OHL Eastern Conference Playoff Preview
The Eastern Conference playoff picture is set as eight teams embark on the 2022 OHL Playoffs that get underway on Thursday night. Here’s a look at how the teams stack up.
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(1) Hamilton Bulldogs (51-12-3-2) vs. (8) Peterborough Petes (29-33-5-1) – #HAMvsPBO
The East Division champion Hamilton Bulldogs are deemed a Memorial Cup favourite heading into the 2022 Playoffs, closing out the campaign on an incredible 15-game span in which the Bulldogs collected 29 of 30 points. They’ll face off against the Peterborough Petes, who battled their way into the OHL Playoffs as the final seed in the Eastern Conference.
Out of their six regular season meetings, Peterborough managed to defeat the Bulldogs twice. Hoping to be a beast in the crease for the Petes, OHL Goaltender of the Month Michael Simpson recorded 20 wins in 45 games played, with a 3.56 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage. He’ll need to be at his best against a Hamilton team that put up at least six goals on Peterborough five different times this season.
The Petes closed out the regular season tallying four straight wins with the help of their top-two point scorers. 41-goal scorer Tucker Robertson (41-40-81) finished the season with a League-leading eight short-handed goals, while overage forward Emmett Sproule (30-56-86) hopes to keep the winning streak alive on Thursday after reaching 30 goals on the season. Joe Carroll (25-28-53) is another overage forward who’s looking to push the Petes to victory, as the 25-goal scorer sits tied for third in OHL game-winning goals, which the Petes will need in order to find their way past the Bulldogs.
Drafted in the first round of the 2020 OHL Under-18 Priority Selection (15th overall), Samuel Mayer (11-26–37) has proven reliable on the blue line for the Peterborough, playing a hard defensive game while also contributing on the scoresheet.
Leading the League with 51 wins on the season, Hamilton enters the playoffs with wins in 10 straight games. The top-ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League for three consecutive weeks, the Bulldogs took home the Hamilton Spectator trophy as regular season champions for the first time in franchise history.
With nine of the OHL’s top-10 players in plus/minus rankings, the Bulldogs are a force to be reckoned with. Powered by a dominant offence, the Petes will be on the lookout for Logan Morrison who leads his team in points, becoming the sixth OHL player to reach the 100-point mark (34-66-100) this season. Expect Avery Hayes (31-48-79), George Diaco (27-43-70), Jan Mysak (34-30-64) and Ryan Humphrey (25-37-62) to also be big offensive contributors, each finishing the regular season with over 60 points. Facing off against his former club, expect Anaheim Ducks prospect Mason McTavish to come out hot, as he racked up 47 points in 29 games for the Bulldogs this season. And finally, after missing the first half of the campaign, Seattle Kraken prospect Ryan Winterton looks to make an impact for his squad after coming off a strong second half, recording 46 points in 37 games (20-26-46).
Contributing from the defensive zone, overage blueliner Nathan Staios is prepared to lay down the hammer, playing a 200-foot game as he leads OHL defencemen in scoring with 66 points (15-51–66). Big 6-foot-4, 204Ib. blueliner Arber Xhekaj represents his hometown squad, racking up a plus-37 rating through 33 regular season games as a Bulldog.
In the pipes, Marco Costantini set new Bulldogs records with a league-best 2.32 goals-against average and .917 save percentage along with six shutouts. His 31 wins ranked second in the League.
Head coach Jay McKee’s Bulldogs have excelled on special teams with the OHL’s second-ranked power play and fifth-ranked penalty kill, surrendering a league-low 176 goals. The Petes will need to dig deep as they start the series on the road against the Bulldogs, who played to an OHL-best 27-4-1-2 home record.
Season Series:
Hamilton wins 6-2-0-0
Oct. 28 – HAM 3 at PBO 4
Nov. 12 – PBO 2 at HAM 4
Nov. 18 – HAM 10 at PBO 6
Dec. 17 – PBO 5 at HAM 10
Feb. 6 – PBO 3 at HAM 7
Mar. 15 – HAM 1 at PBO 3
Mar. 29 – HAM 6 at PBO 2
Apr. 3 – PBO 1 at HAM 6
Playoff History:
This marks the first time Hamilton and Peterborough will meet in the OHL Playoffs. The Petes last met the Belleville Bulls in the first round of the 2008 OHL Playoffs, falling in five games.
