The matchup:
The OHL’s Central Division leading North Bay Battalion (15-8-0) visit the Sudbury Wolves (7-11-3) in tonight’s CHLTV Game of the Week.
The Wolves are 1-3-1 over their last five as they sit fourth in the Central Division. Led by David Goyette (SEA) and 2023 NHL Draft prospect Quinten Musty, Sudbury’s top five scorers this year are all 18 or younger.
How good are these two? 😍
Quentin Musty and @SeattleKraken prospect @DavidGoyette14 have got that #BestOfOHL link-up!@MilkUPOntario | #MilkUPxOHL pic.twitter.com/B2bCjwa1aB
— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) November 25, 2022
Their 3.71 goals per game are the second best in the division but their 86 goals against are the sixth most in the OHL this season.
North Bay have lost back-to-back games but continue to maintain a three-point lead over Mississauga in the division.
With the recently acquired Josh Bloom (BUF) now entrenched in the lineup, the Battalion boast a number of NHL Drafted players, such as Kyle Jackson (SEA), Ty Nelson (SEA) and Matvey Petrov (EDM), among others, and their offensive prowess has shown thus far this season as their 94 goals are the second most in the OHL.
Their 15 wins are the third most leaguewide, and the second most in the Eastern Conference, while their 2.96 goals against average is only bettered by Ottawa.
Neither team is converting a lot on the power play; North Bay ranks 16th in the OHL at 19.5 per cent while the Wolves’ 14.8 per cent success rate is the lowest in the league.
Who to watch
With Goyette drafted, a lot of eyes in Sudbury are on Musty.
Last month, he was given a ‘B’ rating by NHL Central Scouting that indicates a likely second- or third-round selection. Through 20 games, he has tallied 25 points while his 18 assists lead the Wolves.
His 77 shots leads the team, as do his six power play assists. He’s also recorded two four-point games this year and has five multi-point outings.
Petrov is one of five Battalion skaters who have recorded at least 20 points this year. His 26 points are tied for the second most on the team, and the most among forwards, while his nine goals rank third.
His 1.18 point-per-game average is the best among North Bay skaters while his eight power play points rank second. The Moscow native owns the OHL’s longest point streak of the season at 15 games that ran from Oct. 7 – Nov. 17.
Stats leaders
Goyette leads the way for Sudbury in goals (14) and points (27) while his four goals on the man advantage are tied for the team lead alongside Alex Pharand.
Evan Konyen and Nick DeGrazia, alongside Musty, each have seven goals this season while Landon McCallum’s 14 assists trail only Musty.
That Musty ➡️ Goyette connection 💪
The #NHLDraft prospect makes the impressive play to set up David Goyette, as the @SeattleKraken prospect adds to the @Sudbury_Wolves lead 📽️ pic.twitter.com/3OAALBIxKT
— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) November 12, 2022
Joe Ranger, acquired from the Steelheads in the offseason, is 7-9-3 with a 3.71 GAA. His 550 saves this year leads the OHL, as do the 619 shots he has faced.
Nelson’s 27 points leads the Battalion and the Kraken prospect sits second in d-man scoring in the OHL behind only Saginaw’s Pavel Mintyukov (ANA) while his 125 shots lead the league by a considerable margin.
Jackson and Petrov each have 26 points while Bloom has seven points in six games since he was acquired Nov. 17.
Action Jackson hat-trick! 🎩🎩🎩#SeaKraken | @OHLBattalion pic.twitter.com/8aiuFc07mz
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) November 18, 2022
Dalyn Wakely’s 12 goals trails only Jackson’s 14 for the team lead while his 22 points are tied for the fifth most alongside Justin Ertel.
After Nelson’s 27 points, the next highest points contributor from the blue line is Alex Christopoulas with seven.
Dom DiVincentiis (WPG)’s 11 wins this year are tied for the third most in the OHL while his 2.70 GAA is the second best among goaltenders who have played in at least 10 games.
Where to watch
Wednesday’s contest can be seen live for free on CHL TV at 7:05pm ET / 4:05pm PT.
Available to fans from coast to coast, CHL TV is accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca. Each year, CHL TV offers access to more than 2,000 regular-season games covering the CHL’s three Member Leagues and 60 markets across Canada and the United States. Fans can download the free CHL app via the App Store and Google Play.
