Knights and Colts to clash for OHL crown
By
Mark Schadenberg
LONDON
– With conference champions clashing in the Ontario Hockey League finals, the
London Knights and Barrie Colts do not have a wealth of familiarity to draw
upon as the best-of-seven final opens Friday in London.
London
won 50 of 68 to repeat as regular-season champions and have posted a 12-2
playoff mark, winning the Western Conference final in five games over the
Plymouth Whalers. The Knights are defending OHL champions.
On the
Eastern Conference side, Barrie and the Belleville Bulls each won 44 in the
regular schedule, but in the post-season it was Barrie winning 3-1 over the
Bulls this past Monday in Game 7 to advance to the final.
Looking
back, it was the Knights winning both encounters with the Colts during the
regular season, but needed a shootout to win in Barrie on Oct. 20, 3-2, before
winning in London 5-3 in late November.
“Both
games were really close and both teams have made changes since then, especially
at the deadline,” says Colts defenceman Ryan O’Connor via a telephone
conference on Wednesday.
For
example, London would compile a 24-game win streak from Nov. 2 – Dec. 31 with
goalies Jake Patterson and Kevin Baillie each winning a dozen, but with the arrival
of 2013 there was also the arrival of Philadelphia Flyers second-round pick,
goalie Anthony Stolarz, who would win 13 of 18 decisions and posted a 2.29 GAA.
In the playoffs, Stolarz has improved his numbers with a GAA of 2.26.
Meanwhile,
Barrie added Mitchell Theoret at the Jan. 10 deadline from Niagara and Jake Dotchin
from Owen Sound. While Dotchin has four games remaining in a five-game
suspension, Theoret’s importance has been paramount as he is tied for the OHL
lead in post-season goals with 10.
For
London, the key Colt to shut down will be Mark Scheifele with eight goals and
19 assists in 15 playoff outings. Scheifele,
who led Team Canada in goals (5) at the world juniors, also collected 79 points
in just 45 games with Barrie.
“You
can easily see that Mark Scheifele is a special player and that’s why twice he
has been in Winnipeg (with Jets organization) for quite awhile,” said London
team president and head coach Dale Hunter. “We have to be aware of him at all times,
the entire line of (Scheifele), Zach Hall and Anthony Camara.”
The
Knights have the luxury of three extra days of rest since winning the Wayne
Gretzky Trophy for the Western Conference. Barrie didn’t earn the Bobby Orr
Trophy as Eastern champs until Monday.
O’Connor
indicates there are no tired players in the Colts dressing room.
“We
have to carry the momentum we have from our last series,” he said.
As
defending champions, the Knights may have an edge in playoff knowledge.
“Our
club’s young guys can lean on the players who are used to playing this late in
the season,” says Knights captain Scott Harrington, who added that slowing the
Colts powerplay will be integral.
“Barrie
has a lot of lethal forwards and a couple defencemen that can put the puck in
the net as well.
“Both
teams have highly skilled forwards so it’s going to come down to execution and
shutting down their forwards, and goaltending is also very important in the
playoffs.”
Besides
Scheifele, Theoret, Hall, Camara and Steven Beyers, Barrie coach Dale Hawerchuk
also relies on the offence of former Knight Andreas Athanasiou with 16 points.
“He
has brought both an element of speed and skill to our team – added to our depth
in that area,” Hawerchuk said.
London’s
top producer has been Max Domi with 87 points in the regular season, a playoff
output of 10 goals and 15 assists, and is the current OHL player of the week
with four goals and 10 points in the last three games versus Plymouth.
Alex
Broadhurst and Chris Tierney have teamed with Domi to be the top line for the
Knights, but the strength up front continues with Seth Griffith, Bo Horvat,
Ryan Rupert (twin brother Matt is currently injured), and a surprising four
goals by rookie Remi Elie.
With a
blueline corps of Harrington and Olli Maatta (Both Pittsburgh draftees), plus
Nikita Zadorov and Tommy Hughes (signed by the Rangers as a free agent), London
appears to have depth to play well in all three zones.
“These
are both skilled teams,” says Dale Hunter. “The fans will appreciate all the
great players in this series and the number of guys who will be in the NHL
someday.”
Hawerchuk
knows his team will require at least one road win to claim the OHL crown and
the J Ross Robertson Cup, along with the invitation to compete in the Memorial
Cup in Saskatoon, May 17-26.
“We
have to be able to go into the other team’s building and win,” says Hawerchuk.
“(Dale Hunter) and myself both have a
lot of experience we can draw upon, like playing in a Game 7, but this hockey has
also changed a lot from when we played and you have to change with it.”
Hawerchuk
competed in the NHL against both Dale Hunter and general manager Mark Hunter,
who has been a fixture on the Knights bench during the playoffs. However,
Hawerchuk – a NHL Hall-of-Famer with 1,188 games -- was teammates with Dave
Hunter in 1988-89 in Winnipeg.
“(Dale
Hunter) was a gritty player with a great pro career,” said Hawerchuk.
Besides
the Dale – Dale parallel, the series also features two of the three clubs
(along with Windsor) vying to host the 2014 Memorial Cup.
“We’ve
all made our bid presentations, so that decision is now in the hands of the (selection)
committee,” added Dale Hunter. “We’re here now to play hockey.”
Besides
winning the OHL title last year before losing to Shawinigan in the Memorial Cup
final, London also won both titles in 2005.
Barrie’s
only OHL title was in 2000, losing to Rimouski in the Memorial Cup final.
