Battle Report
A sense of urgency is needed at the Sudbury Arena.
The Sudbury Wolves take on two tough Western Conference foes
this weekend (Sarnia on Friday and Kitchener on Sunday) and a
win at home is necessary.
It starts tonight against Sarnia. Game time is 7:30 pm. The
Kitchener game goes at 2 pm Sunday.
The Wolves have struggled at home this season with a 5-6-1-2
record. On the road, they're 8-5-1-0.
Winning at home isn't rocket science and used to be the bread
and butter of the Wolves.
"We want a solid team effort," said head coach and GM Mike
Foligno. "It comes from good awareness from our best player
right to our fourth liners. It seems we have that on the road.
We've let our guard down in our building.
Opponents are coming in knowing this is a tough place to play and are more prepared and hungry than we are.
"We've got to get back to making smart decisions. We also need
to play with a bit of fear, not scared, at home. We don't just
want to just step on the ice and watch an opponent. We want to
make things happen. We have to work harder and this is the time
to do it because it's almost the midway point of the season. We
need everyone playing the team game because that will allow us
to be successful."
The Wolves have been pleased with their latest acquisition,
veteran forward Andrew Self. The rugged six-foot-three,
200-pounder has come in and made an immediate impact.
"He handles the puck well and protects it good along the wall,"
said Foligno. "He's been a responsible player and that's what
we were looking for. He gives us more experience and stability
and allows others to play harder."
Rookie Jared Staal, who came into the organization with
unrealistic expectations, has begun to turn a corner in his
young OHL career. Last week, he popped his first goal of the
season.
"He's starting to play well and doing a lot of little things
really good," said the coach. "He's really working hard to
create chances and going to the right spots. He's coming along
and still has a way to go, but boy oh boy he's showing us he
can play. He's also gritty and taking the body."
Sudbury has also relied heavily on Nick Foligno, and the feisty
forward hasn't disappointed. In 26 games, the younger Foligno
leads the team in scoring with 12 goals and 40 points.
"Nick knows he's one of our leaders and his confidence level is
very high," said the bench boss. "He can perform under pressure
and against opposing team's best players. We also count on him
to be solid defensively."
Overage defender Nicholas Tuzzolino is now gone to Fort Wayne
to play in the United Hockey League.
The Wolves expect Akim Aliu to be back in action against
Sarnia. Justin Larson is day-to-day and could play.
  Enemy Lines
For the last two seasons, the Sarnia Sting has had the honour
of being one of the league's doormats. This year, however, is a
different story and now the Sting are wiping their feet on
other clubs.
In 2004-05, the Sting finished with just 16 wins and 43 points,
good for second last overall. In 2005-06, they managed just 17
wins and 39 points, while coming in dead last overall.
With an abundance of veteran ringers and some standout young
players, the Sting has rebounded nicely and is one of the OHL's
better franchises. Already this season, they won 15 of their
first 25 games, and will easily surpass last season's point
total.
"We like where we're at," said head coach Dave MacQueen. "We
have some good, young talent and GM Allan Millar brought in
veteran leadership that has won in the league before to show
our guys what it takes day-in-and-day-out. It's a process and
we're still learning. Some games, we're very good and then
other nights we still have a long way to go. Generally, the
boys are working hard and producing good results."
The team, like much of the league, has been blown away by
rookie sensation Steven Stamkos. (He was Sarnia's prize for
finishing last in 2005-06 and picked first overall in the 2006
OHL Draft.)
Stamkos has been nothing short of spectacular, taking the OHL
by force. In his first 26 games, Stamkos had 19 goals and 34
points.
"I don't think anybody expected Steven to be where he is at
right now," said MacQueen. "We knew he was a dynamic player and
would eventually put up big numbers…He's further ahead than we
projected. His competitiveness stands out and the way he
carries himself on and off the ice. He wants to be a player.
What has surprised me the most is how well he has adapted at
being responsible defensively."
The Sting injected much-needed leadership, veteran savvy and
grit in the form of defenders Ryan Wilson and Bobby Davey,
along with Trevor Kell. All three have been a boon.
"Bobby will stand up for his teammates and play any style…he's
a good team guy," said the coach. "Ryan's biggest asset is his
offensive ability. He calms guys down and makes a good first
pass. He's been a steady influence. With Trevor, talk about
leadership…it's written all over him. This guy has won a
Memorial Cup with London. He's taken charge of the dressing
room…people underestimate the importance of having an influence
like that in the room. He's having a great year and as much a
part of what we're doing as anybody."
MacQueen expects his troops to keep up their strong play
tonight in Sudbury.
"It's a tough building and they're always fired up," said
MacQueen. "I want the team to work hard, compete and match
their work ethic."
Former Wolves defenceman Thomas Sample is no longer with the
Sting. He cleared waivers and is at home awaiting an
opportunity. In nine games this season, Sample had zero points,
nine penalty minutes and a -3 rating.
