Hey OHL fans! It's time for another heap of news, stats and notes.
I'm going to break down some Sudbury Wolves stuff to start.
How about that game against Guelph last Friday, if you could
call it that? I haven't seen that kind of poor effort in a long
time. The second period was a disgrace. It really bothered me
for one big reason. I overheard a young family talking right
after the Wolves lost 5-2 to the Storm. They were not
impressed. A young boy turned to his father and asked him why
they came. He thought it was boring. It was their first time at
the rink and I don't know if they will be back.
I guess the point of this little rant is every time you step on
the ice, you give it your all. You just might never know when a
new fan will be watching and looking to be wowed by some
exciting hockey. As players, they owe it to the fans.
Now, onto more positive things like goalie Kevin Beech, who
needed a powerful weekend to keep his critics at bay.
 He wasn't sharp against Guelph, but didn't cost them the game. The Storm did score one empty-net goal. On Saturday, against Owen Sound, one of the stronger clubs in the league, Beech was nothing short of brilliant. He made 54 saves to help Sudbury win 4-2 on the road. On Sunday, he made 38 saves against Oshawa in a 6-5 overtime loss.
 Overall, it wasn't a bad weekend for Beech and I think if he can build off the results, especially the Owen Sound game, he could be ready to really drop the hammer down and claim a spot in the league's elite.
If not, I don't know, maybe it's time for a change of scenery.
On the flip side, defenceman Jonathan D'Aversa is having a
great month. With three games to go, D'Aversa has four goals
and 10 points in seven games. These recent totals have pushed
him into second place among OHL defenceman scoring leaders. He
now has nine goals and 27 points in 24 games, along with a
steady +7 rating. His 27 points put him just five points behind
Sarnia's Ryan Wilson, who has 32 points.
If D'Aversa continues to play red hot, he could easily overtake
Wilson in the next few weeks.
Another guy that's starting to look like he's rebounding is
Akim Aliu. The power forward has four points in his last three
games. He's playing the best hockey since the first three games
of the season. Will it last though? That's the big question. It
really should if Aliu hopes to get drafted high by a NHL club
next June.
The number 12 has become a familiar number on the Wolves stats
page. Four players - Nick Foligno, Kevin Baker, Jesse Messier
and Devin DiDiomete - have all popped 12 goals so far this
season, which leads the Wolves in that department.
Enough about the Wolves...let's take a look around the rest of
the league.
I couldn't help but be blown away by the pure talents of
defender Drew Doughty, who plays for Guelph.
He's quite the intriguing package of skills. He made a few
moves on the ice that a lot of veterans couldn't make.
Doughty is smooth and electrifying. He can really rush the puck and makes you stand up and take notice. He's currently rated to be the top pick in the 2008 NHL Entry draft, and it's easy to see why. My only complaint is we don't get to see him enough. The Friday game was Guelph's first and only visit to the Nickel City. Doughty is tailor-made for the new NHL. He could be a potential franchise player down the road.
