The OHL draft seemed to have a common theme for the Sarnia Sting. That theme was get bigger and get grittier. The Sting seemed to draft a lot of big bodied forwards that fit the prototypical power forward type player. With their first round exit at the hands of the Saginaw Spirit I believe it was fairly evident that size was an issue that needed to be addressed, along with players that would go to the dirty area's and were strong along the boards. The Sting definitely addressed those issues at the 2012 OHL Priority Selection.
Sarnia Sting Draft Breakdown
The Sarnia Sting had 12 draft picks in the 15 round draft. Here is a look and how many players they drafted at what position and heights of the players drafted. (Please note my heights are based on the OHL Media Guide which as Mark Glavin pointed out on twitter isn't always accurate).
Forwards: 7- Brett Hargrave, Alexandre Renaud, Jordan Addesi, Matteo Ciccarelli, Patrick White, Cam Ashley, Ryan Vandramin
Defensemen: 3- Josh Jacobs, Jeffery King, Zachary Core
Goalies: 2- Ryan Hergott, Marc Audett
8 players drafted were over 6' - Hargrave (6'4''), Renaud (6'3''), Addesi (6'1''), Jacobs (6'2''), Hergott (6'3''), Core (6'1''), Vandramin (6'2''), Marc Audett (6')
4 players drafted were under 6'- Ciccarelli (5'9''), White (5'10''), Ashley (5'9''), King (5'9'')
Sarnia Sting Draft Picks
Brett Hargrave - 13th overall pick 1st Round - Mississauga Rebels - 6'4'' 195lbs - Right Wing
58 GP 28G 38A 64PTS 58PIM
This is a good move for the Sarnia Sting organization realizing that there big downfall in the playoffs this year was probably big bodied forwards. Hargrave is going to be your prototypical power forward type player. He is 6'4'' 197 lbs so there is plenty of room to grow into a lanky frame. Hargrave isn't afraid to use his size to his advantage going to the dirty area's and picking a spot in front of the net especially on the power play. Hargrave has underrated hands with a rocket of a shot, and is a decent passer. Brett is a player that is going to be able to step into the OHL right away and is definitely physically ready. One thing that scouts feel Brett needs to work on and improve is his skating ability.
Alexandre Renaud - 2nd Round 18th Pick (40th overall) - Ottawa Jr 67's - 6'3'' 190 lbs - Left Wing
38GP 14G 20A 34PTS 48PIM
Hockey Prospects had Renaud ranked 137th in their rankings. The Sarnia Sting took him at 40. He is another big body for the Sarnia Sting up front which is clearly a trend they were trying to set early on in the draft.
From Hockey Prospects Pro Draft Guide: "Renaud has been a bit of an under the radar player all year for the Jr. 67’s. He has great size, and is good in the slot area. He takes up positioning there, and is effective with good hands. When entering the offensive zone with the puck, he showed good decision making in regards to passing and shooting. He played physical, however we’d like to see a player of his size, and balance throw a few more hits. Renaud gets caught behind the bigger names, but Alexandre is a big body, and should get some recognition later in the draft."
Jordan Addesi - 1st Pick in 4th Round - Vaughan Kings - 6'1'' 175 lbs - Forward - Left Wing
19GP 6G 7A 13PTS
Addesi only appeared in 19 games for the Kings this year which gave everyone a limited viewing of his abilities in his draft year. Addesi's season was cut short by an injury to his shoulder that required surgery. That means the big question mark is how does Addesi bounce back from a season ending shoulder injury. He tweeted during the OHL draft stating he was excited to be selected and that he was going to get the shoulder strength back up to be ready to compete next season (complete editing on my part but thats pretty much what it meant). OHL Media guide describes Addesi as the prototypical power forward. Jordan has a physical side to his game and uses his size to go up and down the wing with ease. He scores his goals by driving to the net and for checking hard, has an above average skill set and was playing very well before his season ending injury.
Josh Jacobs - 9th Pick 4th Round - Detroit Honeybaked U-16's - 6'2'' 171 lbs - Right Defense
18GP 3G 11A 14PTS 16PIM
Jacobs was ranked as high as 18th overall by Hockey Prospects but he slipped in the draft due to the fact that teams where unsure of if he would commit or not to the OHL. There are rumours that Jacobs is strongly considering the OHL but is keeping his options open at this point. It should be interesting to see if Jaques Beaulieu is able to convince him to come to Sarnia as OHL Central Scouting has him regarded to has the top offensive defenseman in the draft, while hockey prospects regards him as a "top end prospect". This pick could be a steal in the 4th round.
Hockey Prospect Report: "Josh is a big hulking defensemen. He skates well for his size, agile and powerful. Jacobs is mean and physically intimidating, plays with an edge. He uses his size to his advantage, keeping his man to the outside and riding them out hard. He sees the ice and passes the puck well. Is very tough in the corners, pins his man easily. He loves to rush the puck up ice and gains the offensive zone with ease, but tries to do too much offensively at times. He gets his hard point shot through to the net well. A top end prospect."
Matteo Ciccarelli - 5th Pick, 5th Round - Lambton Jr Sting - 5'9'' 165 lbs - Left Center
40GP 10G 33A 43PTS 50PIM
This pick wasn't really a surprise as to the fact the Sarnia Sting made the selection but more so how high they made it. Matteo is a solid skater with good playmaking abilities but will need to overcome his size to make the jump to the next level. Hockey Prospects would like him to engage in a more physical game more and add a little grit (I am sure the Sting organization would like the same). Matteo has the ability to be in a secondary scoring line playmaker role if he overcomes his size to jump to the next level.
Patrick White - 6th Pick, 5th Round - Ottawa Jr 67's - 5'10'' 164 lbs - Left Center
36GP 32G 29A 61PTS 20PIM
The Sting pick up a very raw prospect in White that could go either way. White has consistency issues in his game and sometime tries to do a little too much causing turn overs. He is a good two way forward and excellent on the penalty kill (until it comes time to clear the zone). There is no problems with Patrick's vision and hockey sense he just needs to learn to not force things and sometimes go with the more simple play. If the Sting can get him to simplify his game a little better they will have a good two way forward on their hands. When given the time and space White is also able to score some big goals.
Ryan Hergott - 12th Pick, 7th Round - Kitchener Jr Rangers - 6'3'' 175 lbs - Goaltender
15GP 7-8-0 (W-L-T) 2.95 Goal Against Average 0.883 Save Percentage
I can't really find much on Hergott. So the stats are all I have to go on but at the same time they are deceiving seeing as the Kitchener Rangers weren't an elite team. That being said the Sting apparently were high on this kid so they must see something to be wooing him so much. Not even close to the best goaltender in the draft though.
Cam Ashley - 12th Pick, 9th Round - Cleveland Barons U16's - 5'9'' 165 lbs - Left Wing
34GP 11G 10A 21PTS 109PIM
A gritty forward that is apparently taller then listed as Mark Glavin informed me during the draft that he is not as small as he is listed. With 109 PIM's in 34 games there is no other way then to describe him as a gritty forward that isn't afraid to get dirty. Based on his highlight video he has the ability to score and has some moves to go with his gritty style.
Cam Ashely Highlight Video - I am not positive that it is him but I am pretty sure it is.
Cam Ashley Stats
Jeffrey King - 12th Pick, 10th Round - Lambton Jr Sting - 5'9'' 142 lbs - Right Defense
42GP 9G 26A 35PTS 40PIM
Zachary Core - 12th Pick, 11th Round - Cambridge Hawks - 6'1'' 165 lbs - Left Defense
40GP 2G 12A 14PTS 64PIM
Via Hockey Prospects Pro Draft Guide: "In our viewings Core has been a very solid defenseman and supported the strong goaltending that made Cambridge such a good defensive team this year. We’ve witnessed Core handle some of the most talented offensive players in this draft class in one on one situations. Zach’s defensive awareness is very strong, and is advanced positionally for his age. Core makes the smart first pass out of the zone and keeps it simple. We don’t expect Core to put up many points at the next level. However if he sticks to this style, and continues to progress he’ll become a valuable member of a team capable of eventually putting up big minutes."
Basically sounds like Core has the ability to become a solid stay at home defenseman. This could be a good pick up for the Sarnia Sting in a late round. A solid stay at home defenseman with a big frame.
Ryan Vendramin - 12th Pick, 13th Round - Sault Ste. Marie North Stars - 6'2'' 170 lbs - Right Wing
34GP 30G 51A 81PTS 12PIM
Vendramin is a 1995 birthdate that fell through the cracks in last years draft. It was a project to find much about him and I am still waiting on some more information from Ryan Yessie of Hockey Prospects as he thinks they may have had him rated last year for the draft. Ryan Vendramin Stats via Eliteprospects.com It appears that Vendramin is more of a playmaking winger that has a pass first mentality as every year except for his Bantam year he has more assists then goals. That being said I can't find a lot of scouting reports on Vendramin. The scouting news does have some articles on him if you are already signed up or willing to invest lots of money for the information make sure to pass it on.
Marc Audet - 5th Pick, 15th Round - Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16's - 6'0 162 lbs - Goaltender
U 16 - 15GP 3W 11L 1SO 5.38GAA 0.854sv%
U 16 Tier 1 - 6GP 3 W 2L 1SO 1.82GAA 0.924sv%
Stats vis Pointstreak,com
It took me a while to find anything on Audet other then a terrible "highlight scouting video" on youtube which had some interesting comments below. Audet left his previous team to move to Colorado and play in the USHL which means commitment is probably unlikely to the OHL. There is also a comment below it stating that he quit on a team halfway through a game before. Now take that for what it is worth but 2 other people comment on it saying he isn't that good of a goalie and that their team's lit him up whenever they played him. They could just not like Audet and that could always be the reason they are bashing his youtube video but when you can't find anything except for that, that is what you go with.
Other Lambton Jr Sting Players Taken in OHL Priority Selection
Ryan Verbeek - 3rd Round, 4th Pick Windsor Spitfires - 6'0'' 185 lbs - Left Center
39GP 20G 10A 30PTS 49PIM
Scouting Report via Hockey Prospects: He has good size, and protects the puck well. He shows a willingness to go end to end with the puck, and did well one on one against defenders. He seems to initially try to drive the net, trying to put shots on, and forces the play a little bit, but generally as games go on he uses his passing ability a little more. Verbeek has a huge slap shot and isn’t afraid to use it at will. If he continues to progress he could be a good pick for the middle rounds. He has the size, the shot and the awareness to make the jump to the next level.
