OHL Finals Preview- Oshawa vs London

Season series: 1-1

Feb 11: LDN 4, OSH 3 (OT)

Feb 28: OSH 6, LDN 4

Advantage: OSH 3 points to 2

Special Teams:

OSH PP: 21.9% (9th)

LDN PP: 27.3% (5th)

OSH PK: 82.7% (1st)

LDN PK: 80.3% (4th)

Advantage: Tie. London better PP, Oshawa better PK.

Goals For/Against:

OSH: 64 for, 46 against. +18

LDN: 57 for, 37 against. +20

Advantage: London, barely.

Starting Goalie:

OSH: Jacob Oster (35-16-8), 2.82 GAA, .905 save % reg season and (12-3-2), 2.29 GAA, .923 save % playoffs

LDN: Michael Simpson (34-10-2), 2.61 GAA, .905 save % and (12-2-0), 2.59 GAA, .911 save % playoffs

Advantage: Oshawa

Top Scorers:

OSH:

Calum Ritchie: 6 G, 19 A, 25 P

Beckett Sennecke: 10 G, 12 A, 22 P

Dylan Roobroeck: 10 G, 11 A, 21 P

Connor Lockhart: 6 G, 8 A, 14 P

LDN:

Easton Cowan: 7 G, 12 A, 19 P

Max McCue: 2 G, 15 A, 17 P

Denver Barkey: 3 G, 13 A, 16 P

Kasper Halttunen: 9 G, 6 A, 15 P

Advantage: Oshawa

Roster Makeup:

OSH:
03s: 3
04s: 4
05s: 5
06s: 9
07s: 2

LDN:
03s: 3
04s: 8
05s: 4
06s: 6
07s: 2

Advantage: London has the older roster

NHL Drafted/Signed Players:

OSH:

Calum Ritchie (COL 1)

Rasmus Kumpulainen (MIN 2)

Dylan Roobroeck (NYR 6)

Connor Lockhart (VAN 6)

Connor Punnett (DAL FA)

LDN:

Easton Cowan (TOR 1)

Oliver Bonk (PHI 1)

Kasper Halttunen (SJ 2)

Denver Barkey (PHI 3)

Isaiah George (NYI 4)

Jacob Julien (WPG 5)

Landon Sim (STL 6)

Jackson Edward (BOS 7)

Max McCue (CLB FA)

Advantage: London, 9-5

Projected OSH Lineup:

F:

Rolofs-Ritchie-Lockhart

Roobroeck-Kumpulainen-Sennecke (Sennecke hurt?)

Torrance-Griffin-Buckley (Buckley hurt?)

Graham-Delisle-Franssen

D:

Punnett-Danford (Punnett hurt?)

D’Amato-Marrelli

Sandhu-Bedkowski

G:

Oster

Projected LDN Lineup:

F:

McCue-Cowan-O’Reilly

Barkey-Julien-Gazizov

Sim-Lawrence-Halttunen (Sim/Lawrence suspended first 4)

R.Boulton-Nicholl-S.Boulton

D:

Dickinson-Bonk

George-Edward

Leonard-Brzustewicz/Woolley (Leonard hurt?)

G:

Simpson

2024 OHL Playoffs- 2nd Round Predictions

EAST

1 Oshawa vs 6 Ottawa

Both teams had similar 1st rounds and are pretty similar on paper. Despite Ottawa having a considerably older roster, I actually like the Gens roster better (mainly because of Oster) but I watched these teams play a bunch this year and Ottawa always had their number in close games. It will be interesting to see now that the gameplan can be focused in on just 1 opponent how that changes, but this series will very likely come down to special teams and the Gens had the edge there all season so I’m going with Oshawa in 7.

