Ready to Attack the playoffs
It posted a rousing record of 13-3-4 over its last 20 games. And such a strong finish to the 2021-2022 regular season lifted the Owen Sound Attack into sixth place in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League with 76 points from a record of 34-26-8.
A young, overachieving team and well put together by veteran general manager Dale DeGray and just as well coached by first-year Owen Sound head master Greg Walters, the Attack will face the no. 3 seed Flint Firebirds in the first round of the OHL playoffs. Flint placed 13 points ahead of Owen Sound in the regular season standings but the Attack will not be an easy out in these playoffs.
What stands out about Owen Sound is the offensive contributions that it received during the 2021-2022 regular season from younger players who are the cornerstone future of the Attack.
18-year old Ethan Burroughs, 17-year old Cedrick Guindon and 16-year old Colby Barlow led the Attack in goals with 30 apiece. 17-year old Servac Petrovsky was next with 28 goals. And 18-year old Deni Goure led Owen Sound in scoring with 24 goals, 39 assists, 63 points. Guindon, Barlow and Petrovsky are all OHL rookies.
And while the youngsters came through for Owen Sound, so too did overage left winger Nick Porco, who was heisted by the Attack from the Barrie Colts in an early season trade. Porco scored six goals in his last four games of the season for Owen Sound to finish with 16 tallies in 40 outings in an Attack uniform.
All together, between Barrie and Owen Sound this season, Porco scored 25 goals in 59 games. And after missing the final two games of the regular season and spending three nights in the hospital with pneumonia and influenza, the Sault Ste. Marie product has been declared medically fit for the start of the playoffs for Owen Sound, which begins in Flint on Friday night.
Besides its offensive balance, the Attack has a top goalie in the crease in 19-year old Nick Chenard. Chenard was one of the better goalies in the OHL this season with a 24-13-4 record, 3.01 goals against average and .901 save percentage.