OFF THE CUFF

Assorted opinions and ramblings from the past week in the OHL.

   

-- So Mark Visentin fulfilled every goalies secret dream in that he scored a goal last night, and it was a legitimate goal that he scored himself, not one he just got credit for.  The interesting thing about Mark Visentin is that he almost scored a goal earlier in the year in a game at London, but missed the net costing his team an icing in a one goal game.  The star goaltender was a bit sheepish after that one his goal attempt exploits were reduced to if the IceDogs had a two goal advantage.   Puck handling is the strongest aspect of Visentin's all round excellent game, and it comes as little surprise to ardent IceDog followers that Visentin scored a goal. 

--Sports fans sure are a curious bunch though.  On the TSN article on Visentins goal the comments section made the usual foolish and unfounded comments about Visentin's World Junior play and somehow comments about Dougie Hamilton not being as good as Jake Gardiner.  Clearly Leaf fans are desperate for something to talk about

--More Visentin.  The Star produced a decent, all be it, short AP account of the Visentin's goal, but clearly proof-reading the picture was not in order as it was accompanied by a shot of Olivier Roy, and a bad one at that.  The article is here

--We had the night off on Friday as Sportsnet covered Game 1 of the Ice Dogs/67's series.   It sure was interesting watching the game from the stands, but still found myself calling the game in my mind.  Kudos to Sportsnet for actually fitting their giant production truck in a tiny space, but it also cost the 67's who had to move their bus to the street where one bright shining St Catharines star chose to give the bus a ticket for illegal parking.  Interesting that a lot of fans do not seem to care for the constant time outs by the major networks.  You have to remember that advertising helps pay the bills, and I bet you coaches love the timeouts as it gives them a chance to rest key personnel. 

-- Marc Zanetti is a good, hard-nosed player whose OHL career will likely end as a result of a momentary brain cramp.   The Ottawa D man gave IceDog Tom Kuhnhackl a boot to the face while he was on the ground during Game 1.  While the kick did not cause an injury, it was a shockingly momentary lapse in judgement.  I will choose to remember the player who was a leader on his team and a 30 minute a night defensemen rather than the one moment that many will chose to define him with. 

--Damien Cox, who analyzed the kick on Sportsnet, chose to rub it in a little more when he tweeted (and I paraphrase) on whether or not Zanetti was glad that his kick was caught on the Friday Night Game of the Week.  However, to twist the knife in a bit after the incident, in my opinion,  was not a wise choice by Cox, who rarely has a good thing to say about anything

-- In the spirit of full disclosure, I will readily admit I have been in a minor dispute with Damien Cox.It was so minor that he likely has forgotten about it.   He actually blocked me on Twitter.  After Cox used his twitter feed to relentlessly pound on Don Cherry and the CBC, I chose to lob a couple of soft-ball chiding comments his way, he blocked me. I'm a big fan of the CBC, and of Hockey Night in Canada, so I took a little umbrage to his needling shots at the Corporation and Don Cherry  Guess he can dish it out but.....

We will have Game Five of the IceDogs/67's series live Friday Night at 7pm on TV Cogeco and the OHL Action Pack

CONFERENCE FINAL PREDICTIONS AND OTHER ASSORTED BLATHER

Prediction time again after a rather pedestrian 2/4 effort last round.  I was on track for a perfect round until those dastardly Ottawa 67's stormed back from 3-1 down against an embattled Barrie Colts team and those plucky Kitchener Rangers came back from 3-2 down to upend the favoured Plymouth Whalers.  I had Barrie in 6 and Plymouth in 7 in my original predictions.  I also picked Niagara to win in six and pegged the London/Saginaw series bang on.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL


