The Owen Sound Attack kick off a busy 3-in-3 weekend tonight against the Kitchener Rangers. Here are a few things to keep an eye on as the Bears look to pick up 6 points in short order.
Rangers on a roll – The Attack’s first opponent of the weekend is the Kitchener Rangers. The Rangers offense have been on fire with Adrian Misaljevic (#10) and Carson Rehkopf (#16) currently tied for the league scoring lead with 9 goals each. Those two along with Hunter Brzustewicz (#4) are in a three-way-tie for second in league points with 16 points each. Last week, the Rangers picked up an 8-0 win over Barrie on Friday, followed by an 11-2 win over Windsor on Saturday and topped it off with a 7-4 win over Niagara on Wednesday. That’s 26 goals in 3 games. The Attack are well aware of this offensive onslaught, which brings us to point 2.
Carter or Corbin? – Last weekend was a big one for the Attack’s Carter George who earned his first OHL shutout as Owen Sound blanked North Bay 4-0. The coaching staff played George in back-to-back games despite a shootout loss in Sudbury the night before. George has also had some recent success at the Aud against the Rangers. Or will Corbin Votary and his freshly painted and most stylish helmet in the league get the start? All things considered, it will be interesting to keep an eye on who they decide to field in net first for this 3-in-3 weekend.
Behind the Bench – This will be the first weekend for the coaching tandem of interim Head Coach Darren Rumble and Assistant Coach Sean Teakle to take the reins after the team let Head Coach Greg Walters go on Monday. Will there be an adjustment time, an immediate improvement or will the team just keep rolling? They are currently 4-2-1 on the season and we’ll all be watching to see how this transition goes.
Fine Lines – There’s been plenty of shuffling within the Attack roster and each the even within lineups each week. According to Dale DeGray in the Owen Sound Sun Times part of what lead to the coaching change was an inability to agree on how to get the most out of the current Attack roster. What will this weekend’s D lines look like with James Petrovski out for 4 more games? Will some of the rookies see more ice time on D? What’s working on the offensive end? Stay tuned.
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog – The Brantford Bulldogs roll into town for Saturday’s 7 p.m. matchup with a 1-5-1 record and will be hungry for a win. Keep an eye out for leading scorer Nick Lardis (#16) who’s got 5 goals on the season. The team will be short Noah Roberts, Lucas Moore and Cedricson Okitundu (who Attack fans will remember from last season’s early lineup) after some disciplinary action was handed down after the Bulldogs 3-2 OT loss to Peterborough last week.
The Fronts on Sunday – The Kingston Frontenacs play the season’s first matinee game at 2 p.m. on Sunday. With a better early season record than the Bulldogs, the Fronts are 3-5-0 and sit 4th in the Eastern Conference. The Bulldogs offence has some depth with Ethan Miedema (#15), Linus Hemström (#90) and Christopher Thibodeau (#10) leading the points.
Bring your skates Sunday – Sunday marks the first Investment Planning Counsel skate of the season. Immediately after Sunday’s home game, fans and families can hit the ice to skate alongside the players. If you’re under 18, don’t forget your CSA approved helmet and skates. Those not wanting to skate can still get player autographs from the bench. This is a super fun way to get up close to your favourite Attack players.