Whalers start OHL finals Friday
The OHL Finals begin tomorrow (Friday) at 7:05pm in Plymouth, MI where the Plymouth Whalers will take on the Sudbury Wolves. It is my understanding that tickets are still available and you can get the appropriate contact info at the Whalers’ website. Tickets are only $12 and $16 (for center ice seats) so it’s definitely worth the money.
The Whalers are picked to win, but the Wolves have done quite well as the underdog including a sweep of the number one team in the Eastern Conference. This postseason is the fifth time that the Whalers have made it to the OHL Finals. They last won the championship in 1995.
As always, goaltending will be key to the Whalers’ success especially if they continue to take the high number of penalties that they do.
A large part of the Whalers’ success is due to Michael Neuvirth’s play in goal. He is 10-2 during the postseason with a 2.31 goals-against and .942 save percentage.
“In the playoffs, you have to have good goaltending and get the breaks,” Whalers coach Michael Vellucci said Wednesday.
“Michael Neuvirth, a draft pick of Washington, has taken over the No. 1 job in the playoffs and has been outstanding.”
Neuvirth had a 2.00 goals-against and .943 save percentage in a 4-1 series victory over London in the Western Conference finals.
The leading scorer for the Whalers, Tom Sesisto, will not be playing in game one to serve a one game suspension after checking a London Knights player from behind in the Western Conference finals.
An article by the Canadian Press basically introduces you to the key players in this series for both teams.
The key players in Plymouth’s arsenal are power forward James Neal, who helped Canada win gold at the world junior hockey championship this year and is under contract to the Dallas Stars, overage forward Evan Brophey, Daniel Ryder, who was acquired this year from Peterborough, and Sestito when he returns from his suspension and Dan Collins.
Captain Steve Ward anchors a defence that was the best in the league during the regular season and Czech goaltender Michal Neuvirth has earned the right as Plymouth’s starter after working in tandem with Jeremy Smith during the regular season.
It Sudbury, it’s all centred around defenceman Marc Staal, whose return from the New York Rangers last fall prompted the Wolves to make deals at the January trade deadline for a long playoff run.
”Marc has taken the leadership level to the highest level I’ve ever seen,” Foligno said. ”He’s playing like an NHL player right now and I think everyone else has followed suit.”
Staal was Canada’s shut-down defenceman in gold-medal efforts at the last two world junior championships, but contributes a lot offensively for the Wolves as does fellow defenceman Jonathan D’Aversa.
Up front, the go-to players are Nick Foligno, a first-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators and Justin Donati, acquired at the deadline from the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors. Danish goaltender Sebastian Dahm was also a deadline-acquisition from Sarnia.
I actually got to hold and look at Neal’s gold medal this winter - it was pretty nice! Anyways, it should be a great series.
As you know, I’m an intern there so if any readers are attending the game stop by and say hello. I sell programs for the hour and fifteen minutes before the game and then five minutes into the game. We’ll actually be selling special OHL Finals’ programs. I’ve already met one BTJ reader and two members of the Lets Go Wings forums at Whalers’ games and I’d love to meet you too!
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