It’s on, baby !
The Ontario Hockey League playoffs commence tonight with the Owen Sound Attack at Windsor to face the Spitfires.
The series got a primer on Saturday night when the Spitfires came to Owen Sound, minus 7 regulars, and set out to physically frighten the Owen Sound lads.
So petrified were the Attack, that Owen Sound would go on to post an exciting 3-2 win in the season finale at the Harry Lumley-Bayshore.
You can spin this first round series any way you want.
Windsor without their best players, still put 50 shots on the Owen Sound goal Saturday; thus, by adding Hall, Ellis, Nemisz, Henrique etc, to their lineup for the post season, it makes them the staggering and overwhelming favorites against the Attack.
It was no fluke that Spitfires were far and away the # 1 team in the OHL this year.
And in fairness, the Attack finished 8th in the Western Conference on merit. Owen Sound blew too many opportunities to avoid the mighty Spitfires and their OHL championship destination.
And that’s the rub.
Windsor, expected to walk all over Owen Sound, a quick inconvenience on their way to the Robertson Cup, has everything to lose in this series whereas the Attack have everything to gain.
# 8 NEVER beats # 1 in the Western Conference. At least not yet.
Owen Sound stood up to the physical challenge from Windsor Saturday night.
Can they stand up to the hockey challenge starting tonight at Windsor ?
I’m Fred Wallace