Adam Wammes - 9th Round, 19th Pick Barrie Colts - 6'0'' 202 lbs - Left Defense
44GP 4G 9A 13PTS 44PIMS
Hunter Tyczynski - 13th Round, 15th Pick Barrie Colts - 5'11'' 170 lbs - Right Center
30GP 11G 12A 23PTS 36PIMS
Overall Thoughts on 2012 Sarnia Sting Draft
I personally believe that the Sarnia Sting addressed probably there main concern going into the 2012 OHL Priority Selection and that was to add size. They added the size and the grit picking a lot of prototypical power forwards. They also got possibly the best offensive defenseman in the draft and if they can get him to commit it will be a huge boost. They also took a stay at home defenseman late in the draft that if he can make the jump will be a large asset. The one area I think they didn't address is goaltending as I believe they waited to late to take a goaltender as there were much better ones available in the draft. That being said if they are happy with the goalie selections they made I guess we will wait and see what happens there. It is going to take 2-3 before we know for sure if this was a great draft for the Sarnia Sting. For now I think it was safe to say that it was good.
Saturday, 7 April 2012
OHL Draft From A Sarnia Point of View (Round 1)
It is an exciting day in the OHL with the 2012 OHL Priority Selection taking place. The 15 round draft is a big time for kids that are hoping to take the next step in their development towards what they hope to be a professional hockey career.
To all the players drafted today congratulations is in order, for those that weren't don't give up on your dreams and keep working towards your goals.
This draft blog is going to focus mainly on the Sarnia Sting and Sarnia-Lambton born players that are drafted into the OHL. That being said I am also going to focus on some first round OHL picks that are going to be fun players to watch in the future; as well as, what I consider some interesting picks and picks that would have been huge assets to the Sarnia Sting organization.
Since I am so far removed from Ontario obviously I cannot see these players first hand as they develop. I will give credit to my sources here as their hard work is what will make my research easy. I am using the OHL Website, OHL Draft Media Guide, Sarnia Sting, Hockey Prospect Pro Draft Guide, and of course my wonderful twitter friends that are excellent eyes for talent.
ROUND 1
The first round of the OHL priority selection saw pretty much what a lot of people expected to happen at the top of the draft with only a few curve ball picks happening.
The Erie Otters kicked off the draft on Friday night making it official that the would take 15 year old Connor McDavid who was granted exceptional status to enter the OHL a year early.
The top 5 picks in the draft were as follows:
1. Connor McDavid (F) - Erie Otters
An exceptional player and clearly the best forward in the draft. Erie will have Connor until the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. According to scouting reports Connor doesn't really have a whole lot of negatives in his game, he shows a willingness to compete in the defensive zone, he has great offensive abilities and vision. A player with the talent of McDavid doesn't need to so he doesn't play a real physical style.
2. Roland McKeown (D) - Kingston Frontenac's
The top defensemen in the 2012 OHL draft McKeown is 6'1'' 180 lbs. McKeown is a smart defenseman with excellent skating skills and rushes end to end with no problems. He is a smart defenseman that does not make a whole lot of mistakes. He is going to be able to log big minutes in the OHL plying in all situations. He is a good offensive defenseman and a great addition to the Kingston blue line.
3. Eric Cornel (F)- Peterborough Pete's
Eric Cornel is a big forward that probably combines size with speed like no one else in the draft. Cornell has explosive acceleration and has probably the quickest speed in the draft. Cornel is 6'2'' 165 lbs so he still has a lot of room to develop into his big frame. Cornel is more of a playmaker and should make last year's first round pick by the Pete's Nick Ritchie even better.
4. Jared McCann (F)- Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds
Ranked #2 by Hockey Prospect scouts before McDavid made himself a clear candidate for exceptional status early in the season McCann was ranked #1 by Hockey Prospects for the OHL draft. McCann is touted as the most complete player in the OHL draft. He competes in all 3 zones and constantly makes an impact. McCann's acceleration and skating in small area's has room for improvement but isn't a major flaw. When in the offensive zone McCann is incredibly dangerous as his excellent vision allows for great passes but he also has a laser release.
5. Joshua Ho-Sang (F)- Windsor Spitfires
Joshua Ho-Sang was probably the most over scouted and over scrutinized player in the OHL draft this year. Ho-Sang last year had been said to be an exceptional player and a lot of people said that he probably should have applied and been given exceptional status as well last season. Ho-Sang dropped to number 5 this year and probably has a lot to do with the amount he was scouted. One of the main reason's hockey prospects feels that he fell in the draft rankings was due to the fact that he is more of a selfish player that is unwilling to involve his teammates in the plat enough. Josh's puck control is probably one of the better in the draft if not the best he has a laser shot and has an accurate pass when he choses to use it.
Those were the top 5 picks in this years OHL draft. All are probably going to be great forces in the OHL as soon as next year. By no means there is no knock on the players below them but my main focus in the first round is the top 5.
13. Brett Hargrave - Sarnia Sting
58 GP 28G 38A 64PTS 58PIM
This is a good move for the Sarnia Sting organization realizing that there big downfall in the playoffs this year was probably big bodied forwards. Hargrave is going to be your prototypical power forward type player. He is 6'4'' 197 lbs so there is plenty of room to grow into a lanky frame. Hargrave isn't afraid to use his size to his advantage going to the dirty area's and picking a spot in front of the net especially on the power play. Hargrave has underrated hands with a rocket of a shot, and is a decent passer. Brett is a player that is going to be able to step into the OHL right away and is definitely physically ready. One thing that scouts feel Brett needs to work on and improve is his skating ability.
22. Liam Herbst - London Knights
This would have been a great pick up for Sarnia Sting fans. Herbst is the best goalie in the draft this year which is also a spot that doesn't really have a whole lot of depth in that position. OHL central scouting states that Herbst is probably the most OHL ready goalie to come around in a long time. Herbst 6'3'' is going to fill the net already making it hard for players to score but Herbst also doesn't give up a lot of rebounds and has a quick glove.
You can find all selections made in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection at OHL 2012 Draft
To all the players drafted today congratulations is in order, for those that weren't don't give up on your dreams and keep working towards your goals.
This draft blog is going to focus mainly on the Sarnia Sting and Sarnia-Lambton born players that are drafted into the OHL. That being said I am also going to focus on some first round OHL picks that are going to be fun players to watch in the future; as well as, what I consider some interesting picks and picks that would have been huge assets to the Sarnia Sting organization.
Since I am so far removed from Ontario obviously I cannot see these players first hand as they develop. I will give credit to my sources here as their hard work is what will make my research easy. I am using the OHL Website, OHL Draft Media Guide, Sarnia Sting, Hockey Prospect Pro Draft Guide, and of course my wonderful twitter friends that are excellent eyes for talent.
ROUND 1
The first round of the OHL priority selection saw pretty much what a lot of people expected to happen at the top of the draft with only a few curve ball picks happening.
The Erie Otters kicked off the draft on Friday night making it official that the would take 15 year old Connor McDavid who was granted exceptional status to enter the OHL a year early.
The top 5 picks in the draft were as follows:
1. Connor McDavid (F) - Erie Otters
An exceptional player and clearly the best forward in the draft. Erie will have Connor until the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. According to scouting reports Connor doesn't really have a whole lot of negatives in his game, he shows a willingness to compete in the defensive zone, he has great offensive abilities and vision. A player with the talent of McDavid doesn't need to so he doesn't play a real physical style.
2. Roland McKeown (D) - Kingston Frontenac's
The top defensemen in the 2012 OHL draft McKeown is 6'1'' 180 lbs. McKeown is a smart defenseman with excellent skating skills and rushes end to end with no problems. He is a smart defenseman that does not make a whole lot of mistakes. He is going to be able to log big minutes in the OHL plying in all situations. He is a good offensive defenseman and a great addition to the Kingston blue line.
3. Eric Cornel (F)- Peterborough Pete's
Eric Cornel is a big forward that probably combines size with speed like no one else in the draft. Cornell has explosive acceleration and has probably the quickest speed in the draft. Cornel is 6'2'' 165 lbs so he still has a lot of room to develop into his big frame. Cornel is more of a playmaker and should make last year's first round pick by the Pete's Nick Ritchie even better.
4. Jared McCann (F)- Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds
Ranked #2 by Hockey Prospect scouts before McDavid made himself a clear candidate for exceptional status early in the season McCann was ranked #1 by Hockey Prospects for the OHL draft. McCann is touted as the most complete player in the OHL draft. He competes in all 3 zones and constantly makes an impact. McCann's acceleration and skating in small area's has room for improvement but isn't a major flaw. When in the offensive zone McCann is incredibly dangerous as his excellent vision allows for great passes but he also has a laser release.
5. Joshua Ho-Sang (F)- Windsor Spitfires
Joshua Ho-Sang was probably the most over scouted and over scrutinized player in the OHL draft this year. Ho-Sang last year had been said to be an exceptional player and a lot of people said that he probably should have applied and been given exceptional status as well last season. Ho-Sang dropped to number 5 this year and probably has a lot to do with the amount he was scouted. One of the main reason's hockey prospects feels that he fell in the draft rankings was due to the fact that he is more of a selfish player that is unwilling to involve his teammates in the plat enough. Josh's puck control is probably one of the better in the draft if not the best he has a laser shot and has an accurate pass when he choses to use it.
Those were the top 5 picks in this years OHL draft. All are probably going to be great forces in the OHL as soon as next year. By no means there is no knock on the players below them but my main focus in the first round is the top 5.
13. Brett Hargrave - Sarnia Sting
58 GP 28G 38A 64PTS 58PIM
This is a good move for the Sarnia Sting organization realizing that there big downfall in the playoffs this year was probably big bodied forwards. Hargrave is going to be your prototypical power forward type player. He is 6'4'' 197 lbs so there is plenty of room to grow into a lanky frame. Hargrave isn't afraid to use his size to his advantage going to the dirty area's and picking a spot in front of the net especially on the power play. Hargrave has underrated hands with a rocket of a shot, and is a decent passer. Brett is a player that is going to be able to step into the OHL right away and is definitely physically ready. One thing that scouts feel Brett needs to work on and improve is his skating ability.
22. Liam Herbst - London Knights
This would have been a great pick up for Sarnia Sting fans. Herbst is the best goalie in the draft this year which is also a spot that doesn't really have a whole lot of depth in that position. OHL central scouting states that Herbst is probably the most OHL ready goalie to come around in a long time. Herbst 6'3'' is going to fill the net already making it hard for players to score but Herbst also doesn't give up a lot of rebounds and has a quick glove.
You can find all selections made in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection at OHL 2012 Draft
Friday, 6 April 2012
Round 2 Preview and Predictions
The second round of the 2012 OHL playoffs kicks off tonight with all 4 playoff series in action for Game #1.
