SOTI Weekend Preview – Northern Road Trip
The Steelheads head up north this weekend, first rematching the North Bay Battalion on Thursday before heading to the Soo on Friday for a battle with the Greyhounds, and wrapping up the weekend on Sunday with a showdown in Sudbury.
February 1st @ North Bay Battalion (23-15-6-2) @ 7:00pm
Tale of the Tape – After a thrilling matchup in Mississauga two weeks prior, the Steelheads will look for payback against the division rival on the road. After a goal scoring explosion on Sunday, the Steelheads will look to continue to work their way out of their offensive funk against a strong opponent.
Player to Watch – Star winger Porter Martone has 10 points in four games against the Battalion this season. He will look to stay red hot against the Central division contender and help end the Trout’s three game losing streak against North Bay.
The Opponent – North Bay is just four points up on the Steelheads in the divisional standings. Boasting a 6-2-1-1 record in their last 10, the Battalion will look to leading OHL scorer Anthony Romani to help them keep ahead of the Trout in the standings.
Feb 2nd @ Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (31-12-2-1) @ 7:00pm
Tale of the Tape – The Steelheads dropped their only matchup with the Greyhounds this season. With the top contender being 8-2 in their last 10, slowing the Greyhounds down at home will take the Steelheads best hockey.
Player to Watch – Jack Ivankovic will likely start this game, and will look to follow up a fantastic performance against Flint in his first game back from injury. The rookie standout’s 0.916 save percentage would lead the OHL, had he played enough games to qualify.
The Opponent – The Greyhounds boast a complete team, with strong special teams and a high powered offence. The Steelheads will have to shut down top scorer and Calgary Flames draft pick Jack Beck to neutralize the Soo’s scoring.
Feb 4th @ Sudbury Wolves (25-14-3-2) @ 2:00pm
Tale of the Tape – The Steelheads have gotten the better of Sudbury in their last two matchups, winning two one-goal decisions. Making it three in a row against the Central division’s top team would do wonders for the Steelheads position in the standings.
Player to Watch – Ryerson Leenders was positively unbelievable against Sudbury in their January 10th matchup, stopping 46 of 47 shots and earning the first star of the game. He’ll look to continue his incredible season in his second game back from the CHL’s top prospects game.
The Opponent – The Wolves, led by the OHL’s second leading scorer in David Goyette, are just as hot as the Steelheads other opponents this week. Mississauga will look to capitalize on Sudbury’s below average penalty kill to match the Wolves high powered offence.
You can watch the away games by purchasing CHL TV, accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca.