(3) Sarnia vs (6) Windsor
Tale of the Tape
Kingston Frontenacs 36-23-6-3
Head Coach
Jay Varaday (1st Season)
Team Leaders
Jason Robertson 87 points in 68 games. Hit the 200 point mark on his career late in the year. 1 of only 3 from the 2015 draft class to reach that mark in only 3 seasons.
Linus Nyman 85 points in 67 games. The electric import just keeps producing for the Fronts. The playoffs will be a fantastic stage for him to leave an imprint in scouts minds leading up to the NHL Draft
Gabe Vilardi 58 points in 32 games. Vilardi may be the best player in the Eastern Conference as he averaged 1.81 points per game in the 2nd half of the year with the Fronts.
Playoff Experience
Forwards and D have 320 games of OHL Playoff expierience which is tops in the Eastern Conference. Leading the way Cliff Pu with 36 games. Villardi and Day bring Mem Cup experience from last season even though they entered through the back door. Jason Robertson was fantastic in last years playoffs almost single handily carrying the team past Hamilton in Round 1.
Scoring Leaders vs North Bay
Gabe Vilardi 3G 4A
Linus Nyman 2G 4A
Cliff Pu 2G 1A
Jason Robertson 2G 1A
Team Averages
Goals Per Game: 243 (5th in East) 3.57
Goals Allowed Per game: 202 (1st in East) 2.97
Power Play: 25.7%
Penalty Kill: 84.7%
Special Teams Plus Minus: +22
Age 18.8 yrs: (1st)
Height: 186.12cm (3rd)
Weight: 87.76kg (1st)
What to Watch for
Kingston has arguably the best forward in the East in Gabe Vilardi, the best goalie in the east in Jeremy Helvig, the best defenceman in the east in Eemeli Rasanen, the best special teams in the East and are the oldest and biggest team in the playoffs. It should be enough to get them past North Bay but will it be enough to get out of the East?
North Bay Battalion 30-28-7-3
Head Coach
Stan Butler (He has been their HC since the beginning of time)
Team Leaders
Justin Brazeau 39 goals and 36 assists in 68 games. The power forward from New Liskeard ON will surely get some looks from NHL teams this offseason as he has been a big bodied force this season putting up big points on the power play for North Bay. If Kingston gets into penalty trouble Brazeau could make them pay.
Luke Burghardt 71 points in 68 games. Burghardt was picked up off the scrap heap from Guelph where he had 58 points in 167 career games. He blew those numbers out of the water and had a career year under Stan Butler which seams to happen every year with a player the Battalion pick up.
Matthew Struthers 27 points in 30 games with the Battalion. Came over to North Bay from Owen Sound and has flourished in under Stan Butler. He will be a big part of this team next season.
Playoff Expierience
With 111 games of playoff experience among their forwards and defence the Battalion sit last in the OHL in that category. Veteran OA defender Riley Bruce leads the way with 41 career games under his belt. Mathew Struthers who has been fantastic since coming over from Owen Sound has 21 games of playoff expierience from his first 2 seasons with the Attack. These two will be leaned on as this young roster gets its feet wet against Kingston.
Scoring Leaders vs Kingston
Adam Thilander 1G 4A
Brandon Coe 3G 1A
Justin Brazeau 2G 2A
Team Averages
Goals Per Game 213 (9th in East) 3.13
Goals Allowed Pergame 237 (5th in East) 3.49
Power Play: 19.9%
Penalty Kill: 79.2%
Special Teams PlusMinus: -4
Age 18.24 (10th)
Height 186.56 (1st)
Weight 83.92 (6th)
What to Watch for
Stan Butler will have his team prepared but I am not sure if it will be enough to seriously push the Fronts. Have one of their 2 home games in Sudbury doesn't help either as the World Curling Championships are in North Bay right now. This will be an opportunity to continue the development of guys like Coe and McMaster.
Season Series
Kingston 3-1
North Bay 1-2-1
Oct 22
KGN 2 @ NB 8
Feb 11
NB 2 @ KGN 3
Mar 4
KGN 4 @ NB 3 SO
Mar 16
NB 3 @ KGN 5
Playoff Schedule
Game 1, Fri, Mar 23 at Kingston – 7:00 p.m.
Game 2, Sun, Mar 25 at Kingston – 6:00 p.m.
Game 3, Tues, Mar 27 at North Bay (in Sudbury) – 7:00 p.m.
Game 4, Thurs, Mar 29 at North Bay – 7:00 p.m.
Game 5, Sat, Mar 31 at Kingston – 7:00 p.m.
Game 6, Sun, Apr 1 at North Bay – 7:00 p.m.
Game 7, Tues, Apr 3 at Kingston – 7:00 p.m.
Playoff History
2014-15
North Bay and Kingston met in the 1st round with North Bay sweeping the Fronts out of the 1st round
2009-10
In Brampton the Battalion were pushed to 7 games by the Fronts. It was the first game 7 I ever attended and I happened to sit in front of some very friendly Fronts fans for the game. Brampton ended up winning and I did a fantastic job of boxing out my friends wife as I caught a rally towel tossed into the stands by Sarge.
Prediction
Kingston has made it out of the 1st round each of the last 2 seasons so it is hard to say they are going to Kingston themselves out of these playoffs. I just think they are too good on paper. Stan Butler does a great job with less on the Battalion but hard work can only take you so far. There becomes a point where Talent will always overcome hard work in spite of what your favourite motivational cliche will tell you.
Kingston in 5 games because they will want an extra home gate to line their owners pockets.
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