Which team scares you in playoffs
- Thread starter attackfan71
- Start date
Erie has done well against OS this year, but I still wouldn't want to face them. They are one of the hardest working teams in the OHL (along with Erie). None of the other teams give me great pause...
West - London - and not just because of their recent trades
East- yawn - maybe Missy if they can figure things out? Petes. Idk
East- yawn - maybe Missy if they can figure things out? Petes. Idk
cupcrazyman
Stupid Sexy Flanders
The west is wide open imo.It won't be a cake walk for London by any means.SSM,Windsor,Erie & even OS can upset them.Parsons will have to be stellar again.
ptbopete
Registered User
As a Petes fan the top five teams in the West that scare me Erie, London, SSM, Windsor and Owen Sound.
In the East Hamilton is a tough team to beat. And Oshawa can never be counted out. If the Petes make it out of the East , they will be happy to make it to the OHL finals and will have to play the surviving West team. The West playoffs will be a war and that will benefit the East winner who can use any advantage.
In the East Hamilton is a tough team to beat. And Oshawa can never be counted out. If the Petes make it out of the East , they will be happy to make it to the OHL finals and will have to play the surviving West team. The West playoffs will be a war and that will benefit the East winner who can use any advantage.
nelli27
Moderator
As a Knights' fan, which team scares me?
WEST: NO ONE (but I respect the skill level of Erie, Soo, Windsor, and OS)
EAST: There's an Eastern Conference?
WEST: NO ONE (but I respect the skill level of Erie, Soo, Windsor, and OS)
EAST: There's an Eastern Conference?
Mississauga - ironic eh?
I think the East is wide open but I'm afraid the Steelheads will take that for granted and get upset by a team they should beat. Adding some experienced players helped but still a core of younger players.
As for other teams. I'm scared of the entire Western Conference.
I think the East is wide open but I'm afraid the Steelheads will take that for granted and get upset by a team they should beat. Adding some experienced players helped but still a core of younger players.
As for other teams. I'm scared of the entire Western Conference.
Wolfman Jack
Registered User
- Jan 19, 2009
- 3,264
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You know that Sudbury team is one heck of a club. Barclay says we have quality Memorial Cup champs in Yak and Jamison. That puts us up there with the rest of the east leading teams. 
WJ
WJ
sbpointer
Registered User
As a Knights' fan, which team scares me?
WEST: NO ONE (but I respect the skill level of Erie, Soo, Windsor, and OS)
EAST: There's an Eastern Conference?
What Nelli said ^^
I would have to say really I'd be most nervous about Owen Sound..
Hammer9001
Registered User
I guess Owen Sound. Getting attacked by a bear is far worse then what any of the other teams could/would do, although I suppose going back to 67 and living through the Disco era might be close.
Although seriously, as a Hamilton fan...gonna go with the Steelheads. While it might make for some good and easy travel, they just seem to find ways to turn the tables on the Bulldogs. It also means if we make the playoffs, we'd play them on a low seed, and that would be disappointing (barring an epic collapse in Missi).
Although seriously, as a Hamilton fan...gonna go with the Steelheads. While it might make for some good and easy travel, they just seem to find ways to turn the tables on the Bulldogs. It also means if we make the playoffs, we'd play them on a low seed, and that would be disappointing (barring an epic collapse in Missi).
aresknights
Registered User
As a Knights' fan, which team scares me?
WEST: NO ONE (but I respect the skill level of Erie, Soo, Windsor, and OS)
EAST: There's an Eastern Conference?
The Hounds really took it to the Knights a couple of times on the road this year. It's always been a good matchup for the Soo, they light up Parsons on a regular basis. In terms of second round matchups, I'd definitely rather play London over Erie or maybe even Windsor if they start playing well, but there will be no easy matchups with 4 elite teams in the West. They will all be coin flips.
Snippit
Registered User
- Dec 5, 2012
- 16,628
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From what I've seen in the past several years, regulation season match-ups mean quite little once playoffs roll around if the teams are evenly matched.
Best example I can think of is in 2009/10 when London dominated Kitchener in the regular season, only to lose in 7 to them in the playoffs.
Perhaps you are right, but they have a lot of success against Parsons, so I'll choose to be optimistic! Any series between the top 4 teams will be quite a battle. My Hounds don't have the advantage on paper, but they are in first place and playing as well as anyone so you just never know.
My understanding is that the data supports this observation, too. I think DiscoStu looked into it over at the NOOF. It's a shame he seems to not have found his way over here, as his data-crunching was fascinating (he was a particularly adept predictor of playoff series outcomes).
To me, "what teams scares you in the playoffs" means "what lower seed wouldn't you want to face come playoff time?", meaning Erie-London-Windsor-Soo wouldn't qualify, and I'm not so sure OS would either. (I wonder if this recent winning streak is a manifestation of their getting sick of other teams' fans calling them "feisty"!) I think Kitchener [bias alert!] could surprise with a healthy Opilka as they've been better without Bracco the last two years anyway. Maybe the Soo falls off a bit after their relatively quiet deadline and becomes more of a darkhorse candidate? In that case, they'd slide right into "scary" territory for me.