Prediction: OSH 4-3

2 North Bay vs 5 Sudbury

So much in this one relies on if DiVincentiis and Romani are playing or not. They both missed the whole second half of the last series and if they’re out for an extended period in this series, I love Sudbury’s chances. Even if they’re back I could see this going 7 but without them, I think Sudbury wins in 6. This series will be Sudbury trying to run and gun and North Bay trying to slow the game down and play it tight. I just like Sudbury’s big 3 to take over and win the series for them.

Prediction: SBY 4-2

WEST

1 London vs 4 Kitchener

This series should be closer on paper but I just don’t see it. Kitchener really struggled with Erie and if they didn’t get a couple breaks, could’ve lost that series. This London team is just better in almost every area, and way tougher to play against. Kitchener would need Parsons to stand on his head and Rehkopf to have an other worldly series, but Simpson is just as likely to stand on his head and Cowan/Barkey could be other worldly as well.

Prediction: LDN 4-1

2 Saginaw vs 3 Sault Ste. Marie

By far the closest series on paper for me and really could go either way. Both teams have similar goalie worries, although Oke had a great 1st round. Both teams are loaded on both offence and D, but SSM is missing Jack Beck, which is a huge loss for them. Because of that I give Saginaw the edge marginally, but if the Soo can steal an early game then get Beck back, this seems destined for 7 games.

Prediction: SAG 4-3

2nd Round Series Preview- Oshawa vs Ottawa

Season series: 2-3-3

Nov 10: OSH 1, OTT 4

Nov 11: OTT 3, OSH 6

Nov 24: OTT 2, OSH 1

Nov 25: OSH 2, OTT 3(OT)

Dec 6: OSH 2, OTT 3(OT)

Jan 28: OTT 3(OT), OSH 2

Feb 23: OSH 0, OTT 5

Mar 5: OTT 4, OSH 5

Advantage: Ottawa, 12 points to 7

Special Teams:

OSH PP: 21.5% (9th)

OTT PP: 21.3% (11th)

OSH PK: 83.2% (2nd)

OTT PK: 76.7% (15th)

Advantage: Oshawa

Goals For/Against:

OSH: 273 for, 204 against. +69

OTT: 253 for, 228 against. +25

Advantage: Oshawa

Starting Goalie:

OSH: Jacob Oster (35-16-8), 2.82 GAA, .905 save %

OTT: Collin MacKenzie (14-11-3), 3.05 GAA, .901 save %

Advantage: Oshawa

Top Scorers:

OSH:

Calum Ritchie: 28 G, 52 A, 80 P

Dylan Roobroeck: 26 G, 46 A, 72 P

Beckett Sennecke: 27 G, 41 A, 68 P

Connor Lockhart: 27 G, 32 A, 59 P

OTT:

Luca Pinelli: 48 G, 34 A, 82 P

Braeden Kressler: 28 G, 46 A, 74 P

Henry Mews: 15 G, 46 A, 61 P

Jacob Maillet: 17 G, 42 A, 59 P

Advantage: Oshawa

Roster Makeup:

OSH:
03s: 3
04s: 4
05s: 5
06s: 6
07s: 2

OTT:
03s: 3
04s: 7
05s: 6
06s: 4
07s: 0

Advantage: Ottawa has the older roster

NHL Drafted/Signed Players:

OSH:

Calum Ritchie (COL 1)

Rasmus Kumpulainen (MIN 2)

Dylan Roobroeck (NYR 6)

Connor Punnett (DAL FA)

OTT:

Brad Gardiner (DAL 3)

Luca Pinelli (CLB 4)

Cooper Foster (PIT 6)

Matthew Mayich (STL 6)

Braeden Kressler (TOR FA)

Brady Stonehouse (EDM FA)

Advantage: Ottawa, 6-4

Projected OSH Lineup:

F:

Roobroeck-Ritchie-Lockhart

Torrance-Kumpulainen-Sennecke

Rolofs-Griffin-Buckley

Graham-Delisle-Franssen

D:

Punnett-Danford

D’Amato-Marrelli

Sandhu-Bedkowski

G:

