Each week, Ryan Drury will preview the CKNX Cherrey Buslines OHA Hockey match-up, with pre-game analysis, reports, and quotes from the 2 teams.
This week, the Friday Night Focus is on a match-up between the 2 best offensive teams out of the gate in the PJHL Pollock Division.
Last year's champs, the Mount Forest Patriots, are the hottest team in the division, posting a 10-2 record for 20 points to pace the Pollock so far. The Pats have scored the most goals so far with a whopping 62 through 12 games, while also allowing the fewest with just 24. A lot of that comes down to the strong returning cast from last year, but also the sensational play in goal of one David Lobsinger. After a couple years off from high level hockey, Lobsinger joined the Pats after a season in which their then goaltender, Matt Oullette, was MVP and took them to their first title in 21 seasons. A relative unknown, all Lobsinger has done is win 6 of 8 starts, post a division-best .939 save percentage, and division-best GAA at a ridiculous 1.64. To say he's been good would be a massive understatement.
Pats GM Rob Nixon says "Lobby is just a great kid. Real quiet, doesn't say much, but when he gets on the ice he works incredibly hard and doesn't want to beat himself. He wants to stop every puck, his positioning is spot-on, and as a former goalie myself, I really appreciate that."
Last year, the Patriots were led in scoring by the two-way force that is Michael Steffanelli with 29 points. This year, Klayton Hoelscher joined up from Jr. B Elmira, and has 27 points in 12 games to lead the Pollock in scoring. The line of Blair Butchart, who is second in scoring, Steffanelli and Hoelscher has been dynamite, and the Patriots depth scoring is no slouch either. This is a contending team with eyes on a repeat.
Their opponent tonight is a team that can challenge them in basically every area of the ice. The Mitchell Hawks sit 3rd in the Pollock with 19 points, just one back of Mount Forest and Walkerton, tied with 20. Mitchell was an explosive unit offensively last year, and not much has changed under new Head Coach Joel Riley. The top end scoring of Derek Elliot, Nathan Templeman and Blake Pickering have the Hawks sitting 2nd in goals for with 51, and they're getting it done on D, too, allowing just 31 goals so far, one more than Walkerton. In terms of goaltending, which was also an unknown heading into training camp for Mitchell, like the Patriots, they've found an absolute gem in the crease. Curtis Laviolette is second in wins with 5, 2nd in save percentage at .932, and 4th in GAA at 2.18. Tonight could either be a big night in terms of goal scoring, but it could also be a goaltending battle for the ages. Coach Riley says that they're satisfied with how they're playing overall, but slow starts on the road have the Hawks at 4-4, while at home they're 5-0-1.
"I think it's just a matter of coming out a bit harder and being a little more ready to up our intensity on the road," Riley says, "they're a fast team, but their skill guys also work really hard and can hurt you in different ways, and we just need to be prepared to go after them right away."
This promises to be a really entertaining contest, whether we see goals galore or a tight goaltender dual. These 2 teams are showing in the early part of the year that they're in the upper echelon of the division, and whoever wins tonight will get a big boost out of besting a rival. That could be particularly true for Mitchell, who had Mount Forest on the ropes in the 2nd round of last year's playoffs, only to see the Pats storm back and win in 7.
"I think they'll be looking for some revenge, and try to get after us," Nixon says, "so we just have to maintain our discipline and try to get a lead and make them chase it." Riley made mention of that fact as well, but didn't put too much stock into it.
"Obviously I wasn't here for that, but for some of the guys here that were, sure it's on their minds. But we need to be focused on tonight and what's happening this year, but yeah, maybe some guys will have some extra jump thinking about that."
We can't wait to find out. The game is live as always on CKNX AM920, with pre-game at 7:30, puck drop at 8. Enjoy the show.
