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OHL Brampton Steelheads

Game Preview: November 13-15

November 12, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brampton Steelheads News Release


Mississauga will return to the Hershey Centre to start their season long six game home-stand after finishing up their four game road trip in which expanded over twelve days. The Steelheads went 2-2-0-0 on their trip with wins in Hamilton and Sudbury and defeat at the hands of Sault Ste Marie and Erie. The team currently sits in 2nd place in the crowded Central Division as they are two points behind the Barrie Colts and one point up on the surging Niagara IceDogs.

On Tuesday, the Steelheads visited the Erie Insurance Arena to take on the Erie Otters. Right from the start of the game, the Otters took control as OHL leading scoring Alex DeBrincat scored his 23rd goal of the season just 41 seconds in the contest. DeBrincat would light the lamp again just 2:57 after his first tally for his 24th of the season and second of the game to give the home team a 2-0 lead. Jason Smith would cut the lead to one after he scored his second of the season to make it 2-1 Otters. However, DeBrincat would strike for his third of the game and 25th of the season to give the Otters a 3-1 lead heading into the second where the Trout didn't fair much better. The Steelheads were outshot in the period 22-6 and finished the frame down 5-2 as Vayna Lodnia and Kyle Pettit both recorded their third goals of the season. Nathan Bastian would add one for the Steelheads as he scored his first goal in seven games. Neither team registered a goal in the third as Erie would take the game by that same 5-2 score.

Despite allowing five goals, Jack Flinn stopped 45 of 50 shots to help limit the damage for the Steelheads. Flinn currently ranks 9th in GAA (2.66) and 8th in save % (.914) and is tied for 5th in wins (9). Although the numbers may not jump off the page, they are very solid considering Flinn has faced the most shots in the league (572) and has played 1104 minutes, which is 142 minutes more than the next closest netminder, Mackenzie Blackwood of the Barrie Colts who has played 962 minutes.

This weekend, the Trout hope to turn things around as they start their home-stand this weekend with games against the Windsor Spitfires and the Sudbury Wolves.

The Trout will take on the Spitfires Friday night for the first of two meetings between the two teams this season. The Spitfires come to Mississauga having won 7 of their last 10 games and currently lead the West Division by five points over the Sarnia Sting. Windsor's turnaround following a season that saw them record the fewest points in a season (52) since 2006-07 when they only recorded 42, has been lead by Christian Fischer who has recorded 10 goals and 11 assists in 17 games. The Spitfires have also received many contributions from their rookies. Second overall pick, Gabe Vilardi has been as advertised, with 7 goals and 5 assists in 13 games. Cole Carter has also had a stellar beginning to his OHL career as he currently sits in second place in rookie scoring with 15 points (4 goals and 11 assists). Both players are riding point streaks; Vilardi comes in with points in four straight (3G, 3A) while Carter had collected points in his last five (2G, 4A). Another rookie that has stood out is Michael DiPietro, Windsor's second round pick (23rd overall) as he's started in 5 games for the Spitfires where he is 4-1-0-0 with a 1.77 GAA and a .943 save %.

Following the Spitfires, the Steelheads will welcome the Sudbury Wolves to the Hershey Centre for the first time this season as the two will square off Sunday afternoon. The Trout have faced the Wolves twice this season with both meetings taking place at the Sudbury Community Arena where each pick up a victory. Sudbury defeated the Trout on September 27th in shootout 5-4 while the Steelheads returned the favour this past Saturday as they defeated the Wolves 5-1. Sudbury has lost four consecutive games with their last win coming against Sault Ste Marie on October 28th. Since then, the Wolves have fallen victim to Oshawa, Ottawa and Barrie, as well as Mississauga. The Wolves currently sit 5th in the Central, five points back of the 4th place North Bay Battalion and eleven back of the 1st place Barrie Colts. This will be the first visit to the Hershey Centre for first overall pick, David Levin. Levin recently returned to the club after he represented Team Canada Black at the recent World U-17 Hockey Challenge. Patrick Murphy has been the standout player on the Wolves this season as the defenceman is sixth in scoring amongst blueliners as he has recorded 5 goals and 9 assists in 18 games this season.

Notables:

This weekend will feature the first four picks in this year's OHL Priority Selection with David Levin (1st - Sudbury), Gabe Vilardi (2nd - Windsor), Ryan McLeod (3rd - Flint then traded to Mississauga), Owen Tippett (4th - Mississauga)

Friday's game will feature the top two rookie scorers in the league with Alexander Nylander (24 points) and Cole Carter (15 points)

Vilardi, Tippett and McLeod represented Team Canada White at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge where they lead the team to a win in the finals over Team Russia to capture the gold medal (Tippett recorded a hat trick in the final and was named a tournament All-Star)

Cameron Zanussi and Aaron Lachuk played together for the LaSalle Vipers Jr B team of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League in 2013-14

Mississauga lost both games they played against the Spitfires last year by the final score of 5-4

Windsor leads the all-time match up 4-2 over Mississauga

Mississauga was a perfect 6-0-0-0 against Sudbury last season

Stefan LeBlanc was drafted by the Wolves in the 7th round (136th overall) in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection

Sudbury leads the all time match up 10-9 over the Steelheads

Check out the Brampton Steelheads Statistics

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