By Matt Mackinder –
The Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference finals between the Plymouth Whalers and London Knights will probably not be done in four games.
It may even go the seven-game distance.
If ever two teams were evenly-matched, it’s the Whalers and Knights, even after London finished 12 points better than Plymouth in the regular season. Plymouth has been one of the hottest teams in the OHL over the last few months.
That said, the slate has been wiped clean since the end of March and both teams are halfway to an OHL championship. Plymouth has eliminated Sarnia and Owen Sound thus far, while London dispatched Saginaw and Kitchener.
The Western finals begin tonight in London and continue with Game 2 on Sunday afternoon before coming to Compuware Arena next Tuesday and Wednesday.
“They’re the top team (and) they’re going to be very competitive,” Plymouth coach-GM Mike Vellucci said of the Knights. “They’re the New York Yankees of the OHL. They have a tough building to go into with 9,100 people every night.”
London goalie Anthony Stolarz, who joined the team at midseason after leaving the University of Nebraska-Omaha, is 8-1 during the playoffs with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage.
Plymouth’s rookie goaltender, Alex Nedeljkovic, also has all eight wins for the Whalers, along with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.
Offensively, Plymouth’s Vince Trocheck leads the OHL in playoff scoring with 21 points after winning the regular-season scoring title. And while Trocheck may get the majority of the attention from London’s defense, Plymouth is more than a one-man wrecking crew.
“It’s going to be a challenge, that’s for sure,” Knights’ captain Scott Harrington said about the Whalers’ offense. “It’s going to take more of a team effort than a couple of guys trying to shut them down. We’ll have to get on them and give them as little time and space as possible.”
“(Plymouth is) playing playoff hockey,” London coach Dale Hunter said. “Part of that game is playing hard and blocking shots. Mike expects it just like I expect it from my players. That’s what will win games and gets them to the next level.”
This series is also one where Plymouth captain Colin MacDonald will be home no matter what. A London native, MacDonald said he doesn’t think too much about that fact when it comes to the games.
“It’s definitely pretty cool,” said MacDonald. “I think it’s a little bigger for my family and for me, it’s just another playoff series that we need to win. I’m looking forward to starting the conference finals.”
Plymouth forward Michael Whaley is also a native Londoner.
Over the course of the 2012-13 regular season, London won three of the four meetings between the two teams. The Whalers have won the last two playoff meetings – 2007 conference finals and 2003 conference semifinals.
All that is now history as the current versions of both teams mirror one another.
“There’s skill on both teams,” Vellucci said. “It’s going to be entertaining for the fans to watch. We expect nothing but a great series.”
London vs. Plymouth – Western Conference Finals
Game 1 – Fri Apr 19, 7 p.m., Plymouth at London
Game 2 – Sun Apr 21, 2 p.m., Plymouth at London
Game 3 – Tue Apr 23, 7 p.m., London at Plymouth
Game 4 – Wed Apr 24, 7 p.m., London at Plymouth
Game 5 – Fri Apr 26, 7:30 p.m., Plymouth at London *
Game 6 – Sun Apr 28, 2 p.m., London at Plymouth *
Game 7 – Mon Apr 29, 7 p.m., Plymouth at London *
* If Necessary