OHL Weekend Notebook: Oct. 24, 2023
No one team has really run away with things in the OHL standings as we enter the final week of October. Read more on the competitive balance in the latest edition of OHL Weekend Notebook.
Poitras scores first two NHL goals in Anaheim
He didn’t do it in the OHL, but Matthew Poitras is more than worthy to lead the latest edition of OHL Weekend Notebook, scoring his first two career NHL goals on Sunday night in Anaheim as the Boston Bruins took a 3-1 win. The 19-year-old from Brooklin, Ont. has three points (2-1–3) through five games with the Bruins this season after turning heads with a strong training camp and preseason. Poitras put up 95 points (16-79–95) in 63 games with Guelph last season after being chosen by the Bruins with their second round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The Storm are off to a 6-3 start without their star centreman.
"Pretty good. Pretty good right now. Great to get the first one." — Matt Poitras reacts after his first two career goals in the #NHLBruins 3-1 win over Anaheim pic.twitter.com/FrU3HyzTLq
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 23, 2023
Greyhounds post back-to-back shutouts
The Soo Greyhounds returned home with four of a possible six points from their East Division road swing last weekend. The Hounds blanked both the Peterborough Petes and Kingston Frontenacs, with Charlie Schenkel and rookie Landon Miller each recording a road shutout for their efforts. The Hounds came up short on Sunday in Ottawa, falling to the 67’s 4-1, but come away from the weekend with a 7-4 record at the top of the West Division standings. Vegas Golden Knights prospect Arttu Karki continues to be a force, particularly on the power play. His 10 goals are the second-most in the OHL, with seven of those coming on the man advantage.
Big round of applause for @OHLHoundPower netminder Landon Miller, who made 26 saves for his first career #OHL shutout on Friday in Kingston 👏@syngentacanada | @GrainFarmers pic.twitter.com/nJbOGqTTSA
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 21, 2023
Brzustewicz surges to top of OHL scoring race
Vancouver Canucks prospect Hunter Brzustewicz continues to pile up the points from the back end. The Washington, Michigan native came out of the weekend on a nine-game point streak, recording seven points (1-6–7) in three games last week. The 18-year-old has helped Kitchener score a league-high 51 goals, producing 20 points (5-15–20) over his first 10 games. The Rangers are off to a solid start under new head coach Jussi Ahokas, entering Tuesday’s matchup at home to Sarnia with a 7-3 record.
Your #OHL leading scorer, Hunter Brzustewicz 💫
The @OHLRangers rearguard added to his totals in a win against the Attack, including this beautiful snipe 🎯@Canucks | #MilkUPxOHL | @MilkUPOntario pic.twitter.com/xsYsdW3l4P
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 21, 2023
Firebirds grab four points on northern trek
The Flint Firebirds took steps towards putting a slow start to the season behind them this past weekend, grabbing four of a possible six points by defeating both the Barrie Colts and Sudbury Wolves. Edmonton Oilers prospect Nathan Day registered back-to-back first star performances before the Birds dropped a 6-4 decision in North Bay on Sunday. Northern Ontario product Zacharie Giroux had a productive weekend, extending his point streak to five games with four points (3-1–4) over the weekend. Giroux also set a new Firebirds record on Sunday, scoring eight seconds into the third period in North Bay.
Get your stopwatch out ⏱️
Zacharie Giroux's goal eight seconds into the third period of Sunday's game in North Bay marks a new @FlintFirebirds record! pic.twitter.com/PfsfWxu9Zd
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 23, 2023
Dvorsky scores first goal in fine style
Sudbury Wolves newcomer Dalibor Dvorsky burst onto the scene on Friday night in Sudbury, scoring his first career OHL goal from a tight angle over the shoulder of Flint’s Nathan Day. Dvorsky suited up for the Wolves on Saturday in Barrie, recording an assist before being assessed a match penalty for slew-footing. The St. Louis Blues first round draft pick joined the Wolves last week after starting the season with Oskarshamn IK of the Swedish Elite League. A 6-foot-1, 201Ib. centreman from Zvolen, Slovakia, Dvorsky was chosen by the Wolves in the second round of the 2022 CHL Import Draft.