Series Schedule:
Game 1, Thurs., April 21 at Hamilton, 7:00
Game 2, Mon., April 25 at Hamilton 7:00
Game 3, Wed., April 27 at Peterborough 7:00
Game 4, Thurs., April 28 at Peterborough 7:00
Game 5, Sat., April 30 at Hamilton 7:00 *
Game 6, Mon., May 2 at Peterborough 7:00 *
Game 7, Wed., May 4 at Hamilton 7:00 *
(2) North Bay Battalion (43-18-3-4) vs. (7) Ottawa 67’s (28-31-2-7) – #NBvsOTT
The Gardens will be geared up for playoff hockey on Thursday as the Central Division champion Battalion play host to the Ottawa 67’s in Game 1 of their first round series.
An evenly matched season series sets the stage for a clash of hard-working clubs as the Battalion, who have home ice in a series for the first time since 2016 when they beat the Peterborough Petes in seven games, enter as the favourites.
The Troops have some high grade firepower with 101 point scorer Brandon Coe (34-67–101) joined by Edmonton Oilers prospect Matvey Petrov (40-50–90), overage attacker Mitchell Russell (41-47–88), 6-foot-5 flank Kyle McDonald (35-20–55) and 30-goal centreman Kyle Jackson (30-32–62) spreading the scoring around.
Rookie defender Ty Nelson has been fun to watch all season, ending the campaign with 51 points (9-42–51), quarterbacking the League’s fourth-ranked power play. The Battalion have the shutdown presence to match Nelson’s offensive flair on the back end, with overage addition Grayson Ladd and steady rookie Tnias Mathurin ready to take on any matchup that comes their way.
Statistically, the Troops join the Barrie Colts as the League’s most disciplined team, taking 619 penalty minutes throughout the season. That helps the cause of big goaltender Joe Vrbetic, a Montreal Canadiens prospect who has been lights out for the Battalion since March 1st, going 7-1-0-0 with a 2.11 goals-against average and .934 save percentage in that span.
Led by well-established coach Dave Cameron, the 67’s scored the League’s fewest goals (199) during the season, but lived up to their club mantra of “No Quit”, scratching out extra points here and there to battle their way into the playoffs. Ottawa played to a 13-6-2-7 mark in one-goal games over the course of the season, and benefitted greatly with the return of Calgary Flames prospect Jack Beck to their lineup post-injury in mid-February.
Beck (22-22–44) led the club offensively with 1.22 points-per-game despite missing an extended period. Draft eligible winger Vinzenz Rohrer (25-23–48) follows in the footsteps of his Austrian countryman Marco Rossi in leading the Barber Poles in scoring while reliable faceoff man Cameron Tolnai joins a pair of impressive rookies in Luca Pinelli and Brady Stonehouse in taking on considerable responsibility up front.
Ottawa Senators first round pick Tyler Boucher will be one to keep an eye on in the series. The sturdy 6-foot-1, 205Ib. winger recorded 14 points (7-7–14) through his first 24 OHL contests. The 67’s will need him to bring a physical edge in the series. Ottawa will have a pair of overage forwards in Adam Varga and Alex Johnston leaving it all out on the ice.
Behind a blue line corps led by 6-foot-4 Nashville Predators prospect Jack Matier, the 67’s have turned to 19-year-old netminder Max Donoso of late, whose first OHL season yielded an 11-9-1-5 record, 2.82 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. He’s the League’s reigning Goaltender of the Week after posting his first OHL shutout in a win over the Kingston Frontenacs.
The 67’s are going to have to keep North Bay from busting loose in this series, and that won’t come easy.
Season Series:
Series tied with seven points apiece
Nov. 7 – NB 1 at OTT 2
Nov. 18 – OTT 0 at NB 3
Nov. 27 – NB 2 at OTT 3 (OT)
Dec. 31 – OTT 5 at NB 1
Jan. 30 – OTT 2 at NB 3 (SO)
Feb. 20 – NB 6 at OTT 2
Playoff History:
This marks the first time that Ottawa and the North Bay Battalion have met in the OHL Playoffs. The 67’s and Brampton Battalion last faced each other in 2004, with the Troops winning the first round series in seven games.
Series Schedule:
Game 1, Thurs., April 21 at North Bay 7:00
Game 2, Sat., April 23 at North Bay 7:00
Game 3, Mon., April 25 at Ottawa 7:00
Game 4, Wed., April 27 at Ottawa 7:00
Game 5, Thurs., April 28 at North Bay 7:00 *
Game 6, Sun., May 1 at Ottawa 2:00 *
Game 7, Tues., May 3 at North Bay 7:00 *
(3) Kingston Frontenacs (41-22-4-1) vs. (6) Oshawa Generals (30-31-2-5) – #KGNvsOSH
Two highly familiar East Division opponents lock horns in first round play as the Kingston Frontenacs square off with the Oshawa Generals beginning Friday night at the Leon’s Centre.