Oster

Projected OTT Lineup:

F:

Pinelli-Maillet-Gerrior

Foster-Kressler-Korbler

Stonehouse-Dever-Horner

Barlas-Gardiner-Kelly

D:

Smyth-Mayer

Sirman-Mews

Marrelli-Mayich

G:

MacKenzie

2024 OHL Playoffs- 1st Round Predictions

EAST

1 Oshawa vs 8 Barrie

Oshawa is the hottest team in the CHL coming into the playoffs, and Barrie does not match up well against them. Oshawa is 2nd and 9th in PK/PP respectively and Barrie is 19th/20th. With no Beau Akey, Barrie does not have the defensive depth to shut down the Gens top 9. Sam Hillebrandt and Beau Jelsma should steal at least a game for Barrie.

Prediction: OSH 4-1

2 North Bay vs 7 Kingston

Kingston was one of the most aggressive buying teams in at the deadline in the Eastern Conference (along with NB and OTT) paying big to get Roman Schmidt, Jax Dubois and Luke McNamara, but it didn’t exactly help them in the 2nd half. I do think because of how veteran a team they are, they won’t be an easy out. But I don’t see Vaccari being able to steal games like he’d need to in order for Kingston to actually win this series. NB will be too deep and their defence too strong for KGN to upset them

Prediction: NB 4-2

3 Brantford vs 6 Ottawa

I haven’t heard if Lardis is expected to be back or not so I’m going under the assumption he’s still out (if he’s back that would change things) but Ottawa finishing 6th makes no sense to me. They added big at the deadline and are one of the deepest teams on F and D in the conference, yet didn’t even sniff home ice in the playoffs. Brantford has played pretty far above their head in the 2nd half based on how their roster looks and I think it catches up to them know. I trust Ottawa’s offence a lot more than Brantford’s (without Lardis).

Prediction: OTT 4-2

4 Mississauga vs 5 Sudbury

This will be the best East series in my opinion. If this ends up being a high scoring series, I think Sudbury wins easily. Mississauga doesn’t have the offence to run and gun with Sudbury. But if Mississauga can keep this low scoring and make it a goalie battle series, then Mississauga will beat them. I expect Leenders to be really good, but I don’t think Mississauga will be able to stop Sudbury’s offence and Sudbury’s top guys (Musty, Dvorsky, Goyette) light it up better than anyone else in the league.

Prediction: SBY 4-2

WEST

1 London vs 8 Flint

Your typical 1 vs 8 series. London is so much deeper and so much better in almost every category. Flint would be happy to win a game.

Prediction: LDN 4-0

2 Saginaw vs 7 Owen Sound

Owen Sound is probably the most confusing team this year as they had a pretty good roster, a great goalie, a top 3-5 player in the league, and even traded away their ’07 rookie, but didn’t get anyone great for him and didn’t add at all beyond that. Saginaw is way deeper and should run away with this series. Owen Sound has a chance if Barlow and Goure go off and George stands on his head, but all 3 would have to happen for them to win more than 2 games.

Prediction: SAG 4-2

3 Sault Ste. Marie vs 6 Guelph

Guelph is a team I can never seem to get a feel for. They’re pretty good on paper, even without Poitras coming back, but Soo is even better on paper. I do think the Soo is susceptible for an upset, but I don’t see Guelph doing it. Soo’s top end talent should be enough to carry them to a series win.

Prediction: SSM 4-2

4 Kitchener vs 5 Erie

Kitchener is limping into the playoffs but they caught a break in my opinion getting Erie in round 1 instead of Guelph. Erie doesn’t have a goalie (maybe Gaudreau will make a return for the playoffs?) so Kitchener should make quick work of them. Kitchener really needs to get Sale going if they’re going to make a long run in the playoffs this year. I like Erie’s offence but their defence isn’t very good and to have a Jr A goalie in net doesn’t make for a good combination.

Prediction: KIT 4-1