Technically, the second half of the Ontario Hockey League season begins tomorrow night for the Owen Sound Attack.
When the Attack host the Sarnia Sting on Wednesday night, it will be Game # 35 of the season, bypassing the midway point of the annual 68 game season.
Sure, there’s a 10 day Christmas Break looming, but technically the second half of the season starts tomorrow night.
Reviewing the first 34 Attack games, there is no doubt there’s a great deal of pride within the Owen Sound brass at the results.
They’re not about to brag about being 6th in the Western Conference. Not after last year. Not after 2011.
But I’d be surprised if anyone, inside or outside of the organization, thought they’d be 2 points out of 5th by Christmas.
Not with an untested netminder.
Not with a blueline flush with newcomers.
Not without a true # 1 centre and bereft of most of the offensive assets they had just a year ago.
But there they sit with 39 points. Pretty impressive.
Furthermore, tomorrow’s game marks the finale in a stretch of 10 games exclusively against Western Conference opposition.
Personally, heading into that sequence it looked to me like a gang plank.
However, Owen Sound didn’t plunge, instead they battled their way to accumulate 13 of a possible 18 points through 9 matches and will shoot for a 75 percent rating tomorrow when the Sting come to town.
There are fears that motivation may be lacking Wednesday with a Christmas Break on the horizon. But in reality, the 2nd half of the season starts long before Christmas for the Attack.
I’m Fred Wallace