CHL on TSN preview: Petes @ Storm, Jan. 20
The match-up
The CHL on TSN resumes tonight as the Guelph Storm (17-19-5) welcome the Peterborough Petes (23-15-3) to the Sleeman Centre.
It’s been a difficult campaign for Guelph as after high offseason expectations, the team sits under .500 with 27 games to play. After a 1-7-2 start, the team has played better than .500 since and have points in seven of their last 10 games to sit seventh in the Western Conference.
The team traded star forward Sasha Pastujov (ANA) to Sarnia, and Danny Zhilkin (WPG) to Kitchener, but the return of Max Namestnikov in the Pastujov deal has proven worthwhile as he has played at a better than point-per-game pace in 22 contests.
The Storm, who are led offensively by Matthew Poitras (BOS), sit middle of the pack in goals scored but defensively they have struggled. Their 175 goals against are the second most in the OHL as they concede 4.27 goals per game. A large part of that has been their penalty kill; the Storm’s 68.4 per cent success rate is the lowest in the league by four percentage points.
Toe-drag AND patience from Matthew Poitras 😮#CHLTVGOTW | @Storm_City | @NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/qumKrUWlz4
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) October 2, 2022
However, new goaltender Patrick Leaver has impressed early on between the pipes with a 2-0-0 record since his trade from Oshawa.
Peterborough, on the other hand, are trending upwards in large part due to the recent moves from general manager Michael Oke.
He acquired Flint captain Brennan Othmann (NYR) in November and before the OHL trade deadline earlier this month swung deals for Owen Beck (MTL) and Avery Hayes to establish a dynamic first line.
Owen Beck lit the lamp for the first time in a @PetesOHLhockey jersey Saturday in what was his 💯th @OHLHockey game! pic.twitter.com/BzYOLaX01X
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 15, 2023
Supported by J.R. Avon (PHI), Connor Lockhart (VAN), Tucker Robertson (SEA) and Chase Stillman (NJ), the Petes possess a plethora of scoring talent alongside blueline standout Samuel Mayer.
Who to watch
With five players highlighted pre-game tonight, we’ll take a look at Connor Lockhart.
The Canucks prospect is a point shy of 50 this year and sits second in Petes scoring. A year ago with Erie, he recorded 48 points in 63 games but has surpassed that total this season in just 39 games.
Hey @Canucks fans: here's a Connor Lockhart hat-trick for your viewing pleasure 😎🍿@C_lockhart73 scores three-straight second-period goals and the @PetesOHLhockey are cruising in Oshawa 🎥 pic.twitter.com/3JwVYQaG2M
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 1, 2023
The Kanata, Ont., native, who was taken 176th overall by Vancouver in the 2021 NHL Draft, has 33 assists to sit in a tie for the 10th most in the OHL this season.
Lockhart was the third overall pick in the 2019 OHL Draft and selected behind only Windsor’s Shane Wright … and new teammate Othmann.
Stats leaders
Poitras’ impressive sophomore season sees him lead the Storm in scoring with 48 points. His 39 assists are already a new career high and are the fourth most in the OHL.
Defenceman Michael Buchinger (STL) is second in team scoring with 33 points, a number that places him sixth among OHL blueliners. Seventeen of his 26 assists this year have come on the man advantage as he continues to demonstrate his ability to be a difference maker on the power play.
Karabela with the moves @Capitals 👀@Storm_City forward @JakeKarabela extends Guelph's lead to three with a shorthanded beauty! 🎥 pic.twitter.com/mUE6t8WPVx
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 12, 2023
Braeden Bowman leads the team in goals with 15 while Jake Karabela (WSH) and Namestnikov have 12 each, the latter doing so in just 22 games.
On the Petes side, Robertson’s 24 goals and 52 points leads the team while his line, that also consists of Avon and Lockhart, has combined for 145 points.
TUCKER TIME ⏰ @PetesOHLhockey #SeaKraken prospect Tucker Robertson bursts into the Generals' zone and buries his 24th of the campaign 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4wygwzPANj
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 20, 2023
Mayer has impressed from the blue line with 28 points while 18-year-old Donovan McCoy’s +18 rating leads the team.
Michael Simpson’s 17 wins between the pipes are tied for the fourth most in the OHL this season while his 2.54 GAA ranks third among goaltenders with at least 10 appearances. His 32 games played leads the league.
Where to watch
Friday’s game can be seen live on TSN 3 at 7:30pm ET and on TSN+.