November 19, 2021
Shootout win for the Attack tonight, who rallied late to tie in the last 60 seconds of the game. Guelph carried the play most of the evening but could not beat undrafted Nick Chenard 5 on 5 or in the shootout. The bulk of the offense in this game came on the powerplay. There were a number of draft eligible players in this game who performed well and are written up below.
Guelph Storm
| Matthew Poitras | Guelph Storm | OHL | R | C | 5’11” | 172 | Guelph Storm | 2020 | Brooklin, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C+ |
Poitras is a speedster with a low center of gravity who is strong on the puck. Poitras plays a high energy game and wins battles all over the ice. He gets to top speed quickly and creates space through the neutral zone with his footspeed and good give and go game. He was also effective in the face-off circle and won the majority of his face-offs this game. Poitras is confident and is showing well vs older players in his first full OHL season so far. He and his linemates had long periods on the cycle and were able to generate sustained pressure on many shifts. With his balanced skating stride and speed he was difficult to knock off pucks tonight. He was strong on the cycle and used his quick first step to drive to the net. No goals tonight but he did have a number of quality chances and his speed was noticeable on most shifts this evening. Grade: B
| Danny Zhilkin | Guelph Storm | OHL | L | C | 6’2″ | 183 | Guelph Storm | 2019 | Missassauga, ON | 2003 | 2021-2022: B |
Zhilkin is confident on offense and came into this game at nearly a point per game after 16 games this season. He played a heads up game and was unselfish, spreading pucks around the ice. The Storm powerplay was very effective this evening and Zhilkin is one of key offensive quarterbacks on the first unit. Zhilkin excelled on the powerplay this evening and created opportunities consistently with the man advantage. He plays a puck possession game and was effective in the face off circle tonight and won a number of key face-offs. Zhilkin had a primary assist and a goal with the extra man in this game. He skated well through the neutral zone in transition. He is a balanced skater who is sturdy on his feet and hard to knock off the puck when he has a full head of steam. Defensively, he supports pucks well in his zone and manages gap in his end. With his footspeed and defensive IQ he seemed to be in position to pick up loose pucks all game. Grade: B
| Michael Buchinger | Guelph Storm | OHL | L | D | 6’0″ | 185 | Guelph Storm | 2020 | Markham, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C+ |
Buchinger a young athletic defender who is improving with each viewing so far this season. Buchinger has good hands and puck composure and is rarely under pressure in his zone. He is mobile and quick to get back to pucks in his zone. He continues to keep the game simple using his D partner to slow things down and set the tone on the backend until the appropriate teammate gets free in transition. He has good vision on the ice and is seeing more and more time on the Storm powerplay as the season progresses. Buchinger is managing the gap effectively so far and is very confident for a young defender. He understands he has the mobility and footspeed to take away time and space from opposition forwards and uses these tools effectively through the neutral zone while defending. Buchinger is not a big bruising defender but continues to show he can use his speed and footwork to front opposition forwards. As he continues to develop his core strength he will be more effective in his zone in the corner battles. Grade: B
| Jake Karabela | Guelph Storm | OHL | L | C | 5’11” | 170 | Guelph Storm | 2020 | Guelph, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C+ |
Karabela has an excellent motor and played with energy this evening. He is a heads up 200 foot forward who competes all over the ice. He was difficult to handle on the cycle and showed good vision with his passes in tight. Karabela was held off the scoresheet this evening but generated offense consistently and was snake bit in close. He showed good touch around the net and played an unselfish game to find teammates with open looks. Karabela was particularly effective tonight off the cycle. He and his linemates had long periods on the cycle and were able to generate sustained pressure on many shifts. Karabela continues to play an important role for the Storm at a young age. This first year player continues to play a versatile role for the Storm – he can play either wing or center. He is defensively responsible and is getting more opportunities to play each week. He kills penalties and plays 5 on 5 in all situations in tight checking games for the Storm. Grade: B-
| Jacob Oster | Guelph Storm | OHL | R | G | 6’3″ | 187 | Guelph Storm | 2020 | Manotick, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Oster has good size and covers the net well with his angles and confidence to challenge shooters. He is platooning in the Storm net so far this season and has been effective in his starts and has won 6 of 9 games coming into this evening’s game vs Owen Sound. He controls his rebounds well but could improve in this area. There are times under pressure where good angles allow pucks to hit him vs catching pucks to offer his team a breather under pressure. Much of this could be attributed to his youth and adjustment to OHL shooters in his first season. Oster stopped 23 of 25 shots and 2 of 3 in the shootout in this game and scrambled well to see pucks when his team was under duress. Oster should continue to improve as he strengthens his legs and core. He is young and has time to develop physically. This added strength would allow him to maintain his balance and reset more quickly to face a second shot situation. Grade: B-
Guelph has a number of other draft eligible players on their roster. They were either out of the line up or did not show enough in this game to warrant write-up. We will review these players in future viewings and report on progress.