NIAGARA OVER OTTAWA IN 5
This is more of a celebration of the excellent play of the Ice Dogs rather than a condemnation of the Ottawa 67's.  Ottawa has had to work hard for their series wins, beating Belleville in 6 tough games and carried to the limit by an undermanned Barrie Colts team.  Despite the fact Ottawa is in the conference final, there is a feeling that Ottawa has not played their best hockey to this point.  They will need it against the Ice Dogs, a team gathering momentum as the playoffs go on.   The Ice Dogs have been chameleon like in that they adapt to the game that their opposition plays.   They matched the aggression of the Oshawa Generals and won in six and then usurped the tight checking Battalion in a four game sweep.  The Ice Dogs have no weaknesses in their lineup from roster members 1 through 20.  Ottawa will need to be at their best to beat Niagara, and while the games will be hotly contested, the Ice Dogs will prevail.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL


KITCHENER OVER LONDON IN 7
Kitchener showed a lot of intestinal fortitude in coming back against Plymouth last series.   This was a very close checking series for the most part until the offences broke through towards the latter stages.  To win a game 7 on the road against a favoured opponent speaks heavily the character and will of the your team. Kitchener has that, plus a boat load of talent anchored by John Gibson, a great goalie.   London also showed a lot of heart as they were down 2-1 to Saginaw before reeling off three straight wins to close out the series.  London has set the pace the whole season long in the Western Conference a boast an enviable talent level.  Kitchener, this year, just seems to have that X factor though.

MUSINGS AND OBSERVATIONS


--TV Cogeco will step aside for Game 1 of the Ottawa series so the big boys from Sportsnet can invade the Jack.  Make no mistake about it, broadcasters are competitors too and it's sort of like having someone come into your living room, grab the remote, kiss your wife and put your slippers on.  That said, I'm happy that the Ice Dog players are getting the national exposure they so richly deserve

-- The Ice Dogs will have had an eight day layoff by the time the puck drop in Games 1.  While conventional thinking is that the Ice Dogs might be rusty, a break at this juncture of the season is gold to heal up those bumps and bruises that accumulate over a long season

--Good for Greg Gilbert of Saginaw in winning the Coach of the Year.  He really turned the fortunes of the team around, but the fact that the award did not go to Dale Hawerchuck is shocking.  Barrie was awful last year, the three seed in the conference this year.  Do not underestimate the difficulty that a coach has in instilling a winning attitude in his team

--Congrats to Andrew Agozzino, a deserving winner of OA of the Year in the OHL.  It sure will be strange not to see #9 in an Ice Dogs uniform next year.

--The rough stuff that has plagued the NHL during the 1st round of the playoffs has not trickled down to the OHL yet.  The hockey has been rough and aggressive at times, but not to the level that the NHL has.

--It was a finish for the ages in the Barrie/Ottawa series wasn't it?  Ottawa scores with :25 left to take a 3-2 lead and then Barrie scores the tying goal with :09 left and then Remy Giftopoulos scores on a harmless shot to win it!  Drama to the extreme...

We will have game two of the Ottawa/Niagara series live on TV Cogeco at 2pm Sunday.

Steve Clark
www.twitter.com/SteveClarkMedia

GAME 3 ICE/DOGS BATTALION + OTHER SCATTERED INSIGHTS

After two close checking games between Brampton and Niagara, the teams opened it up a little bit and after spotting Brampton a 2-0 lead, the Ice Dogs roared back for a 6-3 victory and a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.  Freddie Hamilton paced the Ice Dogs with a hat-trick and a five point evening, Tom Kuhnhackl added a pair while Alex Frisen potted a short-handed marker.  Ryan Strome dished out four assists in the win, while Mark Visentin won his 5th consecutive play-off start, matching the record he set during last years play-off run.   Matt MacLeod, Philip Lane (SH) and Zach Bell responded for the Battalion.

Highlights are HERE

Game 4 goes on Thursday in Brampton with a potential game 5 back in Niagara on Saturday evening.