The first round of the playoffs only saw 1 series have what was considered a "minor upset". All four top seeds would advance out of the Eastern Conference (1) Niagara, (2) Ottawa, (3) Barrie and (4) Brampton. The Western Conference saw the "upset" as the 5th seed Saginaw Spirit took out the 4th seed Sarnia Sting. Which means (1) London, (2) Plymouth, (3) Kitchener and (5) Saginaw would advance in the West.
The first round of the 2012 playoffs saw two series that went then minimum four games (London vs Windsor and Brampton vs Sudbury), one series that went five games (Kitchener vs Owen Sound), while every other series went six games.
Eastern Conference Match-Ups
(1) Niagara Ice Dogs vs (4) Brampton Battalion
The Niagara Ice Dogs had a much tougher time in the first round of the playoffs with the Oshawa Generals then most people originally thought. That being said Niagara ices a line up full of talented players that are very offensively dangerous. Brampton is a team that is built specifically to be dangerous in the playoffs, they are very defensively minded but have players that can put the puck in the net and score big goals.
Niagara Ice Dogs:
- Outscored the Oshawa Generals 30-18 and out shot them 277-171
- Took 6 games to eliminate the 8th seed Oshawa Generals from round 1
- Have 14 different players that scored a goal in the first round
- Mark Visentin had a .900 save percentage and a 2.84 GAA average in round 1
Brampton Battalion:
- Outscored the Sudbury Wolves 18-6 and out shot them 142-96
- Eliminated the 5th place Wolves in 4 games
- 10 different players scored a goal in the first round
- Matej Machovsky had a 0.933 save percentage and a 1.31 GAA and recorded 1 shutout
In all likely hood the Niagara Ice Dogs are going to step up their play in round 2 against the Brampton Battalion. This series is very much the one that could end up being the largest upset in the 2012 playoffs. Brampton's defencive play could very well be the difference maker in this series. Brampton very well could take out the top seed power house Niagara Ice Dogs. I personally believe that either way this series goes they will all be close games.
Niagara in 6. I am going against my gut here but my brain tells me that Niagara's offence will be too much for Brampton's defence.
(2) Ottawa 67's vs (3) Barrie Colts
The Ottawa 67's and Barrie Colts both took 5 games to close out their series in the first round. Ottawa had a hard time with the young Bulls in round 1 as all games were incredibly close games except for game 5 which Ottawa won 5-2 (which is still only a 3 goal difference and not that huge). Ottawa had 2 overtime games in the first round and most people wouldn't have thought that they would have struggled so much with a 7th place team. Barrie went back and forth with a much stronger Mississauga team in a series that saw 3 one goal games, 2 four goal games, and 1 two goal game. Barrie also had 1 overtime game.
Ottawa 67's:
- Outscored Belleville 20-15 in round 1 of the playoffs and out shot them 226-218
- Ottawa only had 8 different players that scored goals in the first round
- Petr Mrazek had a 0.934 save percentage and 2.34 GAA against the Bulls
- Mark Zanetti will be eligible to return for the 1st game of round 1 after serving a 5 game suspension
Barrie Colts
- Outscored Mississauga 14-11 and were even with the Majors in shots with 195 a piece
- Barrie had 9 different players that scored a goal in round 1
- Mathias Niederberger had .938 save percentage with 1.93 GAA and had 1 shutout
I think this series is going to be a battle of the goaltenders and if the first round of both teams the series is going to be a relatively close one.
Ottawa takes this series in 6. While I think that Neiderberger is a great goalie I think right now Mrazek is the better goalie and he is the main reason that Ottawa wins along with Tyler Toffoli.
Western Conference Match-Ups
(1) London Knights vs (5) Saginaw Spirit
London made easy work of the Windsor Spitfires in Round 1 eliminating them in 4 games while the Saginaw Spirit took out the Sarnia Sting in 6 games. London really only had 2 close games while Saginaw had 3 games go into overtime and only one really dominant win over Sarnia.
London Knights:
- Outscored Windsor 17-7 and out shot them 147-116
- London had 10 different players score in 4 games
- Michael Houser had 0.947 save percentage to go along with 1.52 GAA and posted 1 shutout
Saginaw Spirit:
- Outscored Sarnia 25-17 and -180
- Saginaw had 11 different players score in 6 games
- Jake Paterson had 0.906 save percentage to go along with 2.67 GAA
Saginaw is going to have to be very good defensively and help out Jake Paterson but also boast a much better offencive line up then the Windsor Spitfires did. Saginaw has been one of the better teams in the 2nd half of the season and may be able to pull off an upset on the London Knights.
London Knights in 6 games
(2) Plymouth Whalers vs (3) Kitchener Rangers
The Plymouth Whalers woke up after dropping the first 2 games of the first round to the Guelph Storm and have really looked like a dominant force since then while the Kitchener Rangers didn't really have a problem eliminating the Owen Sound Attack in 5 games.
Plymouth Whalers:
- Outscored Guelph 28-16 and out shot them 229-201
- Plymouth had 11 different players that scored goals against the Storm
- Scott Wedgewood had a 0.929 save percentage and 2.31 GAA against the Storm
Kitchener Rangers:
- Outscored Owen Sound 22-13 and but were out shot by the Attack 169-215
- Kitchener had 9 different players that scored at least a goal in the first round
- John Gibson had 0.943 save percentage and 2.44 GAA against the Attack
I believe that the Plymouth Whalers are going to be a much tougher test for the Rangers then the Owen Sound Attack were. Plymouth is a big team with big goal scorers. I don't think that Kitchener has the team that can take the Rangers out of the playoffs.
Plymouth Whalers in 5. Previous to this post I put on twitter that Plymouth would take this in 7. Since then I have thought about it and now my thought is that Plymouth is on fire and will have a much easier time with the Rangers that had a not so tough match up in round 1. I think if this round goes longer then 5 it is going to be because of John Gibson.
The first round of the playoffs only saw 1 series have what was considered a "minor upset". All four top seeds would advance out of the Eastern Conference (1) Niagara, (2) Ottawa, (3) Barrie and (4) Brampton. The Western Conference saw the "upset" as the 5th seed Saginaw Spirit took out the 4th seed Sarnia Sting. Which means (1) London, (2) Plymouth, (3) Kitchener and (5) Saginaw would advance in the West.
The first round of the 2012 playoffs saw two series that went then minimum four games (London vs Windsor and Brampton vs Sudbury), one series that went five games (Kitchener vs Owen Sound), while every other series went six games.
Eastern Conference Match-Ups
(1) Niagara Ice Dogs vs (4) Brampton Battalion
The Niagara Ice Dogs had a much tougher time in the first round of the playoffs with the Oshawa Generals then most people originally thought. That being said Niagara ices a line up full of talented players that are very offensively dangerous. Brampton is a team that is built specifically to be dangerous in the playoffs, they are very defensively minded but have players that can put the puck in the net and score big goals.
Niagara Ice Dogs:
- Outscored the Oshawa Generals 30-18 and out shot them 277-171
- Took 6 games to eliminate the 8th seed Oshawa Generals from round 1
- Have 14 different players that scored a goal in the first round
- Mark Visentin had a .900 save percentage and a 2.84 GAA average in round 1
Brampton Battalion:
- Outscored the Sudbury Wolves 18-6 and out shot them 142-96
- Eliminated the 5th place Wolves in 4 games
- 10 different players scored a goal in the first round
- Matej Machovsky had a 0.933 save percentage and a 1.31 GAA and recorded 1 shutout
In all likely hood the Niagara Ice Dogs are going to step up their play in round 2 against the Brampton Battalion. This series is very much the one that could end up being the largest upset in the 2012 playoffs. Brampton's defencive play could very well be the difference maker in this series. Brampton very well could take out the top seed power house Niagara Ice Dogs. I personally believe that either way this series goes they will all be close games.
Niagara in 6. I am going against my gut here but my brain tells me that Niagara's offence will be too much for Brampton's defence.
(2) Ottawa 67's vs (3) Barrie Colts
The Ottawa 67's and Barrie Colts both took 5 games to close out their series in the first round. Ottawa had a hard time with the young Bulls in round 1 as all games were incredibly close games except for game 5 which Ottawa won 5-2 (which is still only a 3 goal difference and not that huge). Ottawa had 2 overtime games in the first round and most people wouldn't have thought that they would have struggled so much with a 7th place team. Barrie went back and forth with a much stronger Mississauga team in a series that saw 3 one goal games, 2 four goal games, and 1 two goal game. Barrie also had 1 overtime game.
Ottawa 67's:
- Outscored Belleville 20-15 in round 1 of the playoffs and out shot them 226-218
- Ottawa only had 8 different players that scored goals in the first round
- Petr Mrazek had a 0.934 save percentage and 2.34 GAA against the Bulls
- Mark Zanetti will be eligible to return for the 1st game of round 1 after serving a 5 game suspension
Barrie Colts
- Outscored Mississauga 14-11 and were even with the Majors in shots with 195 a piece
- Barrie had 9 different players that scored a goal in round 1
- Mathias Niederberger had .938 save percentage with 1.93 GAA and had 1 shutout
I think this series is going to be a battle of the goaltenders and if the first round of both teams the series is going to be a relatively close one.
Ottawa takes this series in 6. While I think that Neiderberger is a great goalie I think right now Mrazek is the better goalie and he is the main reason that Ottawa wins along with Tyler Toffoli.
Western Conference Match-Ups
(1) London Knights vs (5) Saginaw Spirit
London made easy work of the Windsor Spitfires in Round 1 eliminating them in 4 games while the Saginaw Spirit took out the Sarnia Sting in 6 games. London really only had 2 close games while Saginaw had 3 games go into overtime and only one really dominant win over Sarnia.
London Knights:
- Outscored Windsor 17-7 and out shot them 147-116
- London had 10 different players score in 4 games
- Michael Houser had 0.947 save percentage to go along with 1.52 GAA and posted 1 shutout
Saginaw Spirit:
- Outscored Sarnia 25-17 and -180
- Saginaw had 11 different players score in 6 games
- Jake Paterson had 0.906 save percentage to go along with 2.67 GAA
Saginaw is going to have to be very good defensively and help out Jake Paterson but also boast a much better offencive line up then the Windsor Spitfires did. Saginaw has been one of the better teams in the 2nd half of the season and may be able to pull off an upset on the London Knights.
London Knights in 6 games
(2) Plymouth Whalers vs (3) Kitchener Rangers
The Plymouth Whalers woke up after dropping the first 2 games of the first round to the Guelph Storm and have really looked like a dominant force since then while the Kitchener Rangers didn't really have a problem eliminating the Owen Sound Attack in 5 games.
