"Bluelines with Ranjan & Greg" is written by Ranjan Rupal (left), the play-by-play voice, and Greg Theberge (right), a former Memorial Cup winner and Washington Capitals defenseman and hockey analyst for The OHL Tonight on TVCogeco. Photo by Chris Dawson.
“You're gonna need a bigger boat.” – Police Chief Martin Brody, in Jaws (1976)
When the Oshawa Generals were swept aside by the North Bay Battalion in last year’s Eastern Conference Championship Series, they learned a valuable lesson. They needed a bigger team.
In the aftermath, Generals' GM Roger Hunt concluded that his squad, though talented, had been unable to contend with the Troops big bodies: Ben Thomson (6-foot-3), Nick Paul (6-foot-3), Barclay Goodrow (6-foot-2), Matt MacLeod (6-foot 2) and Mike Amadio (6-foot-1).
But unlike the movie Jaws in which Quint, the weatherworn shark hunter who steadfastly ignored Chief Brody and was subsequently swallowed, hook, line and sinker as the Orca went down, Hunt went out and got himself a bigger boat.
...and now he’s chumming the waters for the Battalion.
Just how did the Generals bulk up?
Hunt was busy at the trade deadline, and beefed up immediately with the acquisition of 6-foot-2 forward Brent Pedersen from the Kitchener Rangers in exchange for a pair of 2nd round picks, a 3rd round pick and a pair of conditionals. Hunt then pried 6-foot-6 forward Michael McCarron, a first round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, and 6-foot overage defenceman Dakota Mermis from the London Knights, in exchange for Josh Sterk, Cliff Pu and draft picks.
“With Michael and Dakota, they both played in a Memorial Cup, Dakota in two,” said Hunt to Metroland Media’s Brad Kelly. “With Pedersen and McCarron, there is an imposing size element that makes us bigger and stronger. Dakota plays bigger than six feet, he’s a warrior. That’s what we were looking for.”
Hunt then swung a deal to acquire Plymouth Whalers 6-foot-2 winger Matt Mistele, and in so doing surrendered prospect Chase Pearson, two 2nd round draft picks, a pair of 3rd round picks, as well as a 4th and 6th rounder.
The additions have fit in well, and fortify an upfront cast that already included 6-foot-0 Cole Cassells, 6-foot-2 Michael Dal Colle, hulking 6-foot-6 winger Hunter Smith, the 6-foot-3 Swedish import Tobias Lindberg, and 6-foot-3 winger Michael Turner.
Forget about needing a bigger boat. With this roster, Hunt’s gonna need a bigger bus.
Ranjan: Greg, here we are in the third round of the playoffs. I’ve outlined the most notable change in the Generals between this season and last season: size.
Greg: Well, Roger Hunt changed the complexion of this team. Let’s call it grit and sandpaper. Oshawa’s got plenty of six footers upfront, and three players with over 100 PIM’s in Michael McCarron, Hunter Smith and Cole Cassels.
Ranjan: The General Motors Centre will be hostile, the Generals’ fans will remember what happened last year.
Greg: I feel there’s some pressure on the Generals to try and overcome last year’s upset and starting at home, you know, there’s a little bit of pressure on them to have a good start. So you know the adage: the cards are on the table and it’s the Battalion's play. North Bay has a lot of experience to fall back on from last year, with 13 returning players, and I think the Battalion’s coaching staff and players will be well-prepared. But they certainly have their hands full in trying to beat the Generals.
Ranjan: I know you like North Bay native Kenny Appleby in net for the Generals. This year Oshawa’s goaltenders earned the Dave Pinkney Trophy for the lowest goals against-average.
Greg: I believe the foundation starts in net and Appleby is certainly the key member of that foundation. To start right at the top: the goaltending consultant for the Oshawa Generals is Zach Bierk and also their Director of Strength and Conditioning is Mark Fitzgerald. They’ve done a tremendous job with Appleby in making him a better goaltender, and bigger, stronger, quicker and faster. They’ve done a great job developing him for that organization.
However the size of the goaltender shouldn't really matter because the Battalion just finished facing a 6-foot-4 goaltender in Mackenzie Blackwood, and they were able to find ways to beat him. North Bay is going to have to do the same thing in this series and try to penetrate the Generals’ big defensive corps.
