Game Preview: Barrie Colts @ Mississauga Steelheads. #OHL

Tonight, the Barrie Colts face the Mississauga Steelheads for the third of six meetings this regular season at the Hershey Centre.

Ponies VS. Trout this season.

In both meetings, this season Barrie has managed to get wins but have needed extra time to finish the Trout off. Barrie won the first meeting in the shootout 5-4 earlier this season at Barrie Molson Centre and won the last game 3-2 in overtime.

The 1^st period in the last game was dominated by Mississauga out-shooting Barrie 15-6 but neither team could score. Christian Propp had a strong showing stopping all shots he faced. The last 7 minutes of the period was mostly in Barrie’s end. The Steelheads generated 10 shots in that time and the Colts were not able to register one. Luckily for the Ponies, Propp stood up to the test to keep the Colts in it early. The period ended with a 0-0 tie. Not scoreless, 0-0 is a score.

Barrie came out strong to start the 2^nd period registering the first few shots and chances but couldn’t score until about the 8-minute mark when Anthony Stefano gave the Colts the 1-0 lead. Tyler Tucker assisted on the goal. The lead wouldn’t last a full minute when Spencer Watson would score to tie the game 1-1. Barrie could improve on their chances from the 1^st period but were still out-shot 15-10 in the period.

Spencer Watson would give the Trout the 2-1 lead less than a minute in. Action would go back and forth after that with limited shot chances but lots of strong battles. With less than 2 minutes in regulation, Anthony Stefano would get his 2^nd goal of the night to tie things at 2-2. Roy Radke assisted on the goal. The game would need overtime.

Overtime saw Mississauga come out and get a couple quick shots but it would be Barrie that would score the winning goal at 2:39 in OT. Giordano Finoro’s goal was his 7^th of the season. Lucas Chiodo and Justin Murray both were credited with assists. Colts win 3-2.

Both teams went 0 for 3 with the man advantage. Christian Propp made 36 saves on the night in an excellent performance.

Trout sink 67’s.

Mississauga crushed Ottawa 6-1 this past Tuesday at TD Place. Aiden McFarland scored his 8^th of the season less than 2 minutes in and the Trout didn’t stop from there.

Ottawa’s lone goal came late in the 2^nd period but that is as far as their point production would go.

Michael McLeod had a huge game for Mississauga scoring 3 goals and assisting on 2. He finished the night a +5 and had 3 shots, earning him the first star of the game. Only area he struggled was face-offs winning only 4 of 14. Trent Fox scored a goal and helped on 3 goals to total 4 points. Ryan McLeod also had a 3-point night putting up 3 assists.

Goaltending was a struggle for Ottawa which made it a easy W for the Trout. Jacob Ingham got the win in goal for Mississauga making 27 saves.

Despite scoring 6 goals, the Trout went 0 for 3 on the PP but managed to kill off both penalty kills. Ottawa out-shot Mississauga 28-25.

Attack win 15^th straight and sweep Colts in season series.

Owen Sound did what Barrie did to them in the previous season and swept the Colts in the season series 6-0. They also extended their franchise record winning streak to 15 games.

David Ovsjannikov is the only reason the Colts could force OT in their 3-2 loss to Owen Sound. Barrie was out-shot 40-18. Ovsjannikov made 37 saves on the night. He was outstanding and made serval huge saves.

Colts scored first on Jason Smith’s 1^st goal as a member of the Barrie Colts. The goal was his 3^rd of the season. Curtis Douglas earned an assist. Aiden Dudas scored his 6^th of the year late in the 1^st to tie the game 1-1.

Early in the 2^nd, former Colts captain Cordell James scored his 18^th of the year to put the Attack up 2-1. Not long after the Colts would tie things up 2-2 on a Zachary Magwood goal. His 12^th of the season was not a pretty one. He pretty much lost control of the puck and it went in. The Colts would take it though.

3^rd period saw no goals but Barrie was outshot 14-3. David Ovsjannikov continued to be solid and kept the team in the game, forcing OT.

Petrus Palmu scored his 27^th in OT to get the win for the Attack.

A terrible game for Barrie. David Ovsjannikov was the only guy who showed up for the entire game. Palmu was named the 1^st star of the game but everyone knows Ovsjannikov was the real star.

Final thoughts.

Mississauga currently sits in 1^st place in the Central Division with a 3-point lead over the Sudbury Wolves. Barrie still sits in the bottom of the OHL. The Colts need to do everything better. Missing Radke and Stefano in the lineup are huge blows but there is no excuse to get out-shot as heavily as they did last night. Having 10 forward dressed clearly hurt the team. They need to get healthy if they hope to not keep getting steamrolled by teams. But this late in the season, maybe that is the plan?

I would look for Christian Propp to get the start. Ovsjannikov will need a rest after last night and Propp got the win and played very well in the last meeting with Mississauga.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 tonight.