NOTES AND OTHER THOUGHTS

--Philip Lane levelled Alex Friesen with a pretty obvious elbow to the head in the 2nd period and got 5 minutes for head checking and a game misconduct.  Supplemental discipline on this one is possible, though one mitigating factor is that Friesen would return to the game

--The Ice Dogs have now won 7 consecutive playoff games versus the Battalion

--Up until last night, Freddie Hamilton had one goal in 12 games, factoring the latter part of the regular season. Tom Kuhnhackl was on seven game goalless drought until his two goal performance

--The support the Ice Dogs are getting on the road is reminiscent of the first year when a large contingent of vocal supporters would often match the home crowd in volume and enthusiasm

--The song written exclusively for the Ice Dogs by local musician Angela Siracusa is getting mixed reviews.   The song is certainly catchy, though hardily intimidating to opposing teams and fans.   Still, on a cross-marketing platform it is a solid promotion of the Ice Dog brand. Check the song out here

-- All other series are at 2-1.  Saginaw leading London 2-1 is likely the biggest surprise, but an undermanned Barrie team has a 2-1 lead on Ottawa after a 5-2 win last night.  Barrie is missing Stephen Beyers, Ryan O'Connor, Zach Hall and Tanner Pearson, four very key contributors yet they gutted out a 2OT win vs Ottawa to knot the series before last nights win

--Congrats to all the young men that the Ice Dogs drafted on Saturday.  The future indeed looks bright for the Ice Dogs.  Why the OHL chose to hold the draft 3 weeks earlier with eight teams immersed in the playoffs is beyond my comprehension

-- Very quietly Sherry Bassin finalized his two year extension with the Tullio Centre in Erie.  It's not exactly a long-term endorsement of the area, but it buys him time until he knows how the renovations of the arena turn out.   The Otters drafting of Connor McDavid is sure to put some backsides in the seats in Erie

--Good for Sam Carrick, who finalized his 3 year entry level deal with the Leafs last week.  Carrick, who potted 37 goals during the regular season is a leader, and unafraid to mix it up.  He's exactly the type of player the Blue and White need

--Had a chance to listen to the Kitchener Rangers radio broadcast on Sunday.  Don Cameron, who is in his mid 70's, has a voice I could listen to all day long.  He's the OHL's Vin Scully.  Mike Farwell, former TV play by play broadcaster is solid on colour commentary.  Both are very nice guys to boot!

See you at the rink
www.twitter.com/SteveClarkMedia

OHL ROUND TWO FEARLESS PREDICTIONS

And then there eight.... No first round series went seven games, but there sure were some entertaining six game series, along with some excitement, surprises and controversy abound. Oh yes there were some Melrose Place like moments for sure.  I went 7/8, picking Ottawa/ Belleville and Saginaw/Sarnia bang on, while misfiring badly on the Sudbury/Brampton series as I had Sudbury in six.  The other series I picked correctly but was off on the number of games it would take.   

Round 2 awaits, and without further ado...

EASTERN CONFERENCE

NIAGARA OVER BRAMPTON IN 6

Niagara had one heck heck of a battle with Oshawa in the first round.  Most pundits would agree that Oshawa was sort of like a wolf in sheep's clothing, and not a true indicator of a #8 seed.  The Ice Dogs in the end were full value for their series victory, but the Generals gave them all they could handle and then some.  Brampton had a surprisingly easy 1st round as they dusted off Sudbury in four straight.    Niagara beat Brampton 4-2 in the season series, and were 3-0 vs Brampton at home.  However, Brampton were one of the few teams to shutout Niagara during the season, winning 3-0.   That game became something of a epiphany for the Ice Dogs as Marty Williamson ripped his team in the press after the game and the Ice Dogs were much better for it down the stretch.  Brampton was right in the thick of things with Niagara for the division crown until the team went 1-7 during Stan Butler's suspension.  Brampton will have to play their usual composed and rigid two way game to best the Ice Dogs.  In the end the Ice Dogs depth and home ice advantage will prevail.  Niagara had players get at least two goals in all six games of the Oshawa series and scored 30 goals over the course of the six game series.  I'd rate the defenses one through six pretty close, give a slight edge to the Ice Dogs in net and a more decided advantage to the Ice Dogs up front.  