Plymouth Whalers:
- Outscored Guelph 28-16 and out shot them 229-201
- Plymouth had 11 different players that scored goals against the Storm
- Scott Wedgewood had a 0.929 save percentage and 2.31 GAA against the Storm
Kitchener Rangers:
- Outscored Owen Sound 22-13 and but were out shot by the Attack 169-215
- Kitchener had 9 different players that scored at least a goal in the first round
- John Gibson had 0.943 save percentage and 2.44 GAA against the Attack
I believe that the Plymouth Whalers are going to be a much tougher test for the Rangers then the Owen Sound Attack were. Plymouth is a big team with big goal scorers. I don't think that Kitchener has the team that can take the Rangers out of the playoffs.
Plymouth Whalers in 5. Previous to this post I put on twitter that Plymouth would take this in 7. Since then I have thought about it and now my thought is that Plymouth is on fire and will have a much easier time with the Rangers that had a not so tough match up in round 1. I think if this round goes longer then 5 it is going to be because of John Gibson.
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Round 1 Wrap Up
Round #1 of the OHL playoffs finally came to a close on Monday night as the final 2 eastern conference match-ups were decided as Barrie eliminated Mississauga and Ottawa eliminated Belleville. So now it is time to look back at what happened in the first round of the 2012 OHL Playoffs.
Top 5 Goal Scorers
1. Stefan Noesen (PLY): 7 goals, 7 assists, 14 points6 GP vs the Guelph Storm
2. Michael Catenacci (KIT): 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points 5 GP vs Owen Sound Attack
3. Tobias Reider (KIT): 7 goals, 6 assists, 13 points 5 GP vs Owen Sound Attack
4. Brandon Saad (SAG): 6 goals, 6 assists, 12 points 6 GP vs Sarnia Sting
5. Alex Friesen (NIA): 4 goals, 8 assists, 12 points 6 GP vs Oshawa Generals
Eastern Conference Review
*Note: I didn't watch any of the East games so these are just all facts
(1) Niagara Ice Dogs vs (8) Oshawa Generals
The Niagara Ice Dogs took 6 games to eliminate the Oshawa Generals which is a lot longer then I think anyone predicted. I took Niagara in 5 games thinking Oshawa would steal 1 game most people thought that Niagara would sweep the first round playoff match up.
Niagara took the first 2 games of the series with a decisive 6-1 game 1 and 6-4 game 2. Most people thought the series was over but I think Niagara must have fallen asleep at the wheel and thought they could mail it in because Oshawa came back to tie the series at 2 games a piece winning game 3 6-4 and game 4 5-3. Niagara then woke up again winning games 5 and 6 (5-3, 4-1).
Niagara's offence would be led by Alex Friesen (12 pts) and Ryan Strome (10 pts). While Oshawa was led by Boone Jenner who had 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists).
Former Sarnia Sting 1st round draft pick and Dallas Stars prospect Brett Ritchie had 1 goal and 3 assists in the 6 game series and was tied for a team worst -2 rating.
(2) Ottawa 67's vs (7) Belleville Bulls
Ottawa would take the series in 6 games winning games 1,2,5,6 (3-2 OT, 4-2, 5-2, 2-1) with the Bulls taking games 3 and 4 (both game 4-3 OT results). Belleville gave Ottawa all they could handle in a series that I expected to end in 4 games by forcing 3 overtime games and only losing 1 game by keeping all the games relatively close.
Ottawa was led by non other then Tyler Toffoli (6 goals, 4 assists, 9 points) and Shane Prince (4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points) in the first round. Mark Zanetti of the 67's would only appear in 1 game in round 1 as he would be the recipient of a 5 game suspension for his pre-game spear in game #2.
The Belleville Bulls would be led by Joseph Cramarossa (2 goals, 2 assists) and Luke Judson (1 goal, 3 assists) who each had 4 points in the series while 6 other players had 3 points a piece (Curtis, Gaunce, Hooey, Payerl, Zharkov, Shaw). So it was really scoring by comity for the Bulls to force this series to 6 games.
Former Sting 2nd round pick Garrett Hooey had 3 points in the series (1 goal, 2 assists) and was a +1.
(3) Barrie Colts vs (6) Mississauga Majors
I took a bold prediction in this one saying the Majors would upset the Barrie Colts in 7 games. However, Barrie went out and proved me wrong winning games 1,3,5,6 (3-1, 4-0, 2-1, 3-2 OT) and taking the best of 7 in 6 games (Majors would win games 2 and 4 by scores of 4-0 and 3-2 respectively).
The Barrie Colts were led by Ivan Telegin (4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points), Steven Beyers and Mark Scheifele (1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points each). Mean while Riley Brace would led the way for the Majors with 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points.
Former Sarnia Sting goalie Brandon Maxwell would start all 6 games for the Majors with a 0.933 save percentage and 2.06 GAA recording 1 shutout. Former Sarnia Sting 1st round draft pick Greg Sutch would appear in 5 games for the Colts recording 1 assist and was a -1 with 16 PIM.
(4) Brampton Battalion vs (5) Sudbury Wolves
I took the Battalion in 7 games in this one but they came out surprising everyone I think when they swept the Sudbury Wolves in the first round of the 2012 Playoffs. Brampton started strong and never let off the gas peddle in this one winning the 4 games 4-0, 4-2, 6-1, 4-3 (Double OT).
Sudbury came into the playoffs with OHL leading scorer (San Jose Prospect) Michael Sgarbossa but unfortunately for Sudbury fans it seems that no one seemed to show up big offensively for the Sudbury Wolves as they were out scored 18-6 in the 4 games of the series and only 7 players on the Wolves had a point in the series (3 of which were players with only 1 point) . Brampton's offence would be led by captain Sam Carrick (3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points), Ian Waters (2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points) and Dylan Blujus (1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points). Only 3 players on the Battalion that played all 4 games were held pointless in the series. Mean while Sudbury would be led by Michael Sgarbossa and Joshua Leivo but they only had 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in the 4 games.
Western Conference Review
(1) London Knights vs (8) Windsor Spitfires
I personally feel that Windsor had a much better team then they showed in this series but they are young and inexperienced team and were no match for an extremely talented London Knights team. London took this series in 4 games (3-0, 3-2, 3-2, 8-3). I had predicted that Windsor would steal a game in this series and they were very close in games 2 and 3 and probably even deserved to win 1 of those games.
London was led in net by Michael Houser who is going to be one of the major pieces for London success through out these playoffs. Houser had a 1.52 GAA and a 0.947 save percentage while recording 1 shut outs. Only 3 players on the London Knights didn't record a point in the 4 game series and their offencive charge was led by Seth Griffith (4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points) and Olli Maatta (5 assists). The Windsor Spitfires were led by 6 different players having 2 points (Czinder, Rychel, Maletta, Batemen, Ebert and Johnson).
Former Sarnia Sting 15th round pick Zack MacQueen had 1 assist in 4 games, was a -6 rating and had 10 PIM's for the Spitfires. Former Sting goalie John Cullen only appeared in game 4 for the Windsor Spitfires playing 11 minutes and allowing 3 goals on 10 shots.
(2) Plymouth Whalers vs (7) Guelph Storm
The Plymouth Whalers seemed to be asleep for the first two games of this series and I don't think they were really mentally prepared for how good of a team Guelph had dropping the first 2 games of the series (4-2, 5-3). Plymouth then was awoken and looked like the force that I believe most people expected them to be in the playoffs winning the next 4 games and not looking back (7-1, 5-2, 9-3, 2-1 OT). I predicted this series to go 7 with Plymouth taking the series after splitting the season series and the fact that I believe Guelph had a sleeper team.
Plymouth would be led by Stefan Noesen who had 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points in the 6 games. Only 4 players for the Whalers that played 4 or more games where held pointless in the series while Alex Aleardi, Mitchell Heard, and JT miller tied for 2nd on team scoring with 7 points a piece. Guelph would be led by Francis Menard who would have 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points; while, only 4 players that played 5 or 6 games for the Storm would be held pointless.
(3) Kitchener Rangers vs (6) Owen Sound Attack
Owen Sound would enter this series without their Captain Michael Halmo who would not see the post season after being suspended for 10 games for his hit on Sarnia Sting forward Nail Yakupov. Tyler Randell would then be suspended by the OHL during the series for a head check and David Branch would make it well known that hits to the head will be treated the exact same as during the regular season handing down a 10 game suspension to him.
I predicted the Rangers in 6 in this series but they would eliminate the Owen Sound Attack in 5 games winning games 1,2,3 and 5 (6-2, 3-2, 4-1, 4-2). Kitchener only scored less than 3 goals in the series once in the Game 2 3-2 win. Owen Sound would take game 4 to overtime and managed to put off elimination 1 more game by winning that game 6-5.
Kitcheners offence was led by Micael Catenacci (2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points) and Tobais Rieder (7 goals, 6 assists, 13 points). Leading the way for Owen Sound was Cameron Brace (4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points) and rookie defenseman Chris Bigras (2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points).
Former Sarnia Sting forward Brandon Fransisco would only dress for 3 games of the series and would be held pointless and was a -1.
(4) Sarnia Sting vs (5) Saginaw Spirit
I don't think I really need to say anything about this series I covered it pretty in depth in a previous blog. Saginaw won the series in 6. I took Sarnia in 7 even though my gut told me to take Saginaw in 7.
Saginaw was led by Brandon Saad who was an absolute beast in the series and was well complemented by Jake Patterson in net.
Top 5 Goal Scorers
1. Stefan Noesen (PLY): 7 goals, 7 assists, 14 points6 GP vs the Guelph Storm
2. Michael Catenacci (KIT): 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points 5 GP vs Owen Sound Attack
3. Tobias Reider (KIT): 7 goals, 6 assists, 13 points 5 GP vs Owen Sound Attack
4. Brandon Saad (SAG): 6 goals, 6 assists, 12 points 6 GP vs Sarnia Sting
5. Alex Friesen (NIA): 4 goals, 8 assists, 12 points 6 GP vs Oshawa Generals
Eastern Conference Review
*Note: I didn't watch any of the East games so these are just all facts
(1) Niagara Ice Dogs vs (8) Oshawa Generals
The Niagara Ice Dogs took 6 games to eliminate the Oshawa Generals which is a lot longer then I think anyone predicted. I took Niagara in 5 games thinking Oshawa would steal 1 game most people thought that Niagara would sweep the first round playoff match up.
