Friday night OHL lights

By Randy Russon
March 24, 2017
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The clocks are ticking toward game time in five Ontario Hockey League playoff centers — Mississauga, Oshawa, Kingston, Owen Sound and London.

The playoff season began last night with no surprises.

Erie Otters defeated Sarnia Sting, Soo Greyhounds upended Flint Firebirds and Peterborough Petes cuffed Niagara IceDogs.

On to tonight, Mississauga Steelheads will play host to Ottawa 67’s, Oshawa Generals are home to Sudbury Wolves, Kingston Frontenacs will entertain Hamilton Bulldogs, Owen Sound Attack will welcome Kitchener Rangers and London Knights will face the visiting Windsor Spitfires.

The Windsor at London game will be televised nationally on Sportsnet 360.

Being a hockey writer I am not supposed to have favourites. But I do. In actuality, any sports media person who says he or she does not play favourites is — plain and simple — lying.

For instance, I picked Sudbury to beat Oshawa in a first-round playoff upset because I think it would be a feel-good story if the Wolves — who have not been to the dance in two years — could beat the Generals.

But on the flip side of that is one of my favourite OHL coaches happens to be Oshawa bench boss Bobby Jones. So while Sudbury would make for good copy if it won, that would mean Oshawa lost — with my old friend Jones behind the bench.

In another scenario, I went with the obvious and picked favoured Soo to take the measure of Flint in that first-round series. Truth be told, there will be better story angles if the Firebirds — who missed the playoffs in their first season in Flint — would stun the Greyhounds and win the series.

Then there is the Kingston-Hamilton series.

Despite being the higher seed, Frontenacs coach Paul McFarland somehow thinks his team is the “underdog” — his word — in the series with the Bulldogs.

Which leads me to wish and hope that the Bulldogs put McFarland in his place — out of the playoffs after the first round.

Did I just write what I wrote? Yes I did.