BARRIE OVER OTTAWA IN 6

I really like this Barrie team.  They were very hot down the stretch and got pushed to the limit by a very, very game Mississauga squad in round one before prevailing in six games.  Despite not having Tanner Pearson up front, they still have Mark Scheifle, Colin Behenna returned from suspension and provided a boost, Anthony Camara is a good power forward while stalwarts such as Ivan Telegin and Daniel Erlich provide good offensive depth.  Mattias Niederberger was also very good in goal in the 1st round .  Ottawa really got pushed in round one by Belleville, who like Oshawa were a team that ran hot and cold during portions of the season.  Lots of offensive depth is featured on Oshawa in Tyler Toffoli, Shane Prince,  and Sean Monahan.  Future 1st round pick Cody Ceci anchors a solid back end while Petr Mrazek is a tried and true playoff veteran.  This pick is no disrespect to Ottawa. I just like Barrie's overall game and the momentum they have been building through the playoffs. 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

LONDON OVER SAGINAW IN 6

I was very impressed with Saginaw's six game victory over a Sarnia team loaded with talent.  The Spirit, who were challenged just to make the playoffs at one point in the season are a team that is peaking at the right time.  Unfortunately the London Knights have maintained a superior level of consistency all season long and have a line up brimming with talent, not limited to Michael Houser, Jared Tinordi, Greg McKegg, Jared Knight, Seth Griffith, Vladimir Namestnikov.  Saginaw also did not play well vs London during the regular season, including losses of 8-0 and 6-0.  Take the Knights and their depth in this one. 

PLYMOUTH OVER KITCHENER IN 7

Arguably the best match up in terms of goaltenders with Plymouth's Scott Wedgewood and Kitchener's John Gibson.   Plymouth got a real eye opener in the first round as they spotted Guelph a 2-0 series lead before roaring back to take four straight in a series that had its share of controversy featuring an accusatory finger being pointed at the Whalers for their alleged embellishment of certain infractions.  Kitchener survived a rough and tumble 1st series vs a battling Owen Sound Attack team. Plymouth is a lot of people's pick to go to the final and might just have hit their stride.  Kitchener though has been very good and it would surprise me if a Game 7 went their way. This one is a bit of a pick 'em. 

Steve Clark

www.twitter.com/SteveClarkMedia

MONDAY THOUGHTS..ICE DOGS AND WRESTLEMANIA

You can be of two minds with the Ice Dogs six game elimination of the Oshawa Generals, depending on whether or not you view your cup as half-full or half-empty.  The glass half-full theory will say that it is good that the Ice Dogs got their mettle tested in the first round as it will steel them for the rest of what hopefully is a lengthy play-off run.  They will also point to a decided shots on goal advantage forged by the Dogs in order to demonstrate Niagara's obvious superiority.  The glass half-empty fan will stew over the fact that the Ice Dogs could have and should have dispatched the Generals in four straight, particularly after dominant performances in Game 1 and Game 2. 

Make no mistake about it, the Ice Dogs are supremely deep, confident and skilled team.  They can run four lines that each bring something special to the table.  In fact in each of the six games in the Oshawa series the Dogs had a player get at least two goals.  Alex Friesen had a hat-trick in Game 1, Steven Shipley got two goals in Games 2 and 4.  Ryan Strome got two goals in Games 3 and 5, while David Pacan scored a pair in Game 6.  That is some serious offensive depth!  They have three potential number one D men in Dougie Hamilton,  Jamie Oleksiak and Brock Beukeboom and they have rock-solid goaltending,  helmed by Mark Visentin.  That said, the Ice Dogs, like all teams have a few flaws and the Generals were able to expose some of them and achieve success.  Oshawa's ability to go East -West on the Ice Dogs through the skating of Lucas Lessio or when they made quick passes in the Ice Dogs zone netted them some goals.  Going North-South against the Ice Dogs proved to be futile.  The Ice Dogs controlled the neutral zone for the most part and counter attack and transition effortlessly.  

The next round is expected to begin in Niagara on Friday evening with three potential opponents in play in the Belleville Bulls, Mississauga St-Michaels Majors or the Brampton Battalion. 