Niagara took the first 2 games of the series with a decisive 6-1 game 1 and 6-4 game 2. Most people thought the series was over but I think Niagara must have fallen asleep at the wheel and thought they could mail it in because Oshawa came back to tie the series at 2 games a piece winning game 3 6-4 and game 4 5-3. Niagara then woke up again winning games 5 and 6 (5-3, 4-1).
Niagara's offence would be led by Alex Friesen (12 pts) and Ryan Strome (10 pts). While Oshawa was led by Boone Jenner who had 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists).
Former Sarnia Sting 1st round draft pick and Dallas Stars prospect Brett Ritchie had 1 goal and 3 assists in the 6 game series and was tied for a team worst -2 rating.
(2) Ottawa 67's vs (7) Belleville Bulls
Ottawa would take the series in 6 games winning games 1,2,5,6 (3-2 OT, 4-2, 5-2, 2-1) with the Bulls taking games 3 and 4 (both game 4-3 OT results). Belleville gave Ottawa all they could handle in a series that I expected to end in 4 games by forcing 3 overtime games and only losing 1 game by keeping all the games relatively close.
Ottawa was led by non other then Tyler Toffoli (6 goals, 4 assists, 9 points) and Shane Prince (4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points) in the first round. Mark Zanetti of the 67's would only appear in 1 game in round 1 as he would be the recipient of a 5 game suspension for his pre-game spear in game #2.
The Belleville Bulls would be led by Joseph Cramarossa (2 goals, 2 assists) and Luke Judson (1 goal, 3 assists) who each had 4 points in the series while 6 other players had 3 points a piece (Curtis, Gaunce, Hooey, Payerl, Zharkov, Shaw). So it was really scoring by comity for the Bulls to force this series to 6 games.
Former Sting 2nd round pick Garrett Hooey had 3 points in the series (1 goal, 2 assists) and was a +1.
(3) Barrie Colts vs (6) Mississauga Majors
I took a bold prediction in this one saying the Majors would upset the Barrie Colts in 7 games. However, Barrie went out and proved me wrong winning games 1,3,5,6 (3-1, 4-0, 2-1, 3-2 OT) and taking the best of 7 in 6 games (Majors would win games 2 and 4 by scores of 4-0 and 3-2 respectively).
The Barrie Colts were led by Ivan Telegin (4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points), Steven Beyers and Mark Scheifele (1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points each). Mean while Riley Brace would led the way for the Majors with 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points.
Former Sarnia Sting goalie Brandon Maxwell would start all 6 games for the Majors with a 0.933 save percentage and 2.06 GAA recording 1 shutout. Former Sarnia Sting 1st round draft pick Greg Sutch would appear in 5 games for the Colts recording 1 assist and was a -1 with 16 PIM.
(4) Brampton Battalion vs (5) Sudbury Wolves
I took the Battalion in 7 games in this one but they came out surprising everyone I think when they swept the Sudbury Wolves in the first round of the 2012 Playoffs. Brampton started strong and never let off the gas peddle in this one winning the 4 games 4-0, 4-2, 6-1, 4-3 (Double OT).
Sudbury came into the playoffs with OHL leading scorer (San Jose Prospect) Michael Sgarbossa but unfortunately for Sudbury fans it seems that no one seemed to show up big offensively for the Sudbury Wolves as they were out scored 18-6 in the 4 games of the series and only 7 players on the Wolves had a point in the series (3 of which were players with only 1 point) . Brampton's offence would be led by captain Sam Carrick (3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points), Ian Waters (2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points) and Dylan Blujus (1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points). Only 3 players on the Battalion that played all 4 games were held pointless in the series. Mean while Sudbury would be led by Michael Sgarbossa and Joshua Leivo but they only had 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in the 4 games.
Western Conference Review
(1) London Knights vs (8) Windsor Spitfires
I personally feel that Windsor had a much better team then they showed in this series but they are young and inexperienced team and were no match for an extremely talented London Knights team. London took this series in 4 games (3-0, 3-2, 3-2, 8-3). I had predicted that Windsor would steal a game in this series and they were very close in games 2 and 3 and probably even deserved to win 1 of those games.
London was led in net by Michael Houser who is going to be one of the major pieces for London success through out these playoffs. Houser had a 1.52 GAA and a 0.947 save percentage while recording 1 shut outs. Only 3 players on the London Knights didn't record a point in the 4 game series and their offencive charge was led by Seth Griffith (4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points) and Olli Maatta (5 assists). The Windsor Spitfires were led by 6 different players having 2 points (Czinder, Rychel, Maletta, Batemen, Ebert and Johnson).
Former Sarnia Sting 15th round pick Zack MacQueen had 1 assist in 4 games, was a -6 rating and had 10 PIM's for the Spitfires. Former Sting goalie John Cullen only appeared in game 4 for the Windsor Spitfires playing 11 minutes and allowing 3 goals on 10 shots.
(2) Plymouth Whalers vs (7) Guelph Storm
The Plymouth Whalers seemed to be asleep for the first two games of this series and I don't think they were really mentally prepared for how good of a team Guelph had dropping the first 2 games of the series (4-2, 5-3). Plymouth then was awoken and looked like the force that I believe most people expected them to be in the playoffs winning the next 4 games and not looking back (7-1, 5-2, 9-3, 2-1 OT). I predicted this series to go 7 with Plymouth taking the series after splitting the season series and the fact that I believe Guelph had a sleeper team.
Plymouth would be led by Stefan Noesen who had 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points in the 6 games. Only 4 players for the Whalers that played 4 or more games where held pointless in the series while Alex Aleardi, Mitchell Heard, and JT miller tied for 2nd on team scoring with 7 points a piece. Guelph would be led by Francis Menard who would have 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points; while, only 4 players that played 5 or 6 games for the Storm would be held pointless.
(3) Kitchener Rangers vs (6) Owen Sound Attack
Owen Sound would enter this series without their Captain Michael Halmo who would not see the post season after being suspended for 10 games for his hit on Sarnia Sting forward Nail Yakupov. Tyler Randell would then be suspended by the OHL during the series for a head check and David Branch would make it well known that hits to the head will be treated the exact same as during the regular season handing down a 10 game suspension to him.
I predicted the Rangers in 6 in this series but they would eliminate the Owen Sound Attack in 5 games winning games 1,2,3 and 5 (6-2, 3-2, 4-1, 4-2). Kitchener only scored less than 3 goals in the series once in the Game 2 3-2 win. Owen Sound would take game 4 to overtime and managed to put off elimination 1 more game by winning that game 6-5.
Kitcheners offence was led by Micael Catenacci (2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points) and Tobais Rieder (7 goals, 6 assists, 13 points). Leading the way for Owen Sound was Cameron Brace (4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points) and rookie defenseman Chris Bigras (2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points).
Former Sarnia Sting forward Brandon Fransisco would only dress for 3 games of the series and would be held pointless and was a -1.
(4) Sarnia Sting vs (5) Saginaw Spirit
I don't think I really need to say anything about this series I covered it pretty in depth in a previous blog. Saginaw won the series in 6. I took Sarnia in 7 even though my gut told me to take Saginaw in 7.
Saginaw was led by Brandon Saad who was an absolute beast in the series and was well complemented by Jake Patterson in net.
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Who Will Be Back For The Sting?
The off season officially starts for the Sarnia Sting tomorrow and kicks into high gear next Saturday when the OHL has it's 2012 Priority Selection which is being held a month earlier than normal. The Sting will hold the 12th overall selection in that draft.
More importantly the off season for the Sarnia Sting won't only revolve around the rookies that are drafted, or the prospects coming up through the ranks but the main topic around the Sarnia Sting this off-season will likely be who will be returning next year? This post will mainly revolve around that topic. We will start from the net and work our way out with potential returnees and at the end we will eliminate those likely not to return to the Sarnia Sting for 2012-2013.
Goaltenders:
JP Anderson - San Jose Prospect, AHL/ECHL Eligable and potential return for an overage season
Brandon Hope- 1994 birth year leaves him with 3 more years eligible in the OHL.
Defence:
Craig Dunnick- 1993
Nathan Chairlitti- 1992, will likely be back for his final season as Sarnia Sting Captain, potential OA
Jack Kuzmyk- 1993
Mike DiPaolo- 1994 saw limited action for the Sting this year, could be candidate for next year
Julian Luciani- 1992 potential OA
Alex Basso- 1993
Connor Murphy- 1993, Phoenix Coyotes prospect, AHL eligible
Anthony DeAngelo- 1995, will be a big part of the Sting blue line
Forwards:
Dominic Alberga- 1992, potential OA
Nail Yakupov- 1993, Import, Likely 1st overall NHL draft pick
Charles Sarault- 1992, potential OA
Justice Dundas- 1994
Reid Boucher- 1993, New Jersey Devils Prospect, AHL eligible
Davis Brown- 1994, Sting prospect, Appeared in 14 games with Sting (0 pts)
Craig Hottot- 1992, potential OA
Daniel Nikandrov- 1995, Sting Prospect, Appeared in 7 games with Sting (1 goal 1 assist)
Ryan Spooner- 1992, Boston Bruins Prospect, Potential OA, AHL Eligible
Nathan Mater- 1994, Sting Prospect, Appeared in 19 games (1 assist, 6 PIM)
Nickolas Latta- 1993
Ludvig Rensfeldt- 1992, Import, Potential OA, Chicago Blackhawks Property
Alex Galchenyuk- 1994, Likely top 5 NHL draft pick
I excluded Justin Thomas from my list as he departed Sarnia 2 times in 1 year. I do not believe the Sting have any plans to keep Justin Thomas next year.
Now onto who is likely to return next year to the Sarnia Sting?
Goaltending
I believe you will see both return next year as I do not believe JP Anderson turns pro and the San Jose Sharks return him to the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. However what are the Sting's plans with Brandon Hope? I don't believe JB showed much confidence in the young net minder this year and the question is will Hope want out of the Sarnia Sting? For right now I will go with both returning. Note that takes 1 of 3 OA spots off the table if Anderson returns to net for the Sarnia Sting.
Returning: Hope, Anderson (OA)
Defence:
You don't through your Captain out the season after a 1st round play off season so I believe you will see Nathan Chairlitti take up overage spot #2. I think Julian Luciani will be an odd man out and being moved to forward late in the regular season and being scratched in the playoffs is a fine indication of that in my mind. I also believe that Connor Murphy will be returned to the Sarnia Sting for another year next year by the Coyotes as I believe there is still a lot of work to be done in his development and Phoenix will see that the OHL is the best place for that. DiPaolo will need to prove he deserves a spot on the roster next year and is a question mark for me but he has given up his NCAA eligibility and I believe you will likely see him as a member o the Sarnia Sting next season on the blue line.
