Hey OHL fans! It's time for another heap of stats, news and happenings.
Sudbury Wolves' forward Nick Foligno has cracked the Top 10 in
OHL scoring after another solid weekend.
Foligno holds down 10th spot in scoring with eight goals and 25 points in 15 games.
Foligno has been consistently putting up points since his
return from the Ottawa Senators training camp. The 18-year-old
has only gone two games this season, so far, without recording
a point. He had a season high three goals and four points
against Belleville back in September.
If he continues his torrid pace, and shoots even more, Foligno
could find himself in the Top Five for scoring when the dust
settles at the end of the season.
Well, the Wolves have taken hold of a familiar statistic, team
penalty minutes. Sudbury has once again laid outright claim to
the dubious distinction, amassing 419 penalty minutes through
their first 17 games. The Erie Otters, the worst team in the
OHL, have the second most with 411.
Despite the penalty parade, the Wolves still own a solid record
of 9-7-0-1, which is good for 19 points and third in the
Central Division. Sudbury is actually only four points out of
first overall in the OHL. Barrie owns that spot but has played
two less games than Sudbury.
Still, it's a nice feeling for the team to be in striking
distance of first, but they can't rest for one second as last
Friday's result proved. (Sudbury was hammered 8-2 by
Barrie.)
The Wolves have become road warriors. In recent memory, the
team has struggled on the road, especially in the last five
seasons.
This year, it has been a bit different. According to Wolves'
stats man Dave Harrison, Sudbury is off to its best start on
the road in recent times.
Sudbury has won five of eight games on the road so far this
season. It's only the fourth time in the Wolves' 35 years they
have peeled off five wins in their first eight road games.
Prior to this year's start, the 1994-95 season was the last
time the Wolves ate so well on the road, when they went
6-1-1.
Too bad it's not the same story when it comes to home. Sudbury
has been shaky on home turf this season, going a 4-4-0-1. This
includes two games where they were spanked 10-4 by Mississauga
and the recent 8-2 drubbing by Barrie.
If they get their home game figured out, look out.
The Kitchener Rangers are the hottest squad in the OHL right
now. The team has won five straight games, after going winless
in their first four games.
A big reason for the sharp turn around has been the play of
rookie goalie John Murray. The 19 year old has been in-between
the pipes for all five wins, which included victories over
London and Mississauga. He has a 2.49 goals-against-average
(second best in the OHL) and a .919 save percentage (third
best).
It looks like Kitchener has found a replacement for their
former star net minder Dan Turple. Only time will tell.
It was only a matter of time before Barrie's Bryan Little took
over the scoring race in the OHL, although he's not quite there
yet.
Little is now tied, with London's super rookie Sam Gagner, for
the overall OHL scoring lead. Both have 33 points.
Little has played in 15 games, and has 15 goals and 33
points, while Gagner has played in 12 games, picking up eight
goals and 33 points. Gagner missed the action this past weekend
and I couldn't determine if he was injured.
It looks like the race to be the top scoring defenceman in the
OHL is going to go until the final weekend of the 2006-07
season.
At the start of the year, it looked like Owen Sound's Bobby
Sanguinetti was going to run away with the title, but he has
slowed and others have caught fire.
Sanguinetti had 10 points after his first five games, but has
hit a funk, scoring five points in his last 11 games.
Sarnia's Ryan Wilson is one defender who has seized the
opportunity. Wilson leads all OHL defencemen with five goals
and 23 points in 15 games.
He has several players breathing down his neck, including
Barrie's Andrew Marshall and Sudbury's Jonathan D'Aversa.
Marshall has 18 points in 15 games, while D'Aversa has 17
points in 17 games.