The Fronts haven’t had much trouble scoring goals this season, in fact there’s a number of ways they can do that with so many options up front. Lucas Edmonds comes off a sensational first year as an overager, racking up 113 points, the most by a Frontenacs player since 1994-95. Top 2022 NHL Draft prospect Shane Wright finished the year with 94 points (32-62–94) while veteran centreman Jordan Frasca was a total package performer for Kingston, scoring 42 times while leading the way with a plus-31 rating. LA Kings prospect Martin Chromiak led the team with 44 goals while Dallas Stars draftee Francesco Arcuri produced over a point-per-game, scoring 34 times. Rookie forward Paul Ludwinski turned up the heat in the final month of the season, being named April’s OHL Rookie of the Month.
The Fronts have had some bumps and bruises on the blue line in the second half of the season, with both Ben Roger and Braden Haché joining crash and bang winger Maddox Callens in missing some time. Overage addition Alec Belanger has slotted in nicely on the back end, putting up 20 points (8-12–20) over 42 games in black and gold since being acquired from Ottawa. The veteran pairing of Jake Murray and Lucas Peric sees a lot of ice for the Frontenacs.
Ottawa Senators prospect Leevi Merilainen, the League’s top performer in shootouts this season, will try and fend off the likes of Oshawa shooters Ty Tullio, Oskar Olausson and Brett Harrison, finishing his first OHL season with a 31-16-4-1 record with a 3.29 goals-against average and .891 save percentage.
If there’s a goaltender who might be able to stump the Frontenacs, it’s Oshawa’s Patrick Leaver, who thrived under a heavy workload this season. The 18-year-old saw a lot of rubber and came up with a .908 save percentage. The Gennies have the benefit of an overage backup in Zach Paputsakis who battled some injuries this past season but was good when called upon.
Offensively, Edmonton Oilers prospect Ty Tullio is the straw that stirs the drink for Oshawa. The 20-year-old scored 42 times this past season, finishing with 86 points. Mid-season addition Oskar Olausson (26-23–49) loves to shoot the puck and joins Boston Bruins prospect Brett Harrison as a potential option for Generals’ interim coaches Kurtis Foster and Mike Hedden. Oshawa beefed up for the postseason, adding big winger Cameron Butler (11-30–41) to the forward ranks while Ryan Stepien (25-15–40) joins standout rookie Calum Ritchie (19-26–45) in providing Oshawa with some more sneaky offensive upside in this series.
Lleyton Moore will continue to steer the Oshawa power play from the back end, joining David Jesus and veteran shutdown presence Mathew Hill in being tasked with facing one of the League’s premier offensive groups.
The Generals are in an interesting place, having added some assets throughout the season to position themselves for a competitive playoff push. Having undergone a coaching change back in mid-March, the Gennies will try and make the most of their shot with a number of experienced veterans in their lineup against an offensively robust Frontenacs team that won’t make their task an easy one.
Season Series:
Kingston wins 7-2-2-1
Nov. 12 – OSH 6 at KGN 4
Nov. 21 – KGN 3 at OSH 4 (OT)
Dec. 3 – OSH 0 at KGN 5
Jan. 18 – KGN 2 at OSH 4
Jan. 23 – KGN 2 at OSH 0
Jan. 28 – OSH 3 at KGN 4
Feb. 25 – OSH 2 at KGN 6
Feb. 27 – KGN 3 at OSH 1
Mar. 11 – OSH 2 at KGN 7
Mar. 20 – KGN 5 at OSH 4
Apr. 1 – OSH 4 at KGN 3 (SO)
Apr. 3 – KGN 2 at OSH 3 (OT)
Playoff History:
This will be Oshawa and Kingston’s eighth meeting in the OHL Playoffs.
– 2016 KGN def OSH 4-1 – 1st round / 2011 OSH def. KGN 4-1 – 1st round / 2007 OSH def. KGN 4-1 – 1st round / 1998 KGN def. OSH 4-3 – 1st round / 1993 KGN def. OSH 4-2 – 2nd round / 1987 OSH def. KGN 4-2 – 2nd round / 1986 KGN def. OSH 8-4 pts. – 1st round.
Series Schedule:
Game 1, Fri., April 22 Kingston 7:00
Game 2, Sun., April 24 Kingston 4:00
Game 3, Tues., April 26 Oshawa 7:05
Game 4, Thurs., April 28 Oshawa 7:05
Game 5, Sat., April 30 Kingston 7:00 *
Game 6, Sun., May 1 Oshawa 6:05 *
Game 7, Tues., May 3 Kingston 7:00 *
(4) Mississauga Steelheads (37-23-2-6) vs. (5) Barrie Colts (34-27-6-1) – #MISSvsBAR
A tight 4 vs. 5 battle, the Mississauga Steelheads head into the first round with home-ice advantage as they face off against the Barrie Colts in their sixth straight trip to the OHL Playoffs. The Colts enter the postseason as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Colts enter the series having suffered a big blow with the loss of star defender Brandt Clarke, who will miss the playoffs to knee surgery. The LA Kings prospect finished the season with 59 points (11-48–59) in 55 games, and is widely regarded as the top offensive blueliner in the OHL.