Returning: Chairlitti (OA), Dunnick, Kuzmyk, DeAngelo, DiPaolo, Basso, Murphy
Forwards:
This is where the overage dilemma comes in if you have Anderson in net and Chairlitti on the blue line. I believe that gritty Dominic Alberga will be the odd man out in the overage race at the forward position leaving Sarnia native Craig Hottot and Charles Sarault to battle for the final overage spot. Luckily you are allowed to carry 4 OA's for the first part of the season but only dress 3 so I believe that you will see Hottot and Sarault both start the season as members of the Sarnia Sting and then 1 of the 2 will be traded.
Ryan Spooner is most likely not going to return to the OHL for an overage season. As a top prospect for the Boston Bruins it is likely that Spooner will be headed to the AHL Providence Bruins next year. 5% chance Spooner returns next season and if he does the Sting will have an OA problem.
Ludvig Rensfeldt will likely not be taking up and OA spot and import spot so I believe you will likely see Sarnia take 1 possibly 2 players in the Import draft depending on if they want to keep Nail Yakupov protected or not. Rensfeldt is Chicago property so he is likely on his way to the AHL with the Chicago Wolves. 0% chance Rensfeldt returns to the Sting as I believe they release his rights to draft someone in the Import Draft.
Nail Yakupov will likely be the 1st overall draft pick in this years NHL Entry draft at least all things point in that direction. Based on the fact that he is going 1st overall alone is the only reason I do not think that Nail Yakupov will return to the OHL. However, I do believe that there is a chance that he does return as I do not believe that he is physically ready for the NHL and Brandon Saad pushing him around in the playoffs was a fine example of that. I give it a 10% chance of Yakupov returning to the Sarnia Sting though.
Alex Galchenyuk is likely going to be a top 5 or at worst a top 10 draft pick in this years NHL entry draft. In my opinion I believe he deserves to go number 1. Galchenyuk is much stronger on the puck then Yakupov and more defensively responsible. I believe that the only reason Galchenyuk returns to the OHL next year is because the team that drafts him will want to see what he can do in a full season in the OHL. That being said i give it a 40% chance that he sticks in the NHL.
Finally my last question mark. I believe although Reid Boucher is AHL eligible that he will be returned to the Sarnia Sting next year. Boucher has a lot of growing to do, needs to get stronger, needs to work on his defensive game and his offensive consistency. I believe that one more season in the OHL will benefit him in his long term development. 10% chance that Boucher does not return to Sarnia.
Returning: Sarault (OA), Hottot (OA), Galchenyuk, Boucher, Latta, Mater, Nikandrov, Brown, Dundas
More importantly the off season for the Sarnia Sting won't only revolve around the rookies that are drafted, or the prospects coming up through the ranks but the main topic around the Sarnia Sting this off-season will likely be who will be returning next year? This post will mainly revolve around that topic. We will start from the net and work our way out with potential returnees and at the end we will eliminate those likely not to return to the Sarnia Sting for 2012-2013.
Goaltenders:
JP Anderson - San Jose Prospect, AHL/ECHL Eligable and potential return for an overage season
Brandon Hope- 1994 birth year leaves him with 3 more years eligible in the OHL.
Defence:
Craig Dunnick- 1993
Nathan Chairlitti- 1992, will likely be back for his final season as Sarnia Sting Captain, potential OA
Jack Kuzmyk- 1993
Mike DiPaolo- 1994 saw limited action for the Sting this year, could be candidate for next year
Julian Luciani- 1992 potential OA
Alex Basso- 1993
Connor Murphy- 1993, Phoenix Coyotes prospect, AHL eligible
Anthony DeAngelo- 1995, will be a big part of the Sting blue line
Forwards:
Dominic Alberga- 1992, potential OA
Nail Yakupov- 1993, Import, Likely 1st overall NHL draft pick
Charles Sarault- 1992, potential OA
Justice Dundas- 1994
Reid Boucher- 1993, New Jersey Devils Prospect, AHL eligible
Davis Brown- 1994, Sting prospect, Appeared in 14 games with Sting (0 pts)
Craig Hottot- 1992, potential OA
Daniel Nikandrov- 1995, Sting Prospect, Appeared in 7 games with Sting (1 goal 1 assist)
Ryan Spooner- 1992, Boston Bruins Prospect, Potential OA, AHL Eligible
Nathan Mater- 1994, Sting Prospect, Appeared in 19 games (1 assist, 6 PIM)
Nickolas Latta- 1993
Ludvig Rensfeldt- 1992, Import, Potential OA, Chicago Blackhawks Property
Alex Galchenyuk- 1994, Likely top 5 NHL draft pick
I excluded Justin Thomas from my list as he departed Sarnia 2 times in 1 year. I do not believe the Sting have any plans to keep Justin Thomas next year.
Now onto who is likely to return next year to the Sarnia Sting?
Goaltending
I believe you will see both return next year as I do not believe JP Anderson turns pro and the San Jose Sharks return him to the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. However what are the Sting's plans with Brandon Hope? I don't believe JB showed much confidence in the young net minder this year and the question is will Hope want out of the Sarnia Sting? For right now I will go with both returning. Note that takes 1 of 3 OA spots off the table if Anderson returns to net for the Sarnia Sting.
Returning: Hope, Anderson (OA)
Defence:
You don't through your Captain out the season after a 1st round play off season so I believe you will see Nathan Chairlitti take up overage spot #2. I think Julian Luciani will be an odd man out and being moved to forward late in the regular season and being scratched in the playoffs is a fine indication of that in my mind. I also believe that Connor Murphy will be returned to the Sarnia Sting for another year next year by the Coyotes as I believe there is still a lot of work to be done in his development and Phoenix will see that the OHL is the best place for that. DiPaolo will need to prove he deserves a spot on the roster next year and is a question mark for me but he has given up his NCAA eligibility and I believe you will likely see him as a member o the Sarnia Sting next season on the blue line.
Returning: Chairlitti (OA), Dunnick, Kuzmyk, DeAngelo, DiPaolo, Basso, Murphy
Forwards:
This is where the overage dilemma comes in if you have Anderson in net and Chairlitti on the blue line. I believe that gritty Dominic Alberga will be the odd man out in the overage race at the forward position leaving Sarnia native Craig Hottot and Charles Sarault to battle for the final overage spot. Luckily you are allowed to carry 4 OA's for the first part of the season but only dress 3 so I believe that you will see Hottot and Sarault both start the season as members of the Sarnia Sting and then 1 of the 2 will be traded.
Ryan Spooner is most likely not going to return to the OHL for an overage season. As a top prospect for the Boston Bruins it is likely that Spooner will be headed to the AHL Providence Bruins next year. 5% chance Spooner returns next season and if he does the Sting will have an OA problem.
Ludvig Rensfeldt will likely not be taking up and OA spot and import spot so I believe you will likely see Sarnia take 1 possibly 2 players in the Import draft depending on if they want to keep Nail Yakupov protected or not. Rensfeldt is Chicago property so he is likely on his way to the AHL with the Chicago Wolves. 0% chance Rensfeldt returns to the Sting as I believe they release his rights to draft someone in the Import Draft.
Nail Yakupov will likely be the 1st overall draft pick in this years NHL Entry draft at least all things point in that direction. Based on the fact that he is going 1st overall alone is the only reason I do not think that Nail Yakupov will return to the OHL. However, I do believe that there is a chance that he does return as I do not believe that he is physically ready for the NHL and Brandon Saad pushing him around in the playoffs was a fine example of that. I give it a 10% chance of Yakupov returning to the Sarnia Sting though.
Alex Galchenyuk is likely going to be a top 5 or at worst a top 10 draft pick in this years NHL entry draft. In my opinion I believe he deserves to go number 1. Galchenyuk is much stronger on the puck then Yakupov and more defensively responsible. I believe that the only reason Galchenyuk returns to the OHL next year is because the team that drafts him will want to see what he can do in a full season in the OHL. That being said i give it a 40% chance that he sticks in the NHL.
Finally my last question mark. I believe although Reid Boucher is AHL eligible that he will be returned to the Sarnia Sting next year. Boucher has a lot of growing to do, needs to get stronger, needs to work on his defensive game and his offensive consistency. I believe that one more season in the OHL will benefit him in his long term development. 10% chance that Boucher does not return to Sarnia.
Returning: Sarault (OA), Hottot (OA), Galchenyuk, Boucher, Latta, Mater, Nikandrov, Brown, Dundas
Why The Sarnia Sting Lost To The Saginaw Spirit
Brandon Saad, Josh Shalla, Vincent Trocheck, Jake Patterson, Brandon Archibald, Garrett Ross, Steven Strong... Those names are the major reason that the Saginaw Spirit were able to force the Sarnia Sting out of the post season in six games.
Notice how many names are on that list. The Saginaw Spirit showed up with possibly a more complete team and played more of a team game in the 1st round of the playoffs then the Sarnia Sting. The big bodies of the Saginaw Spirit seemed to be too much for the Sting to handle. Brandon Saad showed why he doesn't belong in the OHL. Saad was a man against boys in this series, out muscling and out scoring anyone on either team. Saad had 6 goals and 6 assists for the Saginaw in the 6 game series. Saad just out muscled the Sarnia Sting and showed why he should have been a 1st round draft pick instead of a second round draft pick in last years NHL draft. Saginaw was one of the better teams in the 2nd half of the season and was the better team in this series and that is the bottom line.
It seemed fitting that while the Sting were only trailing by 1 goal and had been applying a constant pressure on the Saginaw Spirit in Game #6 that they would lose 2 of their top players to injury. Ryan Spooner may have possibly finished his OHL career when he went hard into the boards mid way through the 1st period. Spooner would return to the bench but never took a shift on the ice and would again leave the bench this time not to return. Spooner only had 1 goal and 2 assists in the 6 game series for the Sting, which starts to beg the question was he playing all ready injured? Then late in the 2nd period JP Anderson would take a rocket of a shot off the mask that would eventually see him leave the game with a probable concussion. Enter into the game Brandon Hope who has seen limited game time all year and hasn't seen any in a few weeks.
Keys to Saginaw's Win
Jake Patterson: Don't get me wrong when I saw this but Jake Patterson was the better goaltender in this series. The 17 year old draft eligible goaltender made key saves at points in games that allowed the Spirit to get wins (This is no slam on JP Anderson by the way who stood on his head for the Sarnia Sting). Patterson made 163 saves over the 6 game series and would boast a .902 save percentage and a record of 4-0-2.
Brandon Saad: I pretty much talked about this completely above. Saad was a men amongst boys and I said it early on in the season that Saad should have been in the NHL and if not for being a Chicago Blackhawk draft pick I still believe he would have been. Saad averaged 2 points per game at the end of everything (held off the score sheet in game 6) with 6 goals and 6 assists in 6 games.
