First Round Preview
(sorry about the delay…here we go!)
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Ottawa v. Oshawa – by Sophie D
The Oshawa Generals and Ottawa 67s are no strangers to the OHL playoffs or the media.
While the obvious Tavares v. Couture battle looms, there are other parts of the game to consider, such as the physical play.
This is something 67’s forward Thomas Nesbitt is familiar with from his rookie year.
“I remember from last year’s playoffs, it’s a lot more physical and intense, so you want to bring that to the table and set the tempo.”
How the 67’s and Generals will match up physically is something that won’t be known until Friday and further into the series, but there are always the same players who will make their physical presence known early on.
Oshawa boasts a scary threesome that could make life difficult for Ottawa – James DeLory, Ryan Baldwin, and Shea Kewin. Add in power forward Corey Cowick and veteran Eric Regan and it’s not going to be fun to step onto the ice.
Ottawa, meanwhile, has under-rated toughness. They have occasional scrappers in Jason Bailey, Julian Demers, and the aforementioned Nesbitt, and that might be enough to get them past. However, they’re still taking it slowly and realizing what’s ahead of them.
“Oshawa is obviously known as a tough team” admits Nesbitt.
“Guys like Delory and Regan are big bodies on defense, and they also have guys like Kewin, Baldwin and Cowick that play tough up front.”
He isn’t counting out his team though.
“We are kind of under the radar as far as toughness goes. We are certainly tougher than we get credit for and we are a tight group who look out for one another. It starts with Bailey up front. He loves to throw big hits and Demers is the same on the back end.”
Nesbitt, who has a few tilts under his own belt, makes only one prediction in this match up.
“It’s going to be a long series.”
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Belleville v. Peterborough
This is a true case of both teams having the ability to go, but only one really using it.
The Petes are led by league champ Justin Soryal and veteran enforcer Bobby Davey. The two can go with anyone in the league and Soryal has KO potential when he drops ‘em. They also boast a couple tough first-year players in Kenzie Shephard and Zack Kassian. Neither is an overly active fighter, but they have fun when they do go.
Belleville, on the other hand, also has two legit heavies in Matt Beleskey and Andy Self. Unfortunately for fight fans, they rarely go as they’re needed on the ice. Push comes to shove, though, they’ll shove right back and with authority. Belleville also has a handful of willing secondary guys, but the likelihood of them dropping the gloves is slim-to-none.
Best match-up to look forward to here: Davey v. Beleskey
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Barrie v. Brampton
Barrie has come on strong as a team that’s willing to go when need be, or even just when they want. They don’t have one definitive enforcer, but a trio of very willing youngsters in Stefan Della Rovere, Andrew Clouthier, and Kyle Clifford. The three each bring a different element to the game and make life tough for opponents. Then there’s occasional but tough character Cory McGillis. He’s not going to go for the heck of it, but will defend teammates in the blink of an eye.
Brampton got a boost this season with the return of Kody Musselman. He’s one of the more under-rated fighters in the league and can go with just about anyone. They also have Luke VanMoerkerke, who’s not a household name yet, but can throw down with some solid names.
It’s not predicted to be a fight-filled series, but if tempers flare, anything is possible.
Best match-up here – Clouthier v. Musselman.
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Mississauga v. Niagara
This could come down to a battle of the big men.
Niagara has veteran heavyweight Scott Fletcher, while the Majors counter with second-year tough guy Kyle Neuber. They’ve got a rivalry going on, so fireworks could go off at some point.
Each team has a solid secondary scrapper too – Zac Rinaldo for Mississauga and Chris De Sousa for the Ice Dogs.
This series could go either way. The match-up to look forward to, given their rivalry, is Fletcher and Neuber.
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Kitchener v. Plymouth
While it’s a battle of one versus eight, the teams are both very, very willing to shed the mitts if need be. I’m sure we’ve all seen the first game highlights, so it’s no secret that Plymouth’s tough guy Jozef Sladok is ready and willing to go. The Whalers also have Kaine Geldart, Leo Jenner, and Mike Yovanic to do their dirty work. The Rangers counter with Brandon Mashinter, Mike Mascioli, and Mike Duco. No love will be lost in this series as neither team tends to stay out of the box once the score gets out of hand. The potential for a true grudge-match is here.
Best match-up – Sladok v. Mashinter
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Sault v. Saginaw
I’ll make this my ‘most unlikely’ series for fights. Why? The regular season was very close so it’s unlikely either team will get a big lead during the series. That’ll mean guys like Anthony Peluso and David Jarram will be needed on the ice for the Hounds and Spirit respectively. You never know, though, as you could have youngsters Jake Carrick on the Hounds and Kain Allicock on the Spirit go toe-to-toe to get the troops motivated. The rivalry is there, so potential is there. The games will be worth watching, regardless.
Best match-up – Peluso v. Jarram
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Windsor v. Sarnia
These teams have a major dislike for each other and you can tell by the first two games.
They each have their fair share of toughness and love a good chirp. If the game in Sarnia is any indication, it could be a fight-filled end to the series. Keep an eye on Richard Greenop, Harry Young, and Elgin Reid from Windsor. They’re the Big Three. Sarnia counters with Devin Didiomete, Brett Oliphant, and Matt Martin, though you can’t count out captain Ryan Wilson, either. He’s not a regular scrapper but will defend teammates in an instant.
Best match-up – Young v. Martin – the rivalry could continue.
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London v. Guelph
This is like the Sault-Saginaw series. It’ll be close, but has the potential to boil over. These guys have a major rivalry and have had it for years. Guelph isn’t the most physical team, boasting just a few willing guys. However, when they play London, emotions tend to run strong. Leigh Salters, Pat Moran, and Matt Kennedy will do the damage for Guelph, while Akim Aliu, Garrett Hunter, and Justin Taylor could do the damage for London.
Best match-up – Aliu v. Salters
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