Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “.
The Owen Sound Attack have put together an impressive 5 game win streak very early in the season and currently are the # 2 seed in the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference as they head to Barrie tonight to face the Colts.
Both the streak, the CHL Top 10 ranking at # 6 and the standings are impressive to me on a number of levels.
First of all, Owen Sound resides just 2 points back of a highly touted Saginaw team that has played 3 more games than Owen Sound.
Second, when you take into consideration that Owen Sound’s win streak has come ( in order ) against Flint, Kitchener, London, Sault Ste Marie and Sudbury, most of whom were projected to be contenders, that’s a significant run
Most impressive, in my view, is the last win over Sudbury; not that it was dominant or a piece of perfection, but rather because it came against a backdrop of possible pitfalls.
Before the Sudbury game, Owen Sound off for a week, and teams can become stale without meaningful game action.
Before the Sudbury game, Owen Sound cracked the Kia-CHL Top 10 at # 8, which as we have seen here & there many times, can be a mirage, a distraction and signal a pending reversal of fortune.
Before the Sudbury game, the Attack captain, Aidan Dudas, was selected to play in both games of the upcoming CIBC Canada-Russia Series which is a prelude to the World Junior Selection Camp, which, as you can understand, could impact focus.
And finally before the Sudbury game, 2 youthful members of the Attack were chosen to compete at the World Under 17 out west, and 2 others were not. Again, this kind of activity is generally seen as a pro, but underneath it can be littered with cons.
In the face of all that, Owen Sound scored a workmanlike 4-1 win over the Wolves and tonight put their 5 gamer on the line when they head to Barrie for their 2nd match of the year against the Colts.
I’m Fred Wallace