This year's Eastern Conference is irrelevant, and it will be a real shame if Windsor wins the West and we get stuck with an underachieving Steelheads team in the Memorial Cup. I'd love to see Peterborough make the finals for their fans. Perhaps they can gel into a respectable team with their recent additions.
Another example was SSM and Erie back in 2014-15.
Though they only played 1 game after both teams loaded up with trades, SSM won the game in Erie something like 7-3 and dominated the entirety of it. Speed, skill, everything. I left that game thinking- we got little shot at winning in a 7 gamer vs them.
Similar in 2013-14 vs Guelph for Erie when they were competitive all year with them then lost in 5 come conference finals and it wasn't even close.
London and Erie last year as well. Though London got help when their power 3 NHLers went all dominant all postseason long and nobody stopped them and Erie's terrible depth was exposed.
When you are dealing with kids, it's 50 percent mental and the right attitude. It's also about the right coaching and game plans vs teams and then the skill on the teams getting hot. Not easy with 16-20 year olds. And falling behind 2-0 in a series for example could be an immediate disaster for confidence- that's why it usually helps to have a veteran/experienced (and disciplined) team (imo) especially if your skill doesn't quite matching up on paper.
Any team in the west, with that being said, I can see one of the big 5 OS, London, Erie or Windsor or ssm one of those teams will be gone after first round and sucks if u spent all those pucks and that player OHL career is over
As far as playoffs go it's anyone's game.. even before Wjc we best London, during wjc we swept Erie but that's a different story... then Friday we beat Oshawa 8-2.. my point is that come playoffsbif ur a goalie u best be on your A game or your team is done
As far as playoffs go it's anyone's game.. even before Wjc we best London, during wjc we swept Erie but that's a different story... then Friday we beat Oshawa 8-2.. my point is that come playoffsbif ur a goalie u best be on your A game or your team is done
Yes one of the big 5 will be out in round 1 because 4 seed plays the 5 seed..
OS really didn't spend big. In fact I wish they did because with McNiven in net and that defense they play, they could have been more of threat to when the O, not just play spoiler
SSM..though they seem to think they made big moves because Speers is back from injury.. did nothing. they added Carrol but also added picks in that deal. They actually set up themselves to be less disappointed since their cupboard got a bit replenished and they can still compete and see what happens
London- I'm sure every year they can't win a title they are upset. But they are London and will be good every year so who cares what they do
Windsor and Erie are the only teams in a must win. Windsor because of memorial cup had to do it. But if they win the tourney not the O, it will still be a success.
Erie had to. With their talent expected to graduate this was their best chance. And though they wasted their entire future on it. It's easy to recoup in OHL if you know what you are doing in trade guys like Raddysh. They'll be done for 2-3 years but that's the ohl cycle..
nelli27
Moderator
That's true, and as noted, I have respect for the contenders in the West. I'm sure you recall the complimentary remarks that I made on the Hounds' board about your team earlier in the season. The Soo has iced an exciting team to watch. Like London, they play a fast, puck possession style of game which you know only too well. It would be a great matchup. Let me be clear, I'm not predicting London or claiming that we are favourites. I'm quite pleased by the deadline deals, and as I've said before, may the best team win.
Raaymaker seems to play quite well against the Knights.
The Petes are a respectable team. They have won 12 of their last 14 games. They are the class of the East.
RoyalCitySlicker
Registered User
- Sep 6, 2013
- 2,123
- 848
Non-playoff team fan chiming in....although, if Saginaw and Sarnia do their best 15/16 Guelph Storm impersonations, perhaps the Storm can find a way to get into 8th!
That said, I'm going to stir the pot.
Owen Sound is massively overrated right now.
Recency bias has made people think this is a team that can hang with the big boys - LON, SSM and Erie.
The fact is, they were a mediocre team prior to this hot streak, and will remain one after it's over. Here's their win streak opponents and their OA rank:
GUE (18), KGN (13), BAR (20), SUD (15), NB (17), KIT (9), BAR (20), SSM (1), WSR (6), KIT (9).
There are a couple of signature wins in there, but that's a lot of basement fodder too. They could even stretch this streak out - next two are against a powerhouse Storm team.
I'm not saying they aren't a good team - but one of the most feared heading into the playoffs? I don't buy it.
That said....their team plays a style geared towards the playoffs, and they do have a great goaltender.
But, this is about which teams scare you in the playoffs, and to me that's the big boys.
OK....tell me why I am wrong
That said, I'm going to stir the pot.
Owen Sound is massively overrated right now.
Recency bias has made people think this is a team that can hang with the big boys - LON, SSM and Erie.
The fact is, they were a mediocre team prior to this hot streak, and will remain one after it's over. Here's their win streak opponents and their OA rank:
GUE (18), KGN (13), BAR (20), SUD (15), NB (17), KIT (9), BAR (20), SSM (1), WSR (6), KIT (9).
There are a couple of signature wins in there, but that's a lot of basement fodder too. They could even stretch this streak out - next two are against a powerhouse Storm team.
I'm not saying they aren't a good team - but one of the most feared heading into the playoffs? I don't buy it.
That said....their team plays a style geared towards the playoffs, and they do have a great goaltender.
But, this is about which teams scare you in the playoffs, and to me that's the big boys.
OK....tell me why I am wrong
