Around the OHL: OHL Playoffs: Round 2
It's set: the second round of
playoffs has been officially
announced and it looks like we
have some better matchups in
round two. In case you missed
round one, nothing really significant
happened: in two first-round
sweeps, London beat Windsor in
four games and Brampton swept
Sudbury. There was only one
upset, although it was the fifthseed
Saginaw Spirit upsetting the
fourth seed Sarnia Sting. This second
round looks to be a lot more
competitive and there are a couple
of series I will be keeping my eye
on.
Here are the second-round matchups with my predictions:
Eastern Conference:
(1) London Knights vs. (5) Saginaw Spirit
London wins series 4-0
(2) Plymouth Whalers vs. (3) Kitchener Rangers
Plymouth wins series 4-3
I'm calling London to sweep Saginaw and advance their record to 8-0 in the playoffs. Saginaw did upset number-four-seed Sarnia, but London is just far too strong for the Spirit. Look for London goaltender Michael Houser to have a great series; I'm predicting him to have two shutouts — after all, he already shut Saginaw out twice this season. This means London only needs to score two goals a game to pick up a win, and I doubt Houser will let more than two goals. Watch for Greg McKegg to have a great series — he was quiet in the first series and I'm predicting he will lead the way in the four-game sweep.
The Plymouth/Kitchener series will be a great one to watch. They're two evenly matched teams and it will be a great series that will will have Plymouth coming out on top in game seven. Plymouth did struggle against Guelph in round one, but that was just the first two games of the series; they actually have a fourgame winning streak going right now. On the other side, Kitchener completely dominated the Owen Sound Attack and took the series in five games; although with Owen Sound's suspensions, winning the series was a given — the only question was how many games it would take. That being said, Kitchener wasn't tested last series, but in this series they have their work cut out for them, playing one of the best teams in the CHL. To be fair, Kitchener is an honourable mention when it comes to the best team in the CHL. This will be the series to watch.
Western Conference:
(1) Niagara Icedogs vs. (4) Brampton Battalion
Niagara wins series 4-2
(2) Ottawa 67's vs. (3) Barrie Colts
Ottawa wins series 4-2
No surprises — the best teams advanced, although some stumbled in the first round, most notably Niagara letting the Oshawa Generals back in the series and Ottawa giving the impression that Belleville stood a chance. Brampton made short work of the Sudbury Wolves in round one, so don't count them out just yet.
In closing, for those who want to watch a great series, pay attention to the Plymouth/Kitchener series. These two teams have been at each other's throats all year and have developed a great rivalry.
Here are the second-round matchups with my predictions:
Eastern Conference:
(1) London Knights vs. (5) Saginaw Spirit
London wins series 4-0
(2) Plymouth Whalers vs. (3) Kitchener Rangers
Plymouth wins series 4-3
I'm calling London to sweep Saginaw and advance their record to 8-0 in the playoffs. Saginaw did upset number-four-seed Sarnia, but London is just far too strong for the Spirit. Look for London goaltender Michael Houser to have a great series; I'm predicting him to have two shutouts — after all, he already shut Saginaw out twice this season. This means London only needs to score two goals a game to pick up a win, and I doubt Houser will let more than two goals. Watch for Greg McKegg to have a great series — he was quiet in the first series and I'm predicting he will lead the way in the four-game sweep.
The Plymouth/Kitchener series will be a great one to watch. They're two evenly matched teams and it will be a great series that will will have Plymouth coming out on top in game seven. Plymouth did struggle against Guelph in round one, but that was just the first two games of the series; they actually have a fourgame winning streak going right now. On the other side, Kitchener completely dominated the Owen Sound Attack and took the series in five games; although with Owen Sound's suspensions, winning the series was a given — the only question was how many games it would take. That being said, Kitchener wasn't tested last series, but in this series they have their work cut out for them, playing one of the best teams in the CHL. To be fair, Kitchener is an honourable mention when it comes to the best team in the CHL. This will be the series to watch.
Western Conference:
(1) Niagara Icedogs vs. (4) Brampton Battalion
Niagara wins series 4-2
(2) Ottawa 67's vs. (3) Barrie Colts
Ottawa wins series 4-2
No surprises — the best teams advanced, although some stumbled in the first round, most notably Niagara letting the Oshawa Generals back in the series and Ottawa giving the impression that Belleville stood a chance. Brampton made short work of the Sudbury Wolves in round one, so don't count them out just yet.
In closing, for those who want to watch a great series, pay attention to the Plymouth/Kitchener series. These two teams have been at each other's throats all year and have developed a great rivalry.
