New York Rangers first-rounder J.T. Miller scored Plymouth's series-winning OT goal (OHL Images)Canadian world junior goaltenders Mark Visentin and Scott Wedgewood pulled out all the stops to close out their teams first-round series on Sunday night. That leaves the Belleville-Ottawa and Mississauga-Barrie saw-offs as the only issues to being settled in an opening round that's been more tense than those to the east and west, where sweeps have been the rule more than the exception.

On with the post-game questions:

Plymouth 2 Guelph 1 (overtime; Whalers win Western Conference series 4-2) — Kitchener-Plymouth again? Between the big names, the fresh memory of going seven games last spring and the friction between Plymouth coach-GM Mike Vellucci and Rangers skipper Steve Spott, who used to work with the Whalers, the matchup should sell itself in both cities.

The top three scorers from the first round, the Whalers' Stefan Noesen and Rangers' Michael Catenacci and Tobias Rieder, are all involved. Each team has a key player — Whalers centre Alex Aleardi and Rangers defenceman Max Iafrate — who used to play for his opponent. Throw in the matchup of world junior netminders with Wedgewood and Anaheim Ducks second-rounder John Gibson in Kitchener's net and there shouldn't be many dull moments.

Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Dalton Smith (OHL Images)When Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Dalton Smith got a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct on Friday after levelling Daniil Zharkov in a Belleville-Ottawa playoff game, many presumed a suspension would soon follow. No matter that it was inconclusive at best whether the Ottawa 67's forward made contact with Zharkov's head, let alone targeted the Belleville Bulls right wing's noggin.

Say whatever one wants about the Ontario Hockey League's disciplinary actions and whether double-digit-game suspensions are a true deterrent, but not suspending Smith shows it has not become totally inflexible. In a season chock full of lengthy bans for headshots, the league has exonerated Smith, a repeat offender.

That doesn't mean it's sitting well, especially in Belleville where there was confusion recently when Bulls forward Alex Carnevale for got an eight-game ban for an open-ice check where it appeared he did not nail London's Bo Horvat in the head.

From veteran Bulls beat writer Paul Svoboda:

Replays clearly show Smith raising his arms to make contact with Zharkov's head. Referees were in the correct position to make the call — five for check-to-the-head and game misconduct.

They got it right.

Now, here's where it gets muddy. Smith is a two-time repeat offender, with a pair of prior OHL suspensions under his heavyweight belt, including 10 games in September for a blatant elbow to the head of Belleville goalie, Malcolm Subban.

Plus, the OHL, whether you like it or not, has made it abundantly clear it wants to eradicate its game of any kind of contact to the head or borderline legal hits to players in a vulnerable position.

So Smith gets squat for this?

Unbelievable. (Belleville Intelligencer)

Did Smith "rais(e) his arms to make contact with Zharkov's head," though? The Sportsnet replay, collected by the indispensable Kats Jean, shows that Zharkov's upper torso was the principal point of contact as Smith thrust his forearms into the Belleville forward.

Top prospect Nail YakupovThe playoffs will go on without Alex Galchenyuk and Nail Yakupov, whose team was bounced in six games by the Saginaw Spirit. Meantime, home teams won all three Game 5s on a busy Saturday. On with the post-game questions.

Saginaw 3 Sarnia 1 (Spirit win Western Conference series 4-2) — How long does the disappointment linger in Sarnia? It will come down to whether Galchenyuk andor Yakupov move up too the NHL to say and how the younger players coach-GM Jacques Beaulieu sacrificed pan out with other teams. The Sting selling the farm and getting a total of three home playoff dates is nowhere near as adject as the Sault St.e Marie Greyhounds missing the playoffs after being eight-piece trade for goalie Jack Campbell. The Sting battled injuries all season, plus loading up on older players made sense for a team which could not count on the dynamic duo returning once they are selected. Plus, as you know, Galchenyuk and Yakupov were in the lineup together only six times all season — the six playoff games.

In the final analysis, what element did the Sting lack besides having their two stars healthy? For all the wheeling and dealing Beaulieu made, the Sting's defence corps probably was sufficiently physical with Saginaw, whose M.O. is personified by good-sized skilled forwards such as Brandon Saad (series-high 12 points) and Josh Shalla (second with eight). Phoenix Coyotes first-round choice Connor Murphy has a bright future, but as independent scout Ryan Yessie pointed out, he's more about positional play than pushing around foes.

Ottawa Senators first-round pick Stefan Noesen (OHL Images)No. 1 star: Stefan Noesen, Plymouth Whalers (OHL)

The Planonian was on another planet for about 20 minutes on Saturday, pathologically unable to do anything but put the puck in the Guelph Storm net or get the biscuit to someone else who could put in the basket. Noesen had three goals and five points in the first period alone to help the Whalers spank the Guelph Storm 9-3 to take a 3-2 series lead.

