Sarnia losing its Sting

Notes from FNH January 27th Sarnia @ Ottawa

Something is just a little off with Sarnia right now. The Sting had lost four straight before hanging on to beat Kingston 2-1 Sunday. If this team can get healthy (Galchenyuk still out), and find chemistry, they will be tough come playoff time.

And, if Ryan Spooner plays like he did in the Subway Super Series, look out.

Nail Yakupov showed some flashes of brilliance, but clearly he was not himself. His timing was off, he wasn’t skating as well as I’ve seen and his dazzling lateral cuts weren’t quite as sharp. Blame part of this on a three-week layoff, but I don’t believe he’s 100%.

Sting GM Jacques Beaulieu says JP Anderson has been his best, most consistent player since coming over in a trade from Mississauga. The Anderson transaction is just one of 21 trades Jacques has made since being named head coach and GM of Sarnia this past summer.

Ottawa’s Cody Ceci was great, except for his turnover in the third that lead to Yakupov’s goal. That prompted head coach Chris Byrne to give the draft eligible defenceman a bit of a reminder to be more cautious when Yakupov is out on the ice.

Mike Cazzola is a huge addition for the 67’s. I’ve heard his name pop up in more than one conversation with other OHL GM’s and/or coaches.

Tyler Toffoli is always in the mix. There are times when you don’t even notice him and then all of a sudden he’s put up three points.

Looks like John McFarland has turned a corner. There was never any doubt about his skill, but always questions about his desire. After a tough go in Sudbury, he turned his game around in Saginaw and thanks to help from his brother (former OHL’er Paul) he’s realized that this kind of opportunity is only afforded to a minute few in this world.

Would never miss the opportunity to spend time with Brian Kilrea and Bert O’Brien. If there’s two better men in the game, I’d like to know who they are. Killer chipped in during our panel segments on the Rideau Canal, and then made his way back to the J. Benson Cartage Centre for the third period and a visit up in the booth. Great to see both of them, as always.

Rest of the OHL

Stan Butler gone for eight games, say what? Stan is normally very mild-mannered, in-fact, those who attend Brampton games regularly make light of his laid-back demeanor behind the Battalion bench, even when things seem like they’re going a million miles per hour.

So when he was suspended for eight games for abuse of an official, it definitely raised some eyebrows.

When you look at what happened, it’s clear Sudbury’s Josh Leivo should have been assessed an instigator penalty. And with a couple of previous incidents involving the same official Mike Marley, Butler definitely wanted to make his point. Did he cross the line? Yes, but not to the tone of eight games. Three games would’ve seemed like a more fitting punishment.

In any case, with just 22 games left in Brampton’s schedule, let’s just hope this doesn’t affect the Battalion too much. This is an unheralded team that’s had an outstanding season. A season that has brought Butler back into the coach of the year conversation, and for good reason, an award which I believe he deserves this season. By the way, Brampton is 1-2 without Stan the Man behind the bench over the first three games of the 8-game vacation.

It also speaks to the bigger picture of why is there a fight, scuffle, scrum, whatever, after every good, clean body-check? But that’s a conversation for another day.

One more point, is there any recourse for officials who don’t perform to league standards? And that applies to all three CHL member leagues.

Ryan Murphy is back. He’s currently riding a seven-game point streak and has put up 18 points over that stretch. Not to mention, he’s controlling the game like a champ, at times looking too good for the rest of the OHL. If he doesn’t pull a Cam Fowler and make the Canes next year, he should finally get the chance to represent Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship in 2013.

Franky Palazzese is a great story. Once a highly-touted prospect, Palazzese was thrown to the wolves last year in Kingston. He was 7-16-1-5 with a 4.16 and a .890 save percentage. A year later, he’s helped Kitchener remain a threat in the Western Conference, based partially on the recommendation of goalie coach Piero Greco. Palazzese held down the fort for the Rangers while John Gibson was away at the World Juniors, and his numbers for the 11-12 season are 16-6-1-0, 2.82, .927% after Sunday’s win versus Guelph. He’s in his second year of draft eligibility, and should he not get drafted, some NHL team would be wise to invite him to camp.