DVORSKY GETS HIS FIRST #OHL GOAL 🚨🚨
The @StLouisBlues prospect brings the @Sudbury_Wolves within one 👀 pic.twitter.com/1SoXYdn79Y
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 21, 2023
Bulldogs skate to wins in Oshawa and Owen Sound
Hitting the road with a 1-5-1-0 record, the Brantford Bulldogs skated to wins in both Oshawa and Owen Sound, coming out of the weekend still in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference. Brantford had solid goaltending performances from both David Egorov and Matteo Drobac. Ottawa Senators prospect Jorian Donovan was doing big things on the blueline with four points (1-3–4) in three games last week while young forwards Jake O’Brien, Marek Vanacker and Luca Testa all showed well on Saturday in Owen Sound, each producing multi-point totals in a 5-2 win.
Jorian Donovan 🎯@BulldogsOHL | @Senators pic.twitter.com/Lpia7wqjxs
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 21, 2023
Spirit beat Knights in Western Conference showdown
The London Knights and Saginaw Spirit entered the season as favourites in the Western Conference. The Spirit took round one of their four-game season series on Sunday, defeating the Knights 6-4 at the Dow Event Center. It was a good rebound for Saginaw after they lost to the Windsor Spitfires on Saturday as Nolan Lalonde earned his first win in the Spirit crease, slotting in for the injured Andrew Oke. Nic Sima scored his first career OHL hat trick on Sunday, helping the Spirit return to .500 at 4-4-0-0 to round out the weekend.
Hats off to Nic Sima! 🎩🎩🎩
The @SpiritHockey forward was the X-Factor for Saginaw on Sunday night, scoring his first career #OHL hat-trick in a 6-4 barn burner against the Knights 📽️ pic.twitter.com/jvAY82T5Nf
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 23, 2023
LeBlanc twins take over for Sting
Twin brothers Andrew and Jacob LeBlanc factored heavily into Sarnia’s success over the weekend. Jacob scored the OT winner against his former club, the Niagara IceDogs, on the road Thursday night. Andrew netted his first OHL hat trick, with Jacob assisting on all three goals as the Sting defeated the Otters 6-4 in Erie on Friday. The Sting are in Kitchener on Tuesday night for their second matchup of the season with the Rangers.
The LeBlanc twins swarmed the scoresheet in Erie on Saturday 🐝@StingHockey | #OHLStats pic.twitter.com/AWakucERvJ
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 22, 2023
Oster blanks former team
Oshawa Generals netminder Jacob Oster stepped up in a big spot on Sunday night, stopping all 25 shots that came his way in a 2-0 shutout of the Guelph Storm. Oster, who spent parts of two seasons in Guelph, is 5-4 on the season with a 3.34 goals-against average and .900 save percentage after attending training camp with the Los Angeles Kings. The 19-year-old from Ottawa was a fifth round pick by the Storm in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.
This is the face of a guy who just shutout his former team >>>>>#GensNation pic.twitter.com/lUp5lAnfAB
— Oshawa Generals (@Oshawa_Generals) October 23, 2023
Fronts make coaching change after tough weekend
The Kingston Frontenacs managed to salvage the weekend with a 4-3 win in Owen Sound on Sunday, but the club announced it has relieved head coach Luca Caputi of his duties on Monday, following a 4-7 start. The weekend didn’t start well for the Fronts, dropping a 6-0 decision at home to the Soo Greyhounds before losing 6-2 in Guelph on Saturday. It remains to be seen who will take over behind the bench in the Limestone City. The Fronts are back in action on Friday at home to the Oshawa Generals.
The @KingstonFronts have announced that they've relieved head coach Luca Caputi of his duties following a 4-7 start to the 2023-24 season.
DETAILS 📰: https://t.co/rgHx6TvJvQ pic.twitter.com/9v8BNgQaUh
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 23, 2023
