Ontario Hockey League Playoffs

Story by Todd Vandonk.

The second round of the playoffs will kick off in the OHL, when the Kitchener Rangers and Owen Sound Attack drop the puck tonight. The Windsor Spitfires clinched the last spot in the Eastern Conference last night, after completing a series comeback. Windsor trailed 3-0 in the series, before knocking off the number two seed Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound. Overtime was needed in three of the four Windsor victories, which were all decided by one goal.

Eastern Conference

Being the low seed in the East, Windsor will pack their bags and head to the John Labatt Centre to face the London Knights. The power house Knights cruised in round one, sweeping the Guelph Storm 4-0. The Knights won all three regular season meetings against the Spits, which included an 8-0 romping. Tyler Perry has 10 points, and is tied with four others, for the playoff scoring lead. John Scott Dickson leads the way, for the Spits with 9 points. The Knights deep roster, should allow them to finish off the Spits quickly. The series starts Thursday night in Windsor.

The other Eastern match-up will feature the Owen Sound Attack and the Kitchener Rangers. Kitchener’s roster has been hampered with injuries and look to ride on the back, of Captain Canada, Mike Richards. Kitchener struggled in the first round and went down two games to the Erie Otters, before pulling off four straight wins to win the series. Owen Sound, on the other hand, hammered the Plymouth Whalers four games to none. The Attack looked impressive in the series, out scoring the Whalers 19-3. Owen Sound won three of six, regular season meetings against Kitchener and enjoys home ice advantage in the series. With both teams top snipers firing on all cylinders, this should be the most entertaining series and could go the seven games. The series will start tonight in Owen Sound.

Western Conference

The second seed Peterborough Petes will face the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors, after sinking the Belleville Bulls four games to one in their opening series Petes registered 20 goals in the series, led by Jadran Beljo, Jordon Morrison, and Liam Reddox. The offensive players accounted for a combined 24 points in round one. The Majors are coming off perhaps the biggest playoff upset to this point. With Major’s Justin Peter’s solid goaltending, the first place Mississauga got a ticket, to an early exit from the playoffs. Along with the momentum, the Major’s will enter the series full of confidence, knowing they can beat the Petes. The Majors enjoyed regular season success against the Petes, earning a tie and two wins in three match-ups. If Peters continues his stingy ways between the pipes, the Majors could find themselves, on their way to the Western Conference final. Peterborough and Toronto will drop the puck, for game one on Thursday, in Peterborough.


The Sudbury Wolves and Ottawa 67’s will look for the other spot in the Western Final. Brian Kilrea’s team comes into the series, after dominating the third seed Barrie Colts. Ottawa won the series four games to two, and accomplished the feat, with 25 goals in the series. Sudbury won convincingly as well, only facing a couple bumps on the road. Ottawa’s needs to get better goaltending in round two, if they plan to keep rookie Benoit Pouliot off the score sheet. Pouliot is one point back of the scoring leaders and recorded the double overtime winner in game six, which clinched the series for the Wolves. Ottawa beat Sudbury twice in three meetings during the regular season. Home ice, for the Wolves, might be the difference in the series. The series first game will be Thursday night in Sudbury.