Josh Shalla: The rumour came out during the series that Shalla was almost made a member of the Sarnia Sting in the last season that Matt Martin captained the Sting, if that rumour is true (which I completely believe it is) Alan Millar screwed the Sarnia organisation worse then people thought, this years team could have been much more successful if Millar was a seller that year instead of holding onto his players for his own personal reasons. Shalla was a pivotal member in the Spirit success boasting 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points in the 6 game series.
Plus/Minus: A lot of people will say that it is a useless stat category that doesn't tell the full story but when you look at the two teams after this series I believe that it does tell a story. Saginaw had 3 players that were +7 (Saad, Shalla, Walsh) and only two players in the minus category that were -1 (Archibald, Trafford). Mean while when you take a look at the Sarnia Sting they only had 2 players above even, Ludvig Rensfeldt (+2) and Jack Kuzmyuk (+1). The Sting also had 9 players that were -2 or worse on their roster.
Saginaw's Defense: Saginaw limited Sarnia who came into the series able to say that they had 8 twenty goal scorers in the regular season (Hottot, Sarault, Yakupov, Thompson, Spooner, Boucher, Brown, Rensfeldt). Saginaw limited Sarnia's shots on net and pretty much eliminated the scoring threats of the Sarnia Sting. Steven Strong and Brandon Archibald lead the Spirit defence being probably the 2 strongest blue liners on the ice the entire series. Walsh and Young were also very pivotal pieces and while Ringuette and Lopez didn't see a ton of ice when they were on the ice they weren't a detriment to their team.
Sarnia Sting Notes
Where was Yakupov?: Yakupov I believe you will hear in the coming days was playing through injuries but the potential 1st overall pick in this years NHL entry draft was not very noticeable in this series. Yakupov had 2 goals and 3 assists and was a -7. While he still had a tied for team lead 5 points in the 6 games he wasn't really noticeable. Also when it came down to do or die for the Sarnia Sting in the 3rd period his ice time was extremely limited.
Galchenyuk Returns: While Nail was seemingly invisible Galchenyuk was all over the ice making sure he was noticed. Galchenyuk missed almost the entire season recovering from knee surgery but still managed to make himself appear as Sarnia's best player in the series. While Alex battled to shake off the cob webs it was evident that his knee is just as good as ever. Galchenyuk was strong on the puck, winning face offs, and making things happen by driving to the net and creating a good chunk of Sarnia's scoring chances.
JP Anderson: JP stood on his head keeping the Sting in games. Other than a rather big mistake made in game 6 when he challenged Kea while on a SH break JP didn't really make any big mistakes in the series. Anderson boasted a .900 save percentage while making 197 saves and allowing 22 goals in the series.
Coaching: It is in my opinion that Jacques Beaulieu was out coached in this series by Greg Gilbert. At times it appeared JB didn't play the right players in key situations. An example is Alex Galchenyuk and Nail Yakupov seeing limited ice time late in the 3rd period in game 3.
Chemistry: With the Sarnia Sting not icing their full line up until the 1st game of Round 1 of the 2012 OHL playoffs they obviously aren't going to have the chemistry that other teams have. I have not seen a team go through so many injuries in one season.
Not enough heart, too much skill?: Yes I will say it. The Sarnia Sting had a ton of skilled players. Unfortunately when you see teams when championships you see a team that has more then 2 heart and soul players. Nathan Chairlitti and Craig Hottot are the 2 players on the Sarnia Sting that play the gritty heart and soul type game. Justice Dundas is another however he only received 3 games and saw maybe 5 shifts in those games. Jack Nevins and Garrett Hooey would have been another one of those players but that will be in a later post looking back at the full season of the Sarnia Sting. Sometimes too much skill isn't a good thing and I believe that is partly a case for the Sarnia Sting who may have had too many offensive minded players.
Injuries: JP Anderson and Ryan Spooner going down in game 6 definitely did not help the Sting push for a game 7. That being said I believe you will see the Sarnia Sting announce a few players who were playing through injuries that may be minor or major. I believe Nail Yakupov was still not even close to 100% after the Halmo hit.
Notice how many names are on that list. The Saginaw Spirit showed up with possibly a more complete team and played more of a team game in the 1st round of the playoffs then the Sarnia Sting. The big bodies of the Saginaw Spirit seemed to be too much for the Sting to handle. Brandon Saad showed why he doesn't belong in the OHL. Saad was a man against boys in this series, out muscling and out scoring anyone on either team. Saad had 6 goals and 6 assists for the Saginaw in the 6 game series. Saad just out muscled the Sarnia Sting and showed why he should have been a 1st round draft pick instead of a second round draft pick in last years NHL draft. Saginaw was one of the better teams in the 2nd half of the season and was the better team in this series and that is the bottom line.
It seemed fitting that while the Sting were only trailing by 1 goal and had been applying a constant pressure on the Saginaw Spirit in Game #6 that they would lose 2 of their top players to injury. Ryan Spooner may have possibly finished his OHL career when he went hard into the boards mid way through the 1st period. Spooner would return to the bench but never took a shift on the ice and would again leave the bench this time not to return. Spooner only had 1 goal and 2 assists in the 6 game series for the Sting, which starts to beg the question was he playing all ready injured? Then late in the 2nd period JP Anderson would take a rocket of a shot off the mask that would eventually see him leave the game with a probable concussion. Enter into the game Brandon Hope who has seen limited game time all year and hasn't seen any in a few weeks.
Keys to Saginaw's Win
Jake Patterson: Don't get me wrong when I saw this but Jake Patterson was the better goaltender in this series. The 17 year old draft eligible goaltender made key saves at points in games that allowed the Spirit to get wins (This is no slam on JP Anderson by the way who stood on his head for the Sarnia Sting). Patterson made 163 saves over the 6 game series and would boast a .902 save percentage and a record of 4-0-2.
Brandon Saad: I pretty much talked about this completely above. Saad was a men amongst boys and I said it early on in the season that Saad should have been in the NHL and if not for being a Chicago Blackhawk draft pick I still believe he would have been. Saad averaged 2 points per game at the end of everything (held off the score sheet in game 6) with 6 goals and 6 assists in 6 games.
Josh Shalla: The rumour came out during the series that Shalla was almost made a member of the Sarnia Sting in the last season that Matt Martin captained the Sting, if that rumour is true (which I completely believe it is) Alan Millar screwed the Sarnia organisation worse then people thought, this years team could have been much more successful if Millar was a seller that year instead of holding onto his players for his own personal reasons. Shalla was a pivotal member in the Spirit success boasting 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points in the 6 game series.
Plus/Minus: A lot of people will say that it is a useless stat category that doesn't tell the full story but when you look at the two teams after this series I believe that it does tell a story. Saginaw had 3 players that were +7 (Saad, Shalla, Walsh) and only two players in the minus category that were -1 (Archibald, Trafford). Mean while when you take a look at the Sarnia Sting they only had 2 players above even, Ludvig Rensfeldt (+2) and Jack Kuzmyuk (+1). The Sting also had 9 players that were -2 or worse on their roster.
Saginaw's Defense: Saginaw limited Sarnia who came into the series able to say that they had 8 twenty goal scorers in the regular season (Hottot, Sarault, Yakupov, Thompson, Spooner, Boucher, Brown, Rensfeldt). Saginaw limited Sarnia's shots on net and pretty much eliminated the scoring threats of the Sarnia Sting. Steven Strong and Brandon Archibald lead the Spirit defence being probably the 2 strongest blue liners on the ice the entire series. Walsh and Young were also very pivotal pieces and while Ringuette and Lopez didn't see a ton of ice when they were on the ice they weren't a detriment to their team.
Sarnia Sting Notes
Where was Yakupov?: Yakupov I believe you will hear in the coming days was playing through injuries but the potential 1st overall pick in this years NHL entry draft was not very noticeable in this series. Yakupov had 2 goals and 3 assists and was a -7. While he still had a tied for team lead 5 points in the 6 games he wasn't really noticeable. Also when it came down to do or die for the Sarnia Sting in the 3rd period his ice time was extremely limited.
Galchenyuk Returns: While Nail was seemingly invisible Galchenyuk was all over the ice making sure he was noticed. Galchenyuk missed almost the entire season recovering from knee surgery but still managed to make himself appear as Sarnia's best player in the series. While Alex battled to shake off the cob webs it was evident that his knee is just as good as ever. Galchenyuk was strong on the puck, winning face offs, and making things happen by driving to the net and creating a good chunk of Sarnia's scoring chances.
JP Anderson: JP stood on his head keeping the Sting in games. Other than a rather big mistake made in game 6 when he challenged Kea while on a SH break JP didn't really make any big mistakes in the series. Anderson boasted a .900 save percentage while making 197 saves and allowing 22 goals in the series.
Coaching: It is in my opinion that Jacques Beaulieu was out coached in this series by Greg Gilbert. At times it appeared JB didn't play the right players in key situations. An example is Alex Galchenyuk and Nail Yakupov seeing limited ice time late in the 3rd period in game 3.
Chemistry: With the Sarnia Sting not icing their full line up until the 1st game of Round 1 of the 2012 OHL playoffs they obviously aren't going to have the chemistry that other teams have. I have not seen a team go through so many injuries in one season.
Not enough heart, too much skill?: Yes I will say it. The Sarnia Sting had a ton of skilled players. Unfortunately when you see teams when championships you see a team that has more then 2 heart and soul players. Nathan Chairlitti and Craig Hottot are the 2 players on the Sarnia Sting that play the gritty heart and soul type game. Justice Dundas is another however he only received 3 games and saw maybe 5 shifts in those games. Jack Nevins and Garrett Hooey would have been another one of those players but that will be in a later post looking back at the full season of the Sarnia Sting. Sometimes too much skill isn't a good thing and I believe that is partly a case for the Sarnia Sting who may have had too many offensive minded players.
Injuries: JP Anderson and Ryan Spooner going down in game 6 definitely did not help the Sting push for a game 7. That being said I believe you will see the Sarnia Sting announce a few players who were playing through injuries that may be minor or major. I believe Nail Yakupov was still not even close to 100% after the Halmo hit.
Sunday, 25 March 2012
OHL Saturday Night Recap
Sting Even Series
The Sarnia Sting and Saginaw Spirit took the ice for Game #2 of their series Saturday at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, MI. Fans would be treated to a very high tempo back and forth game not much like Game #1. Sarnia would come out with the victory courtesy of Tyler Brown scoring the overtime winner after Craig Hottot rapped the puck around the back of the net and fed it to Brown for the wide open cage.
