Guelph finishes tops in OHL and open up playoffs March 21 vs. Plymouth
After a standout season that saw them finish atop the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) standings, the Guelph Storm are now gearing up to take on the Plymouth Whalers in the first round of the playoffs, and are poised to make a long playoff run that could culminate in a berth at the Mastercard Memorial Cup tournament this May in London, Ontario.
The Storm finished a dominant regular season with 108 points and 52 wins, and are ranked second on the BMO Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Top Ten List, behind only the powerhouse Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Guelph has been named on the ‘Top 10’ list 25 times this season, which is the most of any CHL team and demonstrates the high level of consistency from the Storm squad. They were the first team in the OHL to hit 100 points, and the Storm scored 340 goals this year – more than any other CHL team and 24 more than the next-closest team in the OHL. They also had the second lowest number of goals against in the OHL, with only 191.
Although the Storm are heavy favourites against the Whalers and placed eighth in the Western Conference, they cannot coast through this round and must survive Game 1 without 100-point scorer Scott Kosmachuk, who was suspended after a hit in the last regular season game. With their 23rd straight playoff appearance, the Whalers hold the OHL record for most consecutive postseason berths and are a strong, big, hard-hitting team that will give the Storm a fight on every play. The styles of the two teams are similar, but if Guelph can remain focused and avoid looking ahead, they should be able to escape the first round without an upset.
Unfortunately, after the first round, Guelph no longer holds any advantage over the competition. Barring any upsets, the Erie Otters and London Knights will also move on, but only one of these three highly dominant teams will make it out of the Western Conference. Will it be the Otters, with the wonder-kid Connor McDavid, OHL leading scorers Connor Brown and Dane Fox, and OHL top goalie Oscar Dansk? Will it be the Knights, with Max Domi, Chris Tierney, and the Rupert twins running for their third straight J. Ross Roberston Cup as OHL Champions? Or will it be the Storm, with Scott Kosmachuk sitting third in OHL scoring, Kerby Rychel not far behind with 90 points, and Tyler Bertuzzi, who not only puts up points but specializes in getting under the skin of the opposing teams?
It is often said that the Memorial Cup is the hardest trophy to win in hockey. Facing off against the host London Knights, plus the WHL and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League representatives, Guelph will be forced to adapt to the styles of play of the two other leagues. It will be a long, gruelling two months for the Storm squad, but they have to make it through one round at a time.