The Fish sure are jumping
Mississauga goes from basement to battling for eastern conference title
KITCHENER — It wasn’t the start James Boyd wanted.
“We were dead last,” the Mississauga Steelheads general manager said of his team’s performance a few months into the Ontario Hockey League season.
Injuries to key players, shaky goaltending and a general lack of effort had the pre-season favourites to win the eastern conference sitting in the basement.
“We were really unhappy with the way our team was playing,” said Boyd. “When we look back, there is probably a sentiment that things were going to be easier with the excitement around our team and expectations coming in. We got some reality early in the season.” Now, the Fish are jumping. The Steelheads have gone 18-33-3 since early December and have claimed at least one point in 18 of their past 19 games. The run has the club comfortably in first in the Central Division, and nine points off the conference-leading Oshawa Generals.
So how did the Trout turn things around?
Well, power-play quarterback and all-around steady blue-line presence Vili Saarijarvi returned from a wrist injury. So, too, did Los Angeles Kings prospect Spencer Watson, who is a better than pointper-game player acquired from the Kingston Frontenacs.
The team’s goaltending duo of rookie Jacob Ingham and veteran Matt Mancina also settled down to provide consistent starts.
And savvy trade deadline additions of forwards Jacob Cascagnette (Kitchener Rangers) and Trent Fox (Hamilton Bulldogs) have helped bring a calming influence to what is still a relatively young team.
“We’re finding ways to win,” said Boyd.
The scary thing is that Mississauga still hasn’t seen its full arsenal, since forwards Nathan Bastian (knee), Scoley Dow (groin) and Brendan Harrogate (ankle) have all been missing of late.
“We haven’t had a full complement yet,” said Boyd. “I’m interested to see our full lineup.”
The slow start will make catching Oshawa for top spot in the east a challenge. Regardless, the Steelheads seem to be peaking at the right time.
“We may have dug ourselves too big of a hole,” said Boyd. “Wherever we end up is where we deserve to be. We’ll be happy to finish healthy and playing the best hockey that we can.”
HOT: Kole Sherwood, Flint. The Firebirds forward is living up to his team name, riding a 14-game point-scoring streak. Sherwood has 14 goals and 17 assists during the run and, at this pace, will more than double last year’s 34-point campaign. Flint has won five of its past six games and grabbed 11 of a possible 12 points to move into seventh in the OHL’s western conference.
NOT: Joseph Raaymakers, Sault Ste. Marie. The veteran goalie has allowed a dozen goals in his past three appearances and
owns a save percentage of .800 in that span. Raaymakers has been yanked five times this season, which has to be a concern for the ’Hounds in the playoffs. Rookie netminder Matt Villalta has started three of the past four games for the Soo.
THOUGHT: Here is an idea that came up in the media room at a recent a game with regards to the ongoing lawsuit over paying players minimum wage. Give every player a cheque at the end of his junior hockey career for the amount that he’d receive in his post-secondary school deal (tuition, books, compulsory fees and, in some cases, room and board for every year played) and let him spend it however he wants — on school, a trade, a car, travel, down payment on house etc. Every player gets it, even those that move on to the top pro levels. Heck, some of those NHLers on fat deals, who currently don’t qualify for the tuition package, might even donate it back to the team’s charity.
KILLER CLASH: London at Erie, Wednesday, 7 p.m. There is a lot to love about this post-Valentine’s Day clash. The OHL’s top two teams meet for the fourth time this season and second time since both sides beefed up at the trade deadline. Erie owns a 2-1 edge this season and has outscored the Knights 12-4 in their past two tilts, both won by the Otters.
ICE CHIPS: In keeping with the Valentine’s Day theme, here are a few matches that could use help from Cupid’s arrow — CHL president David Branch and players’ rights lawyer Ted Charney, the London Knights and fans from every other team in the OHL, Alex DeBrincat and opposing goalies, and the Windsor Spitfires and the injury bug … There is an assumption out there that London gets special treatment from officials. The numbers suggest otherwise. Here is a list of all the OHL clubs and their plus-minus on power plays for and against: Sudbury (-60, that’s 60 more PPs for opponents than the Wolves this season), London (-39), Guelph (-35), Saginaw (-26), Windsor (-23), Mississauga (-20), Hamilton (-13), Niagara (+2), Ottawa (+7), North Bay (+10), Flint (+10), Kingston (+12), Barrie (+14), Oshawa (+14), Kitchener (+14), Sarnia (+18), Owen Sound (+19), Peterborough (+20), Erie (+26) and Sault Ste. Marie (+50). It seems like the Soo gets the most love from officials … So, Erie’s DeBrincat is on pace for back-to-back-to-back 50-goal and 100-point seasons. That would be a first in the OHL and is simply astounding considering that he wasn’t even drafted. DeBrincat has to be the best free agent signing ever in the league … Three teams have already clinched playoffs berths — Erie, London and Sault Ste. Marie … Top five shot takers: Owen Tippett, Mississauga (246), Ryan Mantha, Niagara (246), Brett McKenzie, North Bay (236), Jason Robertson, Kingston (218) and Adam Mascherin, Kitchener (217). Mantha is the sole defenceman among the top 16 in the league. Kingston blue-liner Stephen Desrocher is 17th with 181 shots.