The Ottawa Senators first-rounder, who who's been nearly unstoppable in the series with 13 points, scored a short-handed goal just 2:11 in and then set up another shorty by Rickard Rakell midway through the stanza. That would have been a pretty good period for anybody, but Noesen was just getting started. After Guelph levelled at 2-2, Noesen and Mitchell Heard each scored twice within a four-minute, seven-second span to put the game out of reach. All told, over the past three games Plymouth has outscored Guelph 21-6 heading into Sunday's Game 6 in the Royal City. The big night moved Noesen into second in playoff scoring.

Brett Thompson had both Sarnia goals Friday (OHL Images)There was a clean break in the two series which had been tight through the first four games, while the Kitchener Rangers finished off their first-round opponent. On with the post-game questions.

Saginaw 5 Sarnia 2 (Spirit lead Western Conference series 3-2) — Is it an oversimplification to parallel the number of trades the Sting made with their lack of cohesion? Probably, but that is the all-too-inviting conclusion many will jump to should Brandon Saad, Josh Shalla and Spirit seal the deal.

Saginaw came off its enervating overtime win on Wednesday and was up 2-0 by the three-minute mark. By the looks of it, it was never really a game. This can only be called a faceplant for Sarnia, which has 11 potentially graduating players, not counting Nail Yakupov and Alex Galechenyuk.

From Dave Paul:

"It's disappointing," said Sting coach Jacques Beaulieu, regarding his team's puzzling lack of passion to begin the game.

"We thought we had our guys prepared and ready to go, right from the opening faceoff. … Instead, we just kind of stood around and watched them play in the first period," added Beaulieu.

Beaulieu actually called a timeout to address his team, just 2:49 into the first period after Saginaw scored to make it 2-0 early.

"It thought we got better as the game went on," said Beaulieu, whose Sting team was especially dangerous in a desperate third period rally attempt, "but we need that kind of effort for 60 minutes, or 80 minutes, or however long the game goes." (Sarnia Observer)

Saginaw Spirit captain Brandon Saad (OHL Images)

No. 1 star: Brandon Saad, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Saad dominated the critical Game 5 of the Saginaw-Sarnia Sting series gave the Spirit control of the series, putting up four points in a 5-2 victory. The Sting picked a curious time for a no-show and Saad took advantage, once again leaving brows furrowed in a vain attempt to understand how the Chicago Blackhawks were able to get him with the No. 42 pick last summer. In the first period, he outmuscled the Sting's Adrian Robertson and Dominic Alberga in the corner and made a centring pass that led to linemate Michael Fine cleaning up the garbage for a 2-0 lead. Later in the frame, Saad blazed down the wing and deked JP Anderson to open a three-goal margin.

Connor McDavid, the When Connor McDavid was granted exceptional status last week to enter the Ontario Hockey League at age 15, he and has family might have fuelled some uncertainty over his enthusiasm to play for the Erie Otters.

Was there something to deeper going on, or was it just a case of a player and his family not being the types who rush into something rashly? Why commit if a player contract isn't signed? In any event, with the OHL priority selection draft seven days away, it appears the McDavid-Erie marriage will happen. Otters beat writer Victor Fernandes reported Friday that "a source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Friday that standout center Connor McDavid is expected to be the Otters' guest of honor" at a draft party the team is throwing on Easter weekend. The Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft is on April 7.

Fernandes also spoke to Ken Strong, McDavid's AAA midget coach with the Toronto Marlboros. It seems telling that the decision to apply to Hockey Canada for exceptional status was made with the knowledge the Otters, who won only 10 games all season, would chose No. 1.

Strong said [the McDavids] chose to apply "based on (Erie) was probably where he was going to end up. They haven't gone back from that."

Strong said he hasn't talked with McDavid or his parents in the past 10 days.

"The last I heard was (that) he was willing to go (to Erie)," Strong said. "They're good people. He just wants to play hockey. I know (Erie is) far away from home, but he's a mature kid."

Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Dalton Smith (OHL Images)The question didn't have to be asked since it answered itself: if Dalton Smith doesn't deliver checks such as the one on Daniil Zharkov which got him ejected on Friday, would he have a NHL contract?

The Ottawa 67's resident rugged winger trended on Twitter Friday after he was tossed for a check-to-the-head major and game misconduct during his team's nationally televised OHL playoff win over the Belleville Bulls. With 5:53 left in the first period, Smith crumpled the Bulls' Zharkov after the two collided near the right-wing corner of the Ottawa zone. Down went Zharkov and — once Smith and Bulls captain Luke Judson's ensuing fight ended up went a five-minute penalty to Smith on the scoreboard. And across the country, junior hockey diehards were up in arms about the call and the prospect of a suspensions.

"[Zharkov] was looking for the call, and as soon as it was made he got right back up like nothing happened," Smith, who said he never made contact with the 18-year-old Zharkov's head, said after Ottawa's 5-2 win that gave it a 3-2 series lead. "I watched his head come up right before I hit him [shoulder-to-shoulder]. We've seen it all season from him, going down and then as soon as they [Belleville] get the power play, he's back out there. It's embarrassing.