Ottawa 67s (7-11-1)
The combination of the way the 67s have been playing as of a late, and the teams they’ll be playing this week is not good at all. Last week, they were outscored 17-7, and out shot 126-78, and only one of the three games was against a team over .500. The teams they play this week are a combined 38-15-6.
Thursday VS London Knights (12-5-2):
This will be the first of only two games between these two teams. The Knights are only third in their division, but that doesn’t reflect their play this season. The two teams ahead of then, the Otters and Storm, are the only two teams in the league with a winning percentage of .800 or higher. The Knights are currently on a 5 game point streak, with 4 wins and a shootout loss to the Barrie Colts. It’s no surprise that the Knights have such a good record, but what is surprising is how long they’ve managed to have a good team. In the past 10 seasons, they’ve been above .500 9 times (the one time they weren’t, they were exactly .500, winning 34 games). 8 of those seasons they won 49 or more games, including a 59 win season (!!!) in 04-05. The last time they missed the playoffs was the 1999-2000 season. They haven’t missed the playoffs in 12 years, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be changing that this year. Their top scorer, Bo Horvat has 23 points in 16 games. Nothing like Corey Perry’s 130 in 60 back in 04-05, but still not too bad. As far as offense goes, they’re in the top half of the league, but not close to the top. Their defence on the other hand is great. They’re currently third in the league for goals against, although they have played 2 or 3 games less than a lot of other teams.
Friday VS Oshawa Generals (16-4-1)
This Generals are tied with the Erie Otters for first place in the league, although Erie has played one game less than Oshawa. So far this season, the 67s are 0-1 against the Generals, losing 7-1 last week. Michael Dal Colle is still the team’s leading scorer, with 37 points in 21 games. Scott Laugton has 31 points, but in 17 games, giving him a higher points per game average. Their offense still isn’t the best (67s fans would disagree, considering they scored 7 goals against Ottawa last week), but their defence remains good. Essentially, I’m saying the exact same things as I did in last week’s preview. The OHL scheduling needs more diversity on a week to week basis so I can get new things to write about for the previews.
Sunday VS Kingston Frontenacs
Kingston has only won 3 of their past 10 games. Don’t get your hopes up though. The last time they played the 67s, they had lost 5 in a row and still won. The Frontenacs are a fairly skilled team that the 67s can’t take lightly. Henri Ikonen continues to have a great season, scoring 26 points in 18 games. The Frontenacs are middle of the pack when it comes to offense and defence. They have a goal differential of +9, not the greatest but also not all that bad. Roland McKeown is by far their best defenceman, leading their defenders in points with 12 in 20 games (2G 10A) and also leads leads the team with a +15. That is a fantastic +/- for someone on a team with a total of +9 overall. The 67s are 0-2 against the Frontenacs this season, and after the week they had, I’m sure they’ll be playing to win. Although, I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what I said a week ago.