Wild weekend in the OHL

BY SCOTT HADDOW

Hey OHL fans, it's time to serve up another heap of news, stats and notes.

Let's start with some Sudbury Wolves stuff first.

The Wolves pulled off a big feat this past weekend by winning both their homes games and gaining some ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

They dumped a strong Plymouth Whalers squad Friday 4-3, and then followed it up with a thrilling 3-2 shoot-out win over Peterborough on Sunday. (They're still in fifth place, but only one point behind Oshawa for fourth.)

A big reason for the wins was the play of two new guys - Justin Donati and Sebastian Dahm, and it looks like their both starting to fit into the Sudbury puzzle.
 
Both players have enjoyed solid success in February.

Dahm entered the month going 1-4-0-1 in his first six games with the Wolves and, overall, had a bloated 3.94 goals-against-average (GAA) and eyebrow-raising .874 save percentage.

In eight games this month, Dahm has been darn good, going 5-3 with a more respectable and confidence inspiring 2.71 GAA and .911 save percentage.

Dahm must continue to get better as the play-offs approach to set the tone for the team and make them a truly feared group. He will be the main key to a serious run in the playoffs.

As for Donati, he has been nothing short of spectacular since arriving in the Nickel City piling up 14 goals and 24 points in 18 games.

In February, Donati has been clipping at a goal-per-game pace, scoring eight goals in eight games. He also has two assists for 10 points.

Again, like Dahm, Donati is going to be another vital weapon in the playoffs. The play-offs are a time for big goals, and Donati will be expected to deliver his share every game.

Former Wolves' players Kevin Beech and Jesse Messier made news this past weekend.

Beech picked up the third star of the game on Friday after he made 72 saves in a 7-2 loss to Owen Sound.
Beech faced 79 shots overall, including 31 in the second period alone.

Messier has excelled in Toronto and scoring at a point-per-game pace.

On Saturday night, Messier ripped a goal and two points to help the Majors slam Windsor 7-6.

In 16 games with Toronto, Messier has six goals and 16 points.

London's Dave Meckler accomplished a neat feat Saturday night in a game against Kingston.

Meckler scored four goals to help London win 5-2, and all of them were in different situations.

He scored a power play goal, regular strength goal; short-handed goal and a penalty shot goal.

It doesn't happen often and fans should tip their hat to Meckler.

Speaking of the Knights, fans will get a chance to see the electrifying Patrick Kane on Friday night as Rogers Sportsnet will televise the Sault Ste. Marie- London game at 7 pm. (For local fans, forget about it because you will all be at the Wolves game!)

Kane has been unstoppable all season, and he's picking up momentum.

In February, Kane has 13 goals and 27 points in eight games.

What he has done this season, as a first year player, is unimaginable.

Kane has 53 goals and 121 points in 49 games. It's even more ridiculous when you break it down a bit further.

Out of those 49 games, Kane has had at least three points in 24 of them. He's had 13 four-point games. In the eight games this month, Kane has seven games with at least three points and a high of five.

Kane has shot up the NHL Draft rankings all season, yet some scouts still wonder if he has the size (he's listed as five-foot-10 and 170-pounds) to do the same kind of damage at the pro level.

I believe he will. It's not like there isn't any big bruisers in the OHL who make a living by trying to bash guys like Kane to mush.

The NHL has changed and skilled players are needed. Kane is highly skilled and should be a Top-3 pick.