OHL finals feature two teams vying for respect
The Guelph Storm has the undivided attention of the city of Guelph. Finishing first overall in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with 108 points, breaking a few franchise records along the way, and raising the Wayne Gretzky Trophy to become Western Conference Champions will do that for a team.
Though this Storm team didn’t have a simple hop, skip, and a jump down a path to get to the Ontario Hockey League Finals; the attention from their city is warranted, and there is no doubt that it has been earned.
After a remarkable regular season, the Storm defeated the eighth-seeded Plymouth Whalers in the first round of the playoffs in five games. A series no one second-guessed. However the Western Conference Semifinals against the two-time defending OHL Champion, London Knights, had Storm City fans raising eyebrows and those in green confident their Memorial Cup hosts would continue down the path to a third straight OHL Championship.
A series win that arguably won the unwavering respect of local fans for good, and earned often hard-to-get credit from some disappointed Knights fans. After the first two games in Guelph were split leaving the Storm to head to the Budweiser Gardens in London with the daunting task of taking at least one game in the intimidating building, the Storm didn’t just show up – they stormed through, defeating the Knights 4-2 in Game three. Game four’s 6-3 win gave the Storm a chance to defeat the defending champions on home ice in Game five, a task they completed successfully in a suspenseful 5-4 win. (Story continues after slideshow).
Next up were the Erie Otters in the Western Conference Finals. A series featuring teams who were separated by no more than two points at the end of the regular season gave way for no favourites in the predicted outcome.
Yet the Storm set to make an impression just like they had been all year. The team played some of their most dominant hockey, pushing the Otters to a potential sweep after winning the first three games of the series. The Otters, on the brink of elimination, won Game four 5-2 to push the series to five. That’s where it would end though, as the Storm took the game 5-0 and the series 4-1 to raise the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as Western Conference Champions.
After working endlessly to gain the deserved respect, the Storm find themselves facing an underdog that is trying to do just that, too.
In the first round of the playoffs, the now Cinderella Story, North Bay Battalion, were down and out in a 3-1 series against the Niagara IceDogs. A series they climbed back in to win in seven. The Battalion then went on to defeat the Barrie Colts in six, putting them on a crash course to face the heavily favoured Oshawa Generals, who finished first in the Eastern Conference with 90 points. The Generals hadn’t lost a playoff game, sweeping both the Mississauga Steelheads and the Peterborough Petes.
The trend of four game series’ continued for the Generals, but in a way nobody would have imagined. The North Bay Battalion swept the Generals, forcing junior hockey fans everywhere to take notice with wide eyes and several questions left unanswered. Despite the questions of how, the Battalion pushed their way to the OHL Finals and are playing every minute to prove they deserve to be here. With many Storm fans believing a sweep to be possible, the Battalion were up 2-1 until the home team stormed back to win the game 57 seconds into overtime on May 1.
If a Game one score of 3-2 and the first overtime of the playoffs for either team didn’t make a statement on behalf of the Battalion, Game two sure did.
The Battalion pushed the second game in two nights to overtime yet again; this time changing the outcome on an overtime goal from Barclay Goodrow, leaving the series tied 1-1 after a strong 4-3 win.
The series is guaranteed a Game five that will be played on Friday, May 9 at the Sleeman Centre. If the Storm continue the trend of five game series, they can very well be playing to eliminate the Battalion to become OHL Champions.
However if there is anything this season has taught a team that has fought night after night to earn the respect they rightfully deserve, it’s the power the fight and desire to earn that respect can have over a team. As the Storm head to North Bay for Games three and four, they prepare for a Battalion team ready to do anything to prove they deserve this championship as much as the boys in crimson. The Storm are undoubtedly something special, while the Battalion have proved that they are.
Two teams who know what it takes to earn their stripes. Two teams who will do anything to win the championship.
Who wants it more?