Each week, Ryan Drury will preview the CKNX Cherrey Buslines OHA Hockey match-up, with pre-game analysis, reports, and quotes from the 2 teams.
The playoffs are looming in the PJHL, and with just a few games remaining, the Walkerton Hawks and Wingham Ironmen will battle to cement their places in the standings, and iron out any deficiencies before the first puck of the playoffs drops. Walkerton looks to be locked in for the 2nd seed as Mount Forest rumble their way in first where they've been all year, but Wingham could seed anywhere from 5th to 3rd as they sit in the bunch-up in the middle with Kincardine and Mitchell who sit tied with 44 points and 42 respecitvely. The Ironmen sit sandwiched in between currently in 4th, but tied with Kincardine at 44. Tonight is a bit more meaningful to them in terms of the standings and playoff match-ups, but the Hawks will want to continue rolling in a desperate last gasp to try to catch to Pats.
Walkerton have been pretty consistent all year despite some roster challenges at times, but sit 2nd in goals for with 155 and 3rd in goals allowed at 112. This is still a veteran-laden group that acquired the speedy Noah Kuno from Goderich before the deadline. Still led by an Elder brother, Spencer, with 37 points, the team is paced in scoring by the explosive Gary Mantz, who put up an astonishing 40 points in just 24 games so far. The roster is chock full of point-per-gamers, and with the skill available, guys like Maverick Petrie (136 PIMs) and Brady Stewart (88 PIMs) provide a lot of sandpaper to a roster that up front, is as well rounded as any you'll find at the Jr. C level. They will look to erase what the team's hierarchy considered an embarrassment last year, losing the finals in game 7 at home to Mount Forest. These guys have a chip on their shoulder and are playing like it.
On the back end, Walkerton boasts a super physical group that can score, too. Josh Deyell, who GM Steve Barrett calls "the most feared defender in the division", is as stout as ever at both ends of the rink, with 23 points in 22 games, and a healthy PIM total at 77. He is never afraid to jump into a rush, or throw a massive hit in the corners, or open ice. He's all business. Brendan Welsh forms a scary 1-2 with Deyell, as his 22 points and 91 PIMs says all you need to know about his ability and nature on the ice. The Hawks allowed 112 goals to this point, with only Kincardine (91) Mount Forest (94) and Mitchell (111) putting up better defensive numbers. If they can stay out of the box more often than not and continue supplying offense, the Hawks will again be a force in the post season.
In goal, Walkerton got reliable contributions from Matt Donnelly and Cody van der Heide, who was once a Hanover Baron. Donnelly paced the tandem in appearances with 21, going 13-2-1 with an .895 save percentage and 2.71 GAA. In 15 appearances, van der Heide posted a 7-6-0 record with an .872 save percentage and 3.71 GAA. Neither of these two have to be spectacular or outright steal games with the strong D-core and at times possession dominant offense, but as long as they provide key saves at the right times, the Hawks will be fine.
Wingham have been putting up great offensive totals all year, but have struggled to keep pucks out of their net. The Ironmen have the 3rd best offensive total in the division at 145 goals for, but rank 5th in goals allowed at 138. The re-acquisition of Jamie Huber has been immense, as he has 60 points in 35 games and could well be on his way to being named league MVP. Rhys Vollmer, Kyle Stanbury and Logan Toltan all took huge strides forward this year, all topping 30 plus points, and if that continues into the playoffs, this team will be a hard out for anyone. Scoring is the least of the worries for a team that last year finished with a division low 86 goals. What a difference a year, and a Huber, can make.
On the back end, this team gets healthy offensive contributions, but is still a work in progress in their own end in terms of coverage breakdowns and choosing when it's best to jump up. Carter Collinson has had a fine year, posting 39 points and being arguably the best power play quarterback in the division. He and Kyle Langlois, 20 points, can move pucks quickly, read defenses from the line efficiently, and score themselves with big shots. Defensively, the unit as a whole needs to better pick their spots. Playoff hockey gets tight and physical, and scoring chances typically regress for everyone, so relying on scoring 6 and allowing 5 might not work so well. If the D for the Ironmen can shore up even marginally, they have the horses to carry them on a potentially deep playoff run.
In the blue paint, the Ironmen will continue to lay their chips on Jamie Brock, who despite seeing a lot of quality scoring chances, put up very respectable numbers. In 20 starts, Brock went 11-5-1, with 2 shutouts, an .889 save percentage and a 3.31 GAA. If the D can cut their chances allowed down even a little bit, Brock has shown he has the chops to make the right save at the right time and hold them in games. Kyle Morning was a reliable backup, and went 6-7-0 in 13 appearances with a .858 save percentage and 4.37 GAA. Brock will be the thoroughbred the Ironmen ride in the post season, and he's shown enough to give them confidence in his ability to keep them in any contest.
This should be a heated and potentially offensively explosive night. These two teams love to score and both have the big guns to do damage, so it may turn into an open ice track meet. Walkerton want to pad their top 2 finish, while Wingham would love to overtake Kincardine in the top 3. Either way, it's been a huge improvement over their 6th place finish recently. Tune in at 8 for the pregame show on AM920, with puck drop at 8:20 with Steve Sabourin and Scott Bridge. Can't wait for the playoffs. It's been a fun ride.