Strome scored the tying and game-winning goal in overtime to lead the IceDogs
to a 3-2 win over the 67's. He now has 32 goals 101 points on the season.

Special thanks to Kathryn Jean (@msconduct) for the game review.

Ryan Strome scored a pair of goals to lift the Niagara Ice Dogs to a 3-2 overtime victory against the 67’s at the RONA Centre in Ottawa last night.  Strome’s first goal of the night marked his 31st goal and 100th point this season – only the second player in the OHL to reach this milestone so far this season.

Scary moments early on in the game where Shane Prince was caught cutting through centre ice and was hammered by Ottawa native, Tim Billingsley.  Prince stayed down for several minutes before being helped off the ice from the trainers and teammates.  There was no penalty on the play.  Jake Cardwell came to the aide of Prince and dropped the mitts with Billingsley.  Cardwell came out penalized with the extra 2 minutes as the instigator.

Prince did not return to the game.  He had to get stitches to the back of his head and also over his eye.  Fortunately, there was no need to take him to the hospital but will be re-evaluated on a possible concussion.

Moments after the hit, Alex Freisen opened the scoring for the Ice Dogs getting the puck past Shayne Campbell.  Sean Monahan tied it for the 67’s from the slot after terrific work by his teammates down low to keep the cycle alive.

Injuries continued to be a problem for the 67’s with already 7 bodies out of the lineup including recently with Shane Prince.  Half way through the first period Cody Lindsay took a puck to the mouth and did not return forcing the 67’s to play with 9 forwards for the rest of the game.

After a bit of sloppy second period by both teams, it looked as if a go-ahead goal would finally be scored early in the third period.  Cardwell fired a hard shot from point and past Visentin, but it was called back due to goaltender interference on Tyler Graovac.  Tyler Graovac was involved in another called back goal later in the third period as he tipped in a rebound from the short side.  The referee lost sight of the puck and whistled the play dead before the goal was scored.

Halfway through the third period, the 67’s finally got a go ahead goal that stayed.  Monahan fed the puck to Thomas Nesbitt who knocked it in from the slot.  With Martindale in the box for slashing, Ryan Strome wired a shot from the point.  Campbell made the initial save but it trickled in.  The game was slated for overtime.

On the powerplay again, Ryan Strome let go of a bullet shot from the top of the hash marks to becme the overtime hero with less than 6 seconds left in the extra frame.  The win snapped the 67’s winning streak at 6 games and improved the Ice Dogs winning streak to 4 games.

Next games

Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors at Ottawa 67’s, 2pm

Niagara Ice Dogs at Kingston Frontenacs, 2pm

NOTES:

The Ottawa 67’s went 0 for 6 on the powerplay.  While the Ice Dogs capitalized and went 2 for 3 … Tyler Toffoli was held of the scoresheet to remain at 99 points on the season behind Jason Akeson (Kit) and Ryan Strome (Nia) ... Shots were 20 to 8 in favour of the 67’s in the second period, but they came out of the period goalless ... Mark Visentin turned aside 38 of 40 shots, while Shayne Campbell stopped 27 of 30 shots.

GAME DAY PREVIEW: Niagara IceDogs @ Ottawa 67’s, March 11

Photo Courtesy Joel Smith (www.joelsmithphotography.ca)

Special thanks to Kathryn Jean (@msconduct) for the game preview.

Radio: 580 CFRA (Ottawa), 105.1 The River (Niagara)
TV: Rogers 22 (Ottawa), Cogeco (Niagara)

The Niagara Ice Dogs make their second and final visit to the nation’s capital to face the Ottawa 67’s at the RONA Centre tonight.  The 67’s have been hot at home winning their last 8 games in front of the home crowd.

The last time these two teams met was back on November 26th where Shane Prince scored the overtime winning goal for the 67’s in a 3-2 victory.  Petr Mrazek turned aside 37 or 39 shots to help secure the win. Andrew Aggozino scored his 6th goal vs the 67’s in a losing cause.

One winning streak will end tonight as both teams are coming off a couple big wins.  Niagara skated to a 4-3 overtime win after Darren Archibald scored his 35th of the season at the 2:11 mark in the extra frame.  The win boosted Niagara’s winning streak to 3 straight games.  Meanwhile, the 67’s are coming off 6 game winning streak capped off in Kingston Wednesday night.  Tyler Toffoli scored a pair of goals to help defeat the Frontenacs by a score of 5-1.

Story lines
•    Race to 100 points – Ryan Strome and Tyler Toffoli both have 99 points coming into tonight’s game
•    One winning streak ends – the Ice Dogs are on a 3 game winning streak, the 67’s are on a 6 game winning  streak
•    Battle of the brothers – Steven Shipley faces off against his younger brother Ryan Shipley

Previous meetings this season
Niagara 2 @ Ottawa 3 (Nov 26 2010) Final OT
Ottawa 3 @ Niagara 5 (Nov 20 2010) Final
Ottawa 2 @ Niagara 3 (Oct 15 2010) Final

Ottawa 67’s

42-19-1-2, 87 points
2nd Eastern Conference
HOME:  23-5-1-1

Leading scorers
Tyler Toffoli – 52 goals, 99 points
Shane Prince – 25 goals, 88 points
Ryan Martindale – 34 goals, 81 points

Top performers vs Ice Dogs
Ryan Martindale – 2 goals, 3 points in 3 games
Shane Prince – 1 goal, 3 points in 3 games
Marc Zanetti – 0 goals, 3 points in 3 games

Players to watch - draftees
Shane Prince (35th Domestic Skaters – NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings)

Injuries
Petr Mrazek, day-to-day, groin
Marc Zanetti, day-to-day, knee
Jon Carnevale, IR, concussion
Cosimo Fontana, IR, concussion
Julian Luciani, day-to-day, upper body


Niagara Ice Dogs

41-16-2-4, 88 points
3rd in the Eastern Conference
AWAY:  16-13-1-1

Leading scorers
Ryan Strome – 30 goals, 99 points
Freddie Hamilton – 36 goals, 80 points
Andrew Agozzino – 39 goals, 68 points

Top performers vs 67’s
Andrew Agozzino – 6 goals, 6 points in 3 games
Freddie Hamilton – 0 goals, 5 points in 3 games
Alex Friesen – 0 goals, 3 points in 3 games
David Pacan – 0 goals, 3 points in 3 games

Players to watch
Dougie Hamilton (7th Domestic Skaters – NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings)
Ryan Strome (19th Domestic Skaters – NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings)

Injuries
Johnson Andrews, Kidney
Milan Doudera, Shoulder