Owen Sound Attack
| Nicholas Chenard | Owen Sound Attack | OHL | NA | G | 6’3″ | 174 | Owen Sound Attack | 2019 | Tecumseh, ON | 2002 | 2021-2022: C |
Chenard is an undrafted 2002 goaltender who was exceptional tonight vs Guelph. Chenard is a big netminder and was most effective when he challenged shooters. He moved well tonight and gobbled up rebounds effectively. He was under pressure for most of the game and responded well. Chenard is undefeated in regulation in his 3 starts this season. The Owen Sound backup was the best player overall in this game and the game’s first star. He stopped 32 of 34 shots and all 3 penalty shots in the shootout. Both goals he gave up were on the penalty kill. He gave Owen Sound a chance to win this game and his team responded by tying the game up late and winning in a shootout. Grade: A
| Servac Petrovsky | Owen Sound Attack | OHL | L | C | 5’11” | 179 | Owen Sound Attack | 2021 | Velky Saris, SVK | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Petrovsky is a shifty offensive minded center with good edges and ability to create space with his tight turns and adjustments in his pace. Petrovsky is one of Owen Sound’s three 2004 birth year centers who looked strong in this game. At this point in his development he is the most offensive of Owen Sound’s 2004 centers. Petrovsky plays an unselfish game and moves pucks effectively to his linemates. Passes were accurate and always seemed to hit the right player moving with pace. He moves the puck so well on the powerplay and plays a confident offensive game as a rookie. He generated offense tonight with a few high quality chances and scored the game tying goal with less than a minute to play with good puck pursuit and an accurate shot. He showed pace through the neutral zone and made life difficult for the Guelph defenders and drew a penalty late with his elusive speed. As with most young centers he needs to continue to develop his core strength. Guelph dominated the cycle game tonight and won a number of pucks down low. Petrovsky lost a few puck battles down low allowed Guelph to continue to hold the offensive zone play. Grade: B
| Cedrick Guindon | Owen Sound Attack | OHL | L | C | 5’10” | 170 | Owen Sound Attack | 2020 | Rockland, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Guidon is a sturdy, skating left shot center who generates power with his skating stride. He has a low center of gravity and gets to top speed quickly with a few quick bursts in transition. His speed was noticeable on most shifts. Guidon was a threat in open ice through the neutral zone and forced defenders to take notice with drive. He is balanced and difficult to contain when his feet are moving. Guidon played an honest two way game and did not cheat defensively. He is responsible defensively in his zone and fronts opposition players well in the defensive zone. He is not a big body but used good body positioning and footwork to tighten the gap and win loose pucks in all zones of the ice. As Guidon develops his core strength he will win more pucks and break up the opposition cycle. He lost a few puck battles in this game when under pressure in his zone but he used his feet well to recover. Grade: B-
| Gavin Bryant | Owen Sound Attack | OHL | L | C | 6’0″ | 190 | Owen Sound Attack | 2020 | Ingersoll, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Bryant is a young 200 foot center who plays in all key situations for the Attack. He has an excellent motor and pursued pucks well all over the ice tonight. He played an all-round game tonight. He is early in his career but he is already a favorite of his coach and plays in any situation. He was effective on the penalty kill and was not afraid to attack when short handed. He managed pucks well on the powerplay and showed good vision finding teammates open with good crisp passes. Bryant is not the fastest player on the ice but has an efficient skating stride and will generate more power as he fills out and matures physically. If he continues to develop his core strength and improves his straight line speed he could be an excellent all-round center in the OHL. Grade: B-
Owen Sound has a number of other draft eligible players on their roster. They were either out of the line up or did not show enough in this game to warrant write-up. We will review these players in future viewings and report on progress.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Evaluation: Paul O’Hagan