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.
Two teams that know a lot about winning, and winning recently, will square off tonight in Cyclones country as the Battle of the 86 resumes.
The Listowel Cyclones are the holders of the Cherrey Cup, after their best ever season as a franchise, setting new marks for wins, points, goals, you name it. On the other side, the Elmira Sugar Kings, a lynch pin organization in the GOJHL that has won plenty of titles, and last year overcame elimination and survived via their playoff record to emerge with new life in the Sutherland Cup playoffs. What a run they put together, smashing powerhouse Caledonia along the way and besting London to win the big one. Listowel was a young team hitting their stride that wanted to pull off the rare double, and certainly their minds are set on showing that this year they can pull it off and snatch the Sutherland away from their bitter rivals down the road.
Listowel currently sit tied atop the Midwest Division with a surprising Stratford squad, both with 28 points, and outside of some early bumps in the road, the Cycs have looked every bit the powerhouse that they did last year. Head Coach Jason Brooks continues to employ a fast, hard fore check that can cycle better than most Junior B teams they play, and when Listowel gains sustained pressure below the goal line, the floodgates open in a matter of time. Stratford pace the division with an astonishing 89 goals, but there's Listowel with 78 in second, playing just as well in their own end as they do in the offensive zone. Stratford sit second in goals allowed with 45, an impressive number. Listowel? 32. One troubling stat; the Cyclones are second in PIMs at 407, behind only Kitchener. Their discipline was a strength last year. Look for that stat to change.
Incredible defensive totals for Listowel are surely buoyed by the return and ever-steady play of Max Coyle, once thought to be heading West, and Keaton Willis, the Rocket Man from the point. Coyle and Willis have 19 and 13 points respectively, and are just as good in their own end with help from Danny Skinner, Logan Swanton, Chet Phillips, and new youngsters in Jagger O'Toole and a returning Brendan Clayton. Up front, the usual suspects are getting it done, as Holdyn Lansink, Cullen Mercer and goal machine Chase Herrfort all have 20-plus points. In goal, the loss of All-Star Brock Baier to OHL Windsor hasn't been painful, as Justin Herrgott and Max Wright have formed an excellent goaltending duo. Wright, who joined from now defunct Cambridge, leads the entire GOJHL with a 1.67 GAA, and has 8 wins with just 1 loss.
The Sugar Kings relied heavily on the heroics of league MVP Jonathan Reinhart last year, as he turned in one of the finest Junior B seasons in recent memory, maybe ever. They are great defensively and love to grind along the walls and get after opposing D-men in the corners, and they have a nice blend of skill available for game-breaking moments when needed. Head Coach Ty Canal took a team that stared the devastation of losing the Cherrey Cup on home ice on a spectacular run of redemption through the Sutherland Cup, all the way to the championship. Despite losing Reinhart and some key pieces among the lineup, the team, now under Head Coach Trent Brown, is still as dangerous as ever and are always up for playing the Cyclones. Elmira sit third in the Midwest with 18 points, 3rd in goals for with 69, and 3rd again in goals allowed with 56.Something to improve on for Elmira; their home record. The friendly confines of the Dan Snyder have been anything but early on, as the Sugar Kings are 3-5 at home, 6-3 on the road. One of the best home atmospheres in Junior B needs to feel that way again to the team, so they can once again pile up W's in front of the Elmira faithful.
On the back end, Harrison Toms plays a reliable, puck-moving game that helps the Sugar Kings in transition, and he's aided by youth and veteran talent in Tyler McBay, Matt Murray, Niki Molson, uber-physical Spencer Comelli, Jonah Burley and Karson Massey. On offense, Zack Cameron has stepped up early to lead the team with 18 points, tied with Ryan Takamatsu and Jeremy Goodwin. Captain and clutch playoff scorer Jeff Jordan has 17, and last year's division-leading scorer Ethan Skinner, somewhat anyway, is off to a slow start by his standards with 14 points, but there's no reason he won't heat up over the coming weeks and become the point-per-game player we all know he is. This team scores by committee, and they also try to let the goalies play a decent amount as well. Tyler Mazzocato was the heir apparent to Reinhart and has handled it well at times, and he will look to bolster his 6-6 record and raise that .909 save percentage up around his preferred .920 range. Rhett Kimmel has been a solid backup, winning 3 of his 6 appearances, and even posting a shutout along the way.
These match-ups are always must watch. Make sure to catch the latest Battle of the 86 tonight on CKNX AM920 and CKNX.ca live tonight at 7:30, pregame at 7:15.