GAME FIVE HIGHLIGHTS: 

  

QUICK WRESTLEMANIA THOUGHTS

 

Definitely a thumbs in the middle show for me,stolen by Undertaker's match vs HHH in Hell in a Cell.  The low point was a pointless :18 squash by Seamus over Daniel Bryan that put a bad taste in my mouth at the beginning of the PPV, and never fully left.   The problem with the Hell in a Cell match is that it had everything, and because it happened in the middle of the show left all the other matches lacking in the fierce drama HHH/Undertaker provided.  Rock and Cena worked hard, but at 31 minutes was too long and attempts to build drama and suspense actually came across as a bit boring at times.   Jericho/Punk delivered a great match, but on the hells of the Hell in the Cell seemed to suffer a bit by comparison.   Cody Rhodes/Big Show and Kane/Randy Orton were matches we could have seen on Monday Night Raw any week of the year and the less said about Team Johnny vs Team Teddy and the Diva's match the better.   Dreadful  moments of the show were Brodus Clay's appearance and a sinful shilling of The Deadliest Catch that wasted Mick Foley's talents.  Foley is running the risk of being a comedic punchline and a sell out if he keeps doing this silly stuff.   There seemed to be some buzz in Miami about surprise appearances by Brock Lesner and/or Batista.  Neither of those materialized.   One positive is that the 78 000 + in attendance carried their end of the bargain and showed a great amount of emotion which is sometimes hard to sense in an open air stadium. 

Steve Clark

ON THE EVE OF GAME FIVE...NIAGARA VS OSHAWA

Lets be honest.  Very few people thought the Ice Dogs would be in this predicament.  Oh sure, many may have thought there would be a game 5 in this series, but most thought it would be a game for the Ice Dogs to wrap up the series, not the pivotal Game 5 with we will witness tomorrow night. (Grumpy author aside: I had the Ice Dogs in 5)

Credit goes to the Oshawa Generals who have turned a series that was threatening to be a laugher  into something that is serious business if you are a fan or a player of the Ice Dogs.    If  I'm an Oshawa supporter I'm not sure if I'm thrilled at the very real possibility of an upset or ticked off because this is the team they should have seen all year long. Heck, even the casual Oshawa fan seemed to turn their back on the Generals as the attendance at the GM Centre has averaged less than the tight and friendly confines of the Gatorade Garden City Complex. 

Even the relentless Ice Dog fans who him every time he touches the puck will admit that Lucas Lessio has been the best forward on both teams in the series in the last two games.  He's been dangerous every time he's touched the puck and has shown an extra gear which was particularly in full effect in the goal which gave Oshawa a 3-2 lead in the third.   Boone Jenner has scored four goals in the last two games and has been a leader on the ice.  More surprising is the fact that Oshawa has climbed back into the series with modest contributions from both Christian Thomas and Nicklas Jensen, two players who combined for 60+ goals during the season, but just two so far in the playoffs.  Daniel Altshuller has been spectacular at times in the Oshawa net and every bit the rookie that he is at other times.  Don't be fooled by the 47 shots the Ice Dogs generated in game 3.  Too many opportunities were from the perimeter and with minimal traffic impeding Altshuller.  Coach Gary Agnew looked like a coach that had lost his team after Games 1 and 2. Now his decision to call a timeout in the third period of game 3 with the score 4-3 Ice Dogs made him look like a genius as the Gens have outscored Niagara 8-3 since that point.   Notice that the elephant in the room "team discipline" has not even been mentioned yet, but the Generals have either been smarter or better disciplined as the Ice Dogs have had less opportunities with the man advantage in Games 3 and 4 and the Generals have been more focused on puck battles. 

On the Ice Dogs end of things, everything that they are doing poorly is correctable.  This is a team that was the stingiest when it came to goals against, yet they have given up 11 goals in the last two games.   Allowing the Generals to freewheel in the neutral zone has been the result of forwards not getting back and defensemen backing into too much.  Mark Visentin has not come up with the big save that Niagara has needed but you can hardily lay the blame at the feet of the Phoenix 1st rounder for the sudden demise of the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.   Simplicity should be the key for the Ice Dogs in Game 5.  Stand up at the blue line and re-claim the neutral zone and the Ice Dogs are in better shape.  Offensively there has been no shortage of shots, but a dearth of quality opportunities.  More traffic to the net of Altshuller might test the nerves of the young goaltender.  One astute e-mailer noticed that Oshawa is trying to keep the puck away from Visentin on the shoot-in.  No doubt neutralizing the best puck-handling goalie in the game has played a small but significant role in the Generals fine play.   

