The Kingston Frontenacs take a 2-0 series lead into the GM Centre in Oshawa Tuesday night. Kingston has overpowered the Generals in the first two games of the series, outscoring them 13-3. The Frontenacs owned the regular-season series, winning seven of the eight games. The Generals will need a strong goaltending performance if they are to avoid a 3-0 deficit.
Oshawa Generals
A year after capturing the MasterCard Memorial Cup, the Generals are in rebuild mode. It should be considered a great accomplishment for just having made the playoffs considering eight rookies dressed for 50 or more games during the regular season. General manager Roger Hunt was masterful in maximizing his returns for veteran players that not only added bodies, but plenty of draft picks to hasten the rebuild.
In goal, the Generals leaned on Jeremy Brodeur for most of the regular season. Brodeur was one of just five goalies in the league to amass over 3,000 minutes played. He finished second with six shutouts. Brodeur started the first two games of the series, but failed to finish either one. Seasoned veteran Justin Nichols was picked up from Guelph in a mid-season trade as an insurance policy. Nichols may wind up with the start in Game 3 if for nothing else than a change of pace.
At the start of the season, defence was a strength of Oshawa, but Stephen Desrocher was dealt in November, and Jacob Graves was moved to London in January. With Islanders prospect Mitchell Vande Sompel limited to just 46 games, the Gennies had no choice but to lean on rookies and lightly seasoned OHLers. Jalen Smereck took advantage of his minutes, managing 25 points. Two of his five goals were game-winners. Riley Stillman looks as if he’ll be a power-play mainstay in the years to come. Daniel Robertson and Stephen Templeton were both thrust into larger roles and ended up playing more than double the number of games they had played in the previous two seasons with Oshawa.
The forward group shows great promise. MasterCard Memorial Cup hero and Tampa Bay prospect Anthony Cirelli was named captain after the departure of Michael Dal Colle. Domenic Commisso spent 2014-15 in Tier II and the development of his game allowed him to put up 42 points to finish third on the team. Jack Studnicka and Kyle MacLean have good examples to follow. MacLean is the son of former NHLer John, while Studnick’s brother Sam was a coveted player at the trade deadline. Former OHL first-rounder Robbie Burt was acquired from Kingston. Import Lukas Lofquist and in-season acquisition Alexandre Renaud give the Gennies some size. Sam Harding has potential but struggled this season with his numbers. Kenny Huether is a gamer.
| Oshawa Generals, 27-33-4-4 (16-14-2-2 Home), 0-2 Playoffs, No. 8 seed Eastern Conference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Stats | ||||
| Top Scorers | GP | G | A | PTS |
| Domenic Commisso | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Jalen Smereck | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Joe Manchurek | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Anthony Cirelli | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Eric Henderson | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| In Goal | ||||
| Justin Nichols (0-1, 4.15, .862%) | ||||
| Team Stats | Rank | |||
| PP | 1/9=11.1% | 13th | ||
| PK | 3/9=66.7% | 10th | ||
| GF/gm | 1.5 | 16th | ||
| GA/gm | 6.5 | 16th |
NHL Drafted/Signed Players
Anthony Cirellii — Tampa Bay, 72nd in 2015
Mitchell Vande Sompel — N.Y. Islanders, 82nd in 2015
NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings
Riley Stillman — No. 88
Domenic Commisso — No. 123
Under The Radar
Domenic Commisso was selected in the fifth round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection, who spent the 2014-15 season in Tier II. The playing time he received there was a springboard to a fantastic rookie season in Oshawa and a mention on NHL Central Scouting’s Mid-Term Rankings.
Kingston Frontenacs
The Frontenacs are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for good reason. There are few holes, if any, in the lineup. There’s a good buzz around the city for the first time in a long time. The management group of Doug Gilmour and Darren Kiely got a head start on the crowd, acquiring Desrocher in November. Warren Foegele came out college hockey and has meant a world of difference to the Frontenacs. But no deal has paid more dividends than the acquisition of Dal Colle.
Kingston is one of a select few teams that boasts two No. 1 goalies. Lucas Peressini, goalie of the year in 2015, has been unseated to start the playoffs. He had a good regular season number wise, but didn’t take any major strides from a year ago. Jeremy Helvig bided his time, and put up ridiculous numbers leading to his starting both playoff games to date.
Kingston’s defence is a group whose sum is better than the parts. Desrocher brings size, a great shot and championship pedigree. Roland McKeown’s game has risen to pro levels. Jacob Paquette is on the path to stardom and has excelled in every challenge posed to him. Chad Duchesne adds an extra element of offence, while Liam Murray and Nathan Billitier are solid shutdown guys. Graeme Brown is a depth guy, but very serviceable.
Kingston is deadly up front. The Frontenacs have put up 13 goals in the first two games of the series. Their top two lines are as good as any team in the CHL. Foegele, Spencer Watson and Dal Colle have lit up opponents all season long. Foegele has found his scoring touch in the playoffs, while Dal Colle has five points, all assists. Kings prospect Watson just continues to produce. The second line of Lawson Crouse, Juho Lammikko and Ryan Verbeek can punish you physically, play defence or puck possession, and on top of all that can score goals as well. With Verbeek on the second line, Jared Steege and Connor McGlynn are often in favourable matchups. Cody Caron, Ryan Cranford and Ted Nichol are all good grinders.
| Kingston Frontenacs, 46-17-3-2 (22-10-0-2 Road), 2-0 Playoffs, No. 1 seed Eastern Conference, 6th BMO CHL Top 10 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Stats | |||||
| Top Scorers | GP | G | A | PTS | Note |
| Warren Foegele | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | T1st OHL Pts |
| Spencer Watson | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | T1st OHL Pts |
| Lawson Crouse | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | T 2nd OHL Pts |
| Michael Dal Colle | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | T2nd OHL Pts |
| Roland McKeown | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | T3rd OHL Pts |
| In Goal | |||||
| Jeremy Helvig (2-0, 1.50, .946%) | |||||
| Team Stats | Rank | ||||
| PP | 3/9=33% | 6th | |||
| PK | 1/9=88.9% | 2nd | |||
| GF/gm | 6.5 | 1st | |||
| GA/gm | 1.5 | 1T1st |
NHL Drafted/Signed Players
Michael Dal Colle — N.Y. Islanders, 5th in 2014
Lawson Crouse — Florida Panthers, 11th in 2015
Roland McKeown — L.A. Kings, 50th in 2014
Warren Foegele — Carolina Hurricanes, 67th in 2014
Juho Lammikko — Florida Panthers, 65th in 2014
Stephen Desrocher — Toronto Maple Leafs, 155th in 2015
Spencer Watson — L.A. Kings, 209th in 2014
NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings
Konstantin Chernyuk — No. 104
Under The Radar
Jeremy Helvig did not make NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term list, but he will surely be included on the final list to be released in mid-April. It’s hard not to notice his size and the numbers he put up in the regular season.