Also on the health front, the Colts are hoping to have their star netminder Mack Guzda back in the crease as he’s working his way back from a late season injury. Guzda joined the Colts in a deal with Owen Sound, recording 25 wins on the season for Barrie while earning himself a contract with the NHL’s Florida Panthers. With a 2.68 goals-against average and the League’s second-best save percentage at .915, Guzda can be a real difference-maker in this series if he’s healthy.
Barrie made a splash mid-season when they dealt Oskar Olausson to the Oshawa Generals and brought in Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Declan McDonnell from the Kitchener Rangers. McDonnell finished the season as Barrie’s top scorer, recording 62 points (28-34-62), while speedy San Jose Sharks prospect Ethan Cardwell (23-35-58), New York Rangers draftee Evan Vierling (20-27–47) and overage winger Anthony Tabak (15-37-52) have also produced. Philadelphia Flyers prospect Tyson Foerster is getting back up to speed after returning from injury in March, recording 11 points in 13 games (6-5-11).
It hasn’t just been the veterans putting up numbers for Barrie this season, 2022 NHL Draft prospects Hunter Haight (22-19–41) and Beau Jelsma (27-20–47) can be counted upon. The latter put up the League’s third-best shooting percentage of 20.5 percent this past season.
Having one of the strongest starts to the year, the Mississauga Steelheads are looking to shut down their opponent early with home ice advantage. Finishing second in the Central Division with an 82-point franchise record, the Trout boast Barrie native James Hardie who led the club with 41 goals on the season, setting a new single season mark by a Steelheads forward with 77 points (41-36-77). Following closely in his footsteps is top 2022 NHL Draft prospect Luca Del Bel Belluz who’s been an offensive force all season, recording 76 points in 68 games (30-46-76). Contributing from the defensive zone, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Ethan Del Mastro continues to be a key provider, playing a 200-foot game as he leads the Steelheads defence with 48 points (7-41-48).
Guarding the crease, overage netminder Roman Basran sits second in the League’s goalie rankings with a 2.60 goals-against average and .896 save percentage along with two shutouts. Despite playing parts of four seasons in the WHL, this will be Basran’s first trip to the postseason. The Steelheads have two-capable goaltenders, with Joe Ranger going through spurts as the hottest goaltender in the League at various points this past season.
Be on the lookout for top Mississauga rookies Owen Beck (21-30-51) and Zakary Lavoie (23-21-44), who both see key minutes for James Richmond’s Steelheads.
The Colts have a big hurdle to overcome with the loss of Brandt Clarke. Names like Nathan Allensen, Ian Lemieux, Artur Cholach and Connor Punnett will be picking up the slack on the back end, trying to fend off a Steelheads team that has been dominant at points throughout the season.
Season Series:
Mississauga wins 4-3-1-0 (9-8 in pts.)
Oct. 16 – MISS 0 at BAR 2
Oct. 29 – BAR 3 at MISS 2 (OT)
Nov. 19 – BAR 0 at MISS 3
Jan. 15 – MISS 3 at BAR 1
Feb. 18 – BAR 3 at MISS 1
Feb. 24 – MISS 5 at BAR 3
Mar. 12 – MISS 2 at BAR 5
Mar. 15 – BAR 3 at MISS 5
Playoff History:
This will be Barrie and Mississauga/Toronto’s eighth meeting in the OHL Playoffs. The Colts have won the last four encounters.
– 2018 BAR def. MISS 4-2– first round / 2016 BAR def. MISS 4-3 – 1st round / 2012 BAR def. MISS 4-2 – 1st round / 2010 BAR def. MISS 4-1 – Eastern Conference Final / 2009 MISS def. BAR 4-1 – 1st round / 2006 BAR def. TOR 4-0 – 1st round / 2002 BAR def. TOR 4-0 – Eastern Conference Final
Series Schedule:
Game 1, Fri., April 22 Mississauga 7:00
Game 2, Sun., April 24 Mississauga 2:00
Game 3, Mon., April 25 Barrie 7:30
Game 4, Wed., April 27 Barrie 7:30
Game 5, Sat., April 30 Mississauga 7:00 *
Game 6, Mon., May 2 Barrie 7:30 *
Game 7, Wed., May 4 Mississauga 7:00 *
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