Whalers take on Owen Sound in Western Conference semifinals

Alex Nedeljkovic (Rena Laverty/Plymouth Whalers)

By Matt Mackinder –

The Plymouth Whalers dominated their Ontario Hockey League quarterfinal playoff series with the Sarnia Sting, sweeping Sarnia in four straight games.

The second round matchup with the Owen Sound Attack in the Western Conference semifinals may not be as easy. The two teams split the four games during the regular season with the home team winning each game.

Owen Sound finished 44-18-1-5, good for second place in the Midwest Division, and advanced to play the Whalers by eliminating the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in six games. Gemel Smith led the way offensively for Owen Sound with six goals against the Greyhounds, while Jordan Binnington earned all four wins in goal. Steady defenseman Chris Bigras is also a top prospect for June’s NHL draft.

The Attack has also won the past two playoff series against the Whalers, sweeping both in 2005 and in 2011.

“Owen Sound has a good team,” said Plymouth captain Colin MacDonald. “They’re one of the hardest working teams in the league with a great forecheck, so we’re going to expect a hard-fought series that will be very physical. No playoff series is easy and you need to show up every single game and give 100 percent. We’ll be ready and I know everyone is looking forward to the series starting Friday.”

Against the Sting, Plymouth outscored their opponents by a 24-8 margin and rookie goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was in net for all four games. OHL regular-season scoring champion Vince Trocheck also posted 12 points in the series.

“I think the keys to beating Sarnia were that we showed up every night ready to play,” MacDonald said. “We won a lot of the one-on-one battles and it was tough for them to match up with our depth. We had scoring from every line, which definitely helps out, and great goaltending all series.

We scored a lot of goals in the series, but that all starts in the defensive end. Coach (Mike Vellucci) stresses defensive play and we played great in our own zone all series.”

Speaking of Vellucci, second-year defenseman Mitch Jones said another key to Plymouth’s success is the way Vellucci associates himself with the players.

“His mood doesn’t really change this time of year; he’s relaxed at times and hard on us at others,” said Jones. “He knows that our players have a goal and in order to accomplish that goal, we need to be focused and he really leaves that up to us. He is hard on us in practices, but he knows that we as players determine the outcome of the game by our play. He can only tell us and we have to act like he tells us in order to win.”

Jones also said that he sees a little bit of Sarnia in Owen Sound, but that the Whalers’ intensity level will need to be taken up another notch.

“Sarnia is a very hard-working team and they come ready to play just like Owen Sound,” Jones said. “The only thing Owen Sound has over Sarnia is goaltending. Sarnia has a pretty good goaltender (J.P. Anderson), but we found ways to beat him. We have had tough times beating Jordan Binnington on Owen Sound, but I still think this should be a really good, fast-paced series against Owen Sound.

“We got Easter Sunday off and we headed back to work Monday and for the rest of the week of practice and workouts. We prepare for the next series specifically by being in shape practicing everyday, getting the right amount of sleep and eating right. It’s all the little things that matter and all about staying in the right state of mind.”

MacDonald, like Jones, played for the Plymouth team last season that was supposed to have a lengthy playoff run, but fell in seven games in the second round to the Kitchener Rangers. He said this year’s Plymouth squad is on a mission.

“To keep focused, we just have to make sure we come to the rink ready to work hard at practice everyday and keep sharp,” MacDonald said. “We’ve had a bit of time to rest up, but we’ll be ready.

“I think the mood and feel in the dressing room is great this year. It is the best I’ve felt about a team, including last year’s team which was a deep team. This year, every single guy wants to win and will do whatever it takes to contribute to the team winning. We have a tight group of guys and I think it is going to help us moving forward.”

Game 1 – Friday, April 5 – Owen Sound at Plymouth7:05 p.m., Compuware Arena

Game 2 – Sunday, April 7 – Owen Sound at Plymouth4:05 p.m., Compuware Arena

Game 3 – Tuesday, April 9 – Plymouth at Owen Sound, 7 p.m., Bayshore Community Centre

Game 4 – Wednesday, April 10 – Plymouth at Owen Sound, 7 p.m., Bayshore Community Centre

Game 5 – Friday, April 12 – Owen Sound at Plymouth7:05 p.m., Compuware Arena *

Game 6 – Sunday, April 14 – Plymouth at Owen Sound, 4:05 p.m., Bayshore Community Centre *

Game 7 – Tuesday, April 16 – Owen Sound at Plymouth7:05 p.m., Compuware Arena *

* If Necessary

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