CHLGOTW: Oshawa vs. London — Five to watch

Two clubs that have already clinched their spot in the OHL Playoffs meet in tonight’s CHL Game of the Week as the London Knights (42-12-3) welcome the Oshawa Generals (29-19-9).

London own the best record in the OHL and enter tonight’s contest on a four-game winning streak. Dale Hunter’s squad have found the back of the net with ease this year as their 272 goals and 4.77 goals per game average leads the league. Denver Barkey (PHI) and Easton Cowan (TOR) have combined for 58 goals and 159 points while Oliver Bonk (PHI) is tied fourth in OHL scoring among d-men with 60 points.

The club are sound defensively too; their 166 goals against are the fewest in the OHL while Michael Simpson, who backstopped Peterborough to an OHL title a year ago, leads the OHL in wins (29) and GAA (2.52).

London, who have not won the J. Ross Robertson Cup since 2016, have seven NHL prospects on their roster.

As for Oshawa, they are a win shy of 30 and currently sit fourth in the OHL’s Eastern Conference. Cal Ritchie (COL) has been sensational since his return from injury in mid-November where he has averaged 1.56 points per game to lead a Generals squad that sits eighth in OHL scoring. Captain Stuart Rolofs leads the team in goals with 30 as he’s recorded back-to-back 30-goal campaigns while Dylan Roobroeck (NYR) has passed the 50-point threshold for the second straight year.

Derek Laxdal’s squad have also been fantastic defensively as their 176 goals against trails only London while goaltender Jacob Oster is behind only Simpson in wins (25) and GAA (2.89).

The Knights have also dominated special teams this year; their power play ranks second at 31 per cent while they own the best penalty kill at 84.6. Oshawa sits eighth in power play success (21.8 per cent) and fourth on the penalty kill (82.3 per cent).

The clubs have met just once this year where London skated away with a 4-3 overtime win on Feb. 11 after they erased a 3-0 deficit in the third period before Cowan buried the game-winner in the extra frame.

With their postseason berths already secured, the Knights continue to chase the Hamilton Spectator Trophy while the Generals remain in the mix for the no. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Fans can watch tonight’s game on CHL TV and TSN+ at 7:00pm ET.

Denver Barkey — London

Barkey’s (PHI) third OHL season has been by far his best as he’s set new career highs in all major offensive categories with 29 goals, 53 assists and 82 points. Through 53 games, Barkey sits fourth in OHL scoring and is on pace for 99 points this year.

Barkey is also a menace on the penalty kill as his seven shorthanded goals lead the OHL. The Newmarket, ON., native won gold with Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup while the Flyers made him the 95th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Easton Cowan — London

The biggest current storyline in the OHL is Cowan’s point streak that currently sits at 26 games. In that span, Cowan has 49 points (20 goals) while the streak itself is the second longest in Knights history after Dave Gilmore’s 33-game run in 1993-94.

All in all, Cowan has 77 points (29 goals) in 44 games for the Knights and sits 11th in OHL scoring while his 1.75 point-per-game average leads the league.

The 28th overall pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2023 NHL Draft, Cowan represented Canada at the 2024 World Juniors.

Easton Cowan's point streak enters another week. Here's his 26-game run at a glance 🎥@LondonKnights | @MapleLeafs | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/EKC46cr7bz

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 28, 2024

Sam Dickinson — London

One of the premiere prospects for the 2024 NHL Draft, Dickinson is having an excellent sophomore OHL season.

In 57 games, he has 17 goals and 62 points to sit third in scoring among OHL blueliners. He also hasn’t been shy about shooting the puck; his 202 shots are the second most by a defenceman in the OHL. He enters tonight’s contest on a 10-game point streak where he has 19 points (four goals) over that span.

The 17-year-old captained Team Red at last month’s Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game while he also wore the ‘C’ for Canada Black at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Dickinson also won gold with Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. In NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings, Dickinson was the seventh ranked North American skater and top OHL prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft.

“I’m gonna get some content going here.”

Skate with #CHLKTP Team 🔴 captain Sam Dickinson during Wednesday’s warmups! pic.twitter.com/sInf35wLjN

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 25, 2024

Cal Ritchie — Oshawa

After he missed nearly two months at the start of the season due to injury, Ritchie (COL) has been virtually unstoppable since his return.

In just 39 games, Ritchie has 19 goals while his 61 points are a new career high. The 27th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Ritchie led Canada to gold at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup after he led the tournament with 10 points.

Cal Ritchie can rip it 😳

The @Avalanche prospect extends the lead to 3-0 with a perfectly placed shot!@Oshawa_Generals | #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/UrMzJibsof

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 20, 2024

Beckett Sennecke — Oshawa

Sennecke’s 21 goals this year have surpassed his rookie total of 20 in nine fewer games.

The 2024 NHL Draft prospect is fourth in Generals scoring with 48 points as he looks to record back-to-back 50-point campaigns. He also leads all forwards with 18 power play points.

The eighth overall pick in the 2022 OHL Draft, Sennecke was 15th ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings and skated for Team White at the 2024 Kubota NHL / CHL Top Prospects Game.

Beckett Sennecke's 100th career @OHLHockey point was beauty 🤩#OSHvsLDN pic.twitter.com/C3eVeMKG3N

— Oshawa Generals (@Oshawa_Generals) February 11, 2024