Saginaw would open the game taking a 1-0 lead after the first period. Carlos Amestoy would open the scoring for the Spirit at the 6:57 mark of the first period after fooling JP Anderson and the Sting defenders by using his forward partner as a perfect distraction. Amestoy's goal would be his second of the series after scoring 1 in Game #1 as well, assists on the goal would go to Garrett Ross and Eric Locke.
Sarnia wasn't a slouch in the first period they came out very motivated with a high tempo and gave Saginaw all they could handle in the first period out shooting the Spirit 17-12 in the first period. Mark Glavin (Assistant General Manager of the Sarnia Sting) said it best via twitter after the first period "Unfortunately trailing 1-0 after 1 but a better period than any of the 3 last night..Yak flying..like our chances w 2 more periods like that".
The second period would see the teams trade power play goals. Saginaw would score first at 5:33 to give them a 2-0 lead early in the period. Garrett Ross would score his second goal of the series on the power play with assists going to Brandon Saad and Josh Shalla. Nail Yakupov would respond for the Sting at 8:14 of the second period with an absolute rocket that handcuffed Saginaw goaltender Jake Paterson. Yakupov's goal was assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and Connor Murphy to cut Saginaw's lead back to 1 goal.
At the conclusion of the second period emotions would run high as Brandon Saad would take a run at Dominic Alberga and Craig Hottot would then take a return run at Saad. After the final buzzer the players on the ice would all come together and would take a little extra time to vacate the ice for intermission. The scrums at the end of the period would lead to another Sarnia power play as Michael Fine would be the only player to receive a penalty.
Just 29 seconds into the third period Sarnia would receive a two man advantage as Garrett Ross would take a slashing penalty to kick off the third period. Ryan Spooner would score his first goal of the series on that two man advantage to tie the game at 2-2 for the Sarnia Sting. Josh Shalla would waste no time responding for the Spirit reinstating their 1 goal lead at 5:10 of the third period. 16 year old defenseman Anthony DeAngelo would then score his 1st career OHL Playoff goal only 21 seconds later to tie the game at 3 again for the Sarnia Sting. That would be all the scoring in the 3rd period and the teams would have to go to overtime where Tyler Brown was the hero 3:52 in for the Sarnia Sting allowing them to win the game and tie the series at 1 game a piece.
Game Notes
- Nail Yakupov had 1 goal and 1 assist and Dominic Alberga had 2 assists for the Sting
- Garrett Ross and Carlos Amestoy both had 1 goal and 1 assist for the Spirit while Brandon Saad has 2 assists
- 3 Stars were: 3- Nail Yakupov, 2- Josh Shalla, 1- Tyler Brown
- Sarnia will need to keep that high tempo pace come Monday night when the two teams face off for Game #3 at the RBC Center in Sarnia, ON
- Both teams seemed to bring a very high temp and upped the physical play in Game 2 which probably added to some of the animosity between the two teams
- Saginaw out shot Sarnia 46-37
- Sarnia would go 1/7 on the PP while Saginaw was 1/5
Scoring Summary
1. SAG C. Amestoy (2) (G. Ross, E. Locke) 6:57
2. SAG G. Ross (2) (B. Saad, J. Shalla) 5:33 PP
2. SAR N. Yakupov (1) (A. Galchenuk, C. Murphy) 8:17 PP
3. SAR R. Spooner (1) (B. Thompson, N. Yakupov) 1:35 PP
3. SAG J. Shalla (1) (B. Saad, M. Fine) 5:10
3. SAR A. DeAngelo (1) (D. Alberga) 5:31
OT. SAR T. Brown (1) (C. Hottot, D. Alberga) 3:52
Owen Sound Discipline Problems
I don't think anyone would really be surprised if I said that the Owen Sound Attack have been having trouble with the Kitchener Rangers or if I said that discipline is a big part of their struggles. With Attack Captain Mike Halmo suspended for 6 more games already and now Arthur Gurvus out with an injury the Attack are already short staffed only icing 16 skaters. To add on to the fact that they only iced a 16 skater roster they allowed the Rangers 6 power plays. Kitchener would go 1/6 on the PP and Owen Sound would go 1/3.
If Owen Sound wants any chance at going longer then 4 games in this series they are going to have to tighten up their game plan and stay out of the penalty box. With a short roster it is going to be tiring enough taking needless penalties constantly isn't going to help their game.
Tempers ran high to end game game 2 as a full line brawl would break out with even Kitchener goalie John Gibson trying to get involved in the festivities. At the buzzer 2 fights would break out with scrums going on with other players on the ice. 8 penalties would be given out at the end of the game including a 4 min spearing penalty to Cameron Brace of the Owen Sound Attack.
- Kitchener would win the game 3-2 to go up 2-0 in the best of 7 series.
- Faska, Iafrate and Reider would be the goal scorers for Kitchener while Brace and Hope would be the goal scorers for the Owen Sound Attack
- While the scrums were going on on the ice at the end of the game Owen Sound Fans disgraced themselves by through various pieces of garbage at the Kitchener Rangers bench and players
- Owen Sound out shot Kitchener 37-28
- 3 stars: 3- Tobias Reider, 2- Cameron Brace, 1- John Gibson
The Sarnia Sting and Saginaw Spirit took the ice for Game #2 of their series Saturday at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, MI. Fans would be treated to a very high tempo back and forth game not much like Game #1. Sarnia would come out with the victory courtesy of Tyler Brown scoring the overtime winner after Craig Hottot rapped the puck around the back of the net and fed it to Brown for the wide open cage.
Saginaw would open the game taking a 1-0 lead after the first period. Carlos Amestoy would open the scoring for the Spirit at the 6:57 mark of the first period after fooling JP Anderson and the Sting defenders by using his forward partner as a perfect distraction. Amestoy's goal would be his second of the series after scoring 1 in Game #1 as well, assists on the goal would go to Garrett Ross and Eric Locke.
Sarnia wasn't a slouch in the first period they came out very motivated with a high tempo and gave Saginaw all they could handle in the first period out shooting the Spirit 17-12 in the first period. Mark Glavin (Assistant General Manager of the Sarnia Sting) said it best via twitter after the first period "Unfortunately trailing 1-0 after 1 but a better period than any of the 3 last night..Yak flying..like our chances w 2 more periods like that".
The second period would see the teams trade power play goals. Saginaw would score first at 5:33 to give them a 2-0 lead early in the period. Garrett Ross would score his second goal of the series on the power play with assists going to Brandon Saad and Josh Shalla. Nail Yakupov would respond for the Sting at 8:14 of the second period with an absolute rocket that handcuffed Saginaw goaltender Jake Paterson. Yakupov's goal was assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and Connor Murphy to cut Saginaw's lead back to 1 goal.
At the conclusion of the second period emotions would run high as Brandon Saad would take a run at Dominic Alberga and Craig Hottot would then take a return run at Saad. After the final buzzer the players on the ice would all come together and would take a little extra time to vacate the ice for intermission. The scrums at the end of the period would lead to another Sarnia power play as Michael Fine would be the only player to receive a penalty.
Just 29 seconds into the third period Sarnia would receive a two man advantage as Garrett Ross would take a slashing penalty to kick off the third period. Ryan Spooner would score his first goal of the series on that two man advantage to tie the game at 2-2 for the Sarnia Sting. Josh Shalla would waste no time responding for the Spirit reinstating their 1 goal lead at 5:10 of the third period. 16 year old defenseman Anthony DeAngelo would then score his 1st career OHL Playoff goal only 21 seconds later to tie the game at 3 again for the Sarnia Sting. That would be all the scoring in the 3rd period and the teams would have to go to overtime where Tyler Brown was the hero 3:52 in for the Sarnia Sting allowing them to win the game and tie the series at 1 game a piece.
Game Notes
- Nail Yakupov had 1 goal and 1 assist and Dominic Alberga had 2 assists for the Sting
- Garrett Ross and Carlos Amestoy both had 1 goal and 1 assist for the Spirit while Brandon Saad has 2 assists
- 3 Stars were: 3- Nail Yakupov, 2- Josh Shalla, 1- Tyler Brown
- Sarnia will need to keep that high tempo pace come Monday night when the two teams face off for Game #3 at the RBC Center in Sarnia, ON
- Both teams seemed to bring a very high temp and upped the physical play in Game 2 which probably added to some of the animosity between the two teams
- Saginaw out shot Sarnia 46-37
- Sarnia would go 1/7 on the PP while Saginaw was 1/5
Scoring Summary
1. SAG C. Amestoy (2) (G. Ross, E. Locke) 6:57
2. SAG G. Ross (2) (B. Saad, J. Shalla) 5:33 PP
2. SAR N. Yakupov (1) (A. Galchenuk, C. Murphy) 8:17 PP
3. SAR R. Spooner (1) (B. Thompson, N. Yakupov) 1:35 PP
3. SAG J. Shalla (1) (B. Saad, M. Fine) 5:10
3. SAR A. DeAngelo (1) (D. Alberga) 5:31
OT. SAR T. Brown (1) (C. Hottot, D. Alberga) 3:52
Owen Sound Discipline Problems
I don't think anyone would really be surprised if I said that the Owen Sound Attack have been having trouble with the Kitchener Rangers or if I said that discipline is a big part of their struggles. With Attack Captain Mike Halmo suspended for 6 more games already and now Arthur Gurvus out with an injury the Attack are already short staffed only icing 16 skaters. To add on to the fact that they only iced a 16 skater roster they allowed the Rangers 6 power plays. Kitchener would go 1/6 on the PP and Owen Sound would go 1/3.
If Owen Sound wants any chance at going longer then 4 games in this series they are going to have to tighten up their game plan and stay out of the penalty box. With a short roster it is going to be tiring enough taking needless penalties constantly isn't going to help their game.
Tempers ran high to end game game 2 as a full line brawl would break out with even Kitchener goalie John Gibson trying to get involved in the festivities. At the buzzer 2 fights would break out with scrums going on with other players on the ice. 8 penalties would be given out at the end of the game including a 4 min spearing penalty to Cameron Brace of the Owen Sound Attack.
- Kitchener would win the game 3-2 to go up 2-0 in the best of 7 series.
- Faska, Iafrate and Reider would be the goal scorers for Kitchener while Brace and Hope would be the goal scorers for the Owen Sound Attack
- While the scrums were going on on the ice at the end of the game Owen Sound Fans disgraced themselves by through various pieces of garbage at the Kitchener Rangers bench and players
- Owen Sound out shot Kitchener 37-28
- 3 stars: 3- Tobias Reider, 2- Cameron Brace, 1- John Gibson
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