The Guelph Storm are building from within. Of the 20 players that dressed for the Storm Sunday against Kitchener, all but two were originally Storm picks (Kyle Pereira and Stephen Gaskin- both overagers). Thirteen of those players were born in 1993 or later. Playoff experience this season would serve the Storm well moving forward with this group whose average age is 17.6 years old.

Tanner Richard plays like a bull in a china shop, I see why he’s amongst the top 60 rated North American skaters according to NHL Central Scouting.

QMJHL

Great response by the Shawinigan Cataractes. After losing 4-1 to Gatineau last Sunday in a game that featured a line-brawl at the end, the Cats responded in kind, dismantling Victoriaville 6-0 on Wednesday night.

Since a three-game losing streak to end 2011, the St. John Sea Dogs have won 8 of 9 games in 2012, dropping only a 4-1 decision to Mastercard Memorial Cup host Shawinigan on home ice.

With a 6-3 win over Blainville-Boisbriand on Sunday, Mathieu Corbeil moved into sole possession of the all-time single season wins record for a Dogs keeper. Jacob Deserres set the record with 27 wins last year.

Guillaume Asselin has eight GWG, the Sags have 25 wins. Only Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers has as many game winners, but his team has won 30 games this season.

A big congrats to Andre Tourigny, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies coach picked up win number 300 last weekend. With several players rated for the upcoming NHL draft, the Huskies are in good shape moving forward. It’s taken some time since the Patrice Cormier debacle to get the ship righted in Rouyn. Sorry Bear, better late than never.

WHL

Looks like Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw still has some of the Crushed Can mojo. The Warriors are 22-3-2-1 at home this season. You have to go back to November 23, 2011 to find the Warriors last regulation loss at home. Moose Jaw has won eight straight on home ice.

Great tilt Wednesday night in Edmonton that ended in a 5-4 OT win for the visiting Tri-City Americans. Although I’m sure they won’t admit it, that game will pay big dividends down the road for the Oil Kings whose playoff experience has been limited just eight games, all losses.

Wonder why Chris Driedger was added to the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects game? His January numbers are sick. He went a perfect 6-0-0-0 with a 1.29 GAA and a .954 save percentage. He recorded two shutouts during the month and even made an 11/11 save, 11:16 relief appearance against Medicine Hat on January 18th. A great move for Kelly Kisio, as Driedger was picked up from Tri-City for a third-round pick last summer. Not to be outdone, Ams GM Bob Tory traded for Ty Rimmer this summer. And further, by allowing Driedger to leave, he opened up space for Eric Comrie, who might be the WHL’s best netminding prospect in the years to come. The Rimmer/Comrie combo has allowed a league low 123 goals against. Then again, the Hitmen have won 14 of its last 15.

Although he played in four regular season games and another seven in the playoffs for Kootenay in 2010-11, Sam Reinhart is averaging more than a point-per game and he just turned 16 in November. He’s not draft eligible until 2014. Maybe playing with big brother has helped. Reinhart has already broken the Ice record for points in one season by a rookie, formerly held by Steve McCarthy, set back in the 97-98 season. Reinhart has 47 points in 45 Ice games.

For more on the CHL, be sure to check out Patrick King right here at sportsnet.ca

Due to our midweek Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects game, we will be without Friday Night Hockey for the next two weeks.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the Top Prospects game from Prospera Place in Kelowna Wednesday night at 7pm EST, 10 pm PST.

When we do get back to FNH, the schedule looks like this

Friday, February 17 Quebec @ St. John

Friday, February 24 Kootenay @ Saksatoon

Friday, March 2 Oshawa @ London

Friday, March 9 Rimouski @ Shawinigan

Friday, March 16 Sarnia @ London