Otters finding their stride early
By Aaron Bell
If October is any indication, the Erie Otters could be a factor in the Canadian Hockey League championship race for the first time in more than a decade.
Current NHL’ers Brad Boyes and Carlo Colaiacovo were among the star players that helped the Otters win the OHL championship and go on to play in the 2002 MasterCard Memorial Cup but they have had a dry spell since then missing the playoffs in five of the past eight years, including the past two years.
They are trying to put that history behind them quickly this season.
The Otters have won 10 straight games and lead the OHL standings with 25 points in 15 games. They have a one point margin over the Guelph Storm and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for first in the league.
Their 10 straight wins included victories over the London Knights and Peterborough Petes last weekend and tied the team record that was last reached by Boyes & Co. in 2001-02.
Putting their hot start into perspective – the Otters only won 10 games in 2011-12 and they didn’t see their 10th win come until mid-December last year.
“Losing is no fun and some days it was hard to come to the rink because it was so down in the room,” star forward Connor McDavid told the Peterborough Examiner after Saturday’s win on home ice. “This year seems like a complete flip around. We’re having a lot of fun.”
Keeping their hot start in perspective will fall on the shoulders of coach Kris Knoblauch, who is coming up on the anniversary of taking over the Otters from Robbie Ftorek last November.
Knoblauch has fostered a new culture with the Otters and the players have bought into his approach 100%.
“There’s a real relationship between these coaches and players,” GM Sherry Bassin told the Erie Times-News. “It’s a respectful relationship. He’s designated responsibilities to all those guys, and they know what their expectations are and what they have to work on.”
Knoblauch came to the Otters with championship experience. He guided the Kootenay Ice to a WHL championship and a berth in the MasterCard Memorial Cup in 2011.
He picked up on some bad habits that his players had and he knew he had to change them to start to change the Otters’ fortunes.
“Last year, we took the little things for granted,” Knoblauch said. “This year, there’s been more attention to the little things – (getting) pucks in deep, less penalties, blocking shots, the things that often go unnoticed. We’ve been doing a lot of them.
“We’ve been doing a lot of the little things, and they’ve been going a long way.”
Of course it doesn’t hurt that the Otters also have one of the most skilled players in the CHL in McDavid, last year’s OHL rookie of the year.
McDavid has five goals and 28 points in 15 games this season and sits three points behind teammate Connor Brown for the OHL scoring lead. Dane Fox, with 16 goals and 25 points, is also among the OHL’s top eight scorers this season.
The Portland Winterhawks are working on their own extended streak having won eight straight games and it has them within one point of the first place Seattle Thunderbirds.
Meanwhile the Baie-Comeau Drakkar have won seven straight in the QMJHL and are within one point of the first place Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.