Ranjan: A lot of attention will be on Michael Dal Colle, selected 5th overall by the Isles in last year’s Draft. He’s right up there in playoff scoring with Connor McDavid.
Greg: I'm not going to disrespect to Dal Colle and say he’s not in the same category as McDavid, but his stats speak volumes right now, and I think he’s the type of player that you going to have to play very physically. He’s not soft, but he’s considered a finesse-type player on that Generals’ team, so those are the type of players you’re going to have to take off their game by finishing your checks. Finish your checks every opportunity you have, and you can't give Dal Colle room to open up his game. In that way he’s similar to Brendan Perlini of the Icedogs. Dal Colle can fly down that left wing wall and he can shoot off the rush too. So you're going to have to really tight-gap this guy, and take his stick away, for sure. Make it a team goal, by committee, to check this player.
Ranjan: The Generals swept the season series with the Battalion. Neither team is putting much stock in that fact because, quite frankly, the Battalion was inconsistent during the regular season, while the Generals were regularly ranked in the CHL’s Top-10.
Greg: I agree. The Generals went 4-0-0 because they were a better team during the regular season. They came as advertised: they were in the top-10 the entire season and were the best team in Oshawa Generals’ franchise history. But playoffs are a different season and the Battalion has a lot more confidence, and they’re a lot more consistent in their game now than they’ve ever been. Win or lose, I expect the Battalion to give the Generals a series North Bay can be proud of. They can’t change their style now and that’s heavy physical contact, and strong back pressure, and good special teams. With that, North Bay should be able to give Oshawa a run for their money.
Ranjan: If there is a chink in the Generals’ armour, could it be an ordinary .500 record on the road, two wins and two losses, in these playoffs?
Greg: In my opinion, starting down in Oshawa is okay for the Battalion, simply because North Bay is a good road team. But back to that stat…no, I don't think their road record in these playoffs displays a weakness. I think they have a strong club, regardless if they're on the road, or they’re at home. I think it’s going to be up to the players themselves to find a way to beat the Generals. They have to find that Achilles Heel, whether it be the defense corps that they have, or whether it be the Appleby factor. In that I mean getting to the goalie by crashing the net, and playing the tough kind of hockey they're accustomed to playing in the playoffs.
This team the Battalion has, you know, the more I watch them play the more I become a believer. I think the Battalion is certainly capable of going into the General Motors Centre and winning a road game and maybe stealing a game or two at home.
Ranjan: Let’s talk about the Battalion for a second...time and time again, the Battalion finds a way to neutralize the scoring threat of the other team’s top scorers. Just how are they doing that?
Greg: First of all, they’re neutralizing the other team’s scorers by being well-prepared by the coaching staff. Second of all, it’s called ‘respect for their opposition.’ They know what they're going up against and they're making a team challenge or two, to shut down and override the top players on the opposition. Combine that with really good team chemistry and the coaches are finding ways to have the players dig down deep. That was Barrie’s shortcoming and it ended up being the difference in that series. It becomes strength by committee, really, and that’s what we saw last year. I think this team looks to be as strong, or even stronger, than last season.
Ranjan: It may be cliche...but let’s touch on doing the little things in playoff hockey. We've all heard it. But from your perspective, what are the little things, and who on the Battalion is doing them?
Greg: The biggest thing I notice from the Battalion players is an extreme sense of ‘team first’ attitude. They realize that nobody is above, and nobody is beyond, the team structure and I think that’s really, really important. There are a lot of humble players on that roster and it starts right at the top with Nick Paul, a world-class player with gold-medal status. The way he conducts himself on and off the ice: a great leader on the ice, a great leader in the community.
The little things are when Ray Huether is winning faceoffs, and when Ryan Kujawinski is scoring big-time, clutch goals. Nick Moutrey could’ve sat back and rode the coattails of an entry-level contract, yet he’s not doing that…he’s getting his nose dirty.
The Battalion is getting good support from the third and fourth line units…and how about the Mathew Santos factor? The Battalion is playing strong along the wall in the defensive zone. Very seldom do they make a weak side pass in their own zone. Everything is strong, up the wall.
There are all kinds of little things that are being done, that I’ve noticed: chips off the glass; using your feet in a scrum along the half wall or a strong forecheck or neutral zone trap-check. But don't forget the biggest factor of all: the mental toughness…and what does that mean? It’s not retaliating after you get hit. Do a bunch of these small things correctly, and you win.