You hate to over dramatize a moment, particularly if you are the host broadcaster, but this is the game of the year for the Ice Dogs.  Win, and the hammer of momentum swings back to them, but lose and all the pressure in the world falls on the shoulders of an Ice Dog team that was expected to playing deep into May. 

The hottest selling T-Shirt in Niagara is emblazoned with the date of the Memorial Cup and the words "Why not us?"  Now the question should be "Why us?"  The Ice Dogs have to do some inner reflection in order to get back to the things that made them highly successful during the regular season. 

We will have Game 5 Saturday March 31st 7pm on TV Cogeco and the OHL Action Pack.  I will be joined by Ed Burkholder and Al Galloway on the call. 

Steve Clark

Ice Dogs TV Play by Play

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Call me the end result of a diverse mind, or call me too scattered and idle to develop a cohesive column, but here are a few scattered and very, very random thoughts as I ruminate on the OHL, NHL, Toronto sports, Wrestlemania, basketball and a few other choice subjects.

- The OHL playoffs sure are fun, and unpredictable.  Consider:

• The Ice Dogs were 3:30 away from a 3-0 series lead, and a chance to sweep away the Generals on Sunday.  Two goals in eight seconds now push us to a pivotal game four , and a series in which Oshawa is very much alive
• The Belleville Bulls were about 10 minutes away from squaring their series at 2-2 as they held a comfortable 3-0 lead on Ottawa.  That lead dissipated and the 67's furious rally placed the game in OT.  All was well in Belle-Vegas as Brady Austin won it in OT and sent the series to a best of three. 
• The #2 seed in the West, the Plymouth Whalers were in deep trouble in their series as they were down 2-0 to Guelph.  The Whale posted an emphatic 7-1 pasting to get right back in the series.  
• The Sudbury Wolves and Brampton Battalion series was deemed to be a pick 'em by many prognosticators, and yours truly had Sudbury in 6.   Here we are approaching Game 4 and the Troops are prepared to bring out the brooms versus the Wolves

- What is not fun right now is being a Toronto fan of either the Raptors or the Leafs.  Raptor fans are cheering a free slice of pizza for hitting a 100 points, even though their team trailed by 18 at the time.  Leaf fans are embracing the phrase " Tank Nation", something evidently embraced by osmosis by the pitiful collection of Leafs that wear the Blue and White

- Quebec is breaking ground on an NHL style arena, though they are missing the key component of an NHL franchise.  I'd just like to point out Hamilton's Victor K. Copps Coliseum was built in 1985 for many of the same reason as Quebec.  Both have adopted the mantra "If you build it, they will come".  I've dubbed Copps as the White Elephant on Bay Street

- While the Leafs suffer through their 7th straight non-playoff campaign, the Red Wings just garnered their 21st post-season appearance in a row.  No need for further commentary

- Wrestlemania goes on Sunday wit the highlight being John Cena vs The Rock.  The build up for this match was lacklustre at best until Monday night when the two engaged in a spirited verbal showdown.  I was in before, but now my level of intrigue has increased.   

- Congrats to the NBL of Canada for a successful first season. Success in Canadian professional basketball is measured by if all your franchises survived the first year.  Plans for expansion are in the works and the London Lightening/Halifax Rainmen drew over 5 000 at the John Labbat Centre for the pivotal Game 5 which was won by the Lightening.  Hopefully the league will expand to Hamilton so that there is a more central point between the existing franchises in Oshawa and London. 

- With Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas and Ohio State in the Final Four, my two least favourite coaches are left standing with the equally smug John Calipari and Rick Pittino.  At least one of the two will be beaten out on Saturday as it's an all Kentucky match up involving the two coaches.