Guelph Storm boast ‘as good a group of six D as I’ve seen,’ says Stan Butler ahead of OHL final

For all the focus on a surefire NHL first-rounder such as Guelph Storm centre Robby Fabbri, an OHL final does have this Hunger Games-ish aspect to it for a certain kind stay-at-home defenceman trying to stand out from the multitude and make it to the next level.

The Guelph Storm and North Bay Battalion wouldn't be in this position without top-rank talent, but both finalists can also do a good reading of Howl of the Unheralded when it comes to their pillars on the blueline. Four of the Storm's six regulars on the blueline are NHL draft picks, including Toronto Maple Leafs signing Matt Finn. Concomitantly, 18-year-old Phil Baltisberger, who represented his country at the past two world junior championships, has gradually adapted to the North American game, wielding his stick judiciously to disrupt attackers while helping Guelph go 12-3 through the first three rounds. The 6-foot-1, 214-pound Zurich native's growth has given Guelph the bona fide six-man unit that a team needs to win in May.

"Phil Baltisberger, you wonder why more scouts don't look at a guy like that," says Storm coach Scott Walker, whose charges host games 1 and 2 vs. the Battalion on Thursday and Friday. "Yeah, his numbers aren't flashy but he blocks shots, he plays hard and does all the little things that a coaches like to see. You like to see those guys get more recognition because you think those are the guys you can with."

Storm D 'fun to watch'

The unit gave up just 11 goals (discounting one empty-netter) during its five-game semifinal win over Connor McDavid and the Erie Otters. The previous round vs. London was more a last-shot-wins affray, but invariably the Storm controlled the third periods.

"From Ben Harpur, from his first year in the league where we wondered if he could play to becoming a legitimate prospect [for the Ottawa Senators], on up to our captain Matt Finn and on through to and Steven Trojanovic, it's like we got our own little team back there," Walker says. "They love to play wuith each other. They somehow pull and push and pick each other up. When one's not having a good game, they really lean on each other.

"It's fun to watch, especially as an old defenceman. I find myself drifting down that way every once in a while. It seems like it would have been a fun place to play, for sure."

The Battalion have only two drafted D-men in Tampa Bay Lightning second-rounder Dylan Blujus and in fifth defenceman Miles Liberati, a speedster whom the Vancouver Canucks threw a seventh-round dart in the 2013 NHL draft. It's a cohesive group. Blujus and the 231-pound Marcus McIvor are a homegrown first pair, while coach Stan Butler can marry 19-year-old Brenden Miller's savvy for sneaking into the offensive attack with the ruggedness of 6-5, 229-pound sophomore Kyle Wood.

McIvor will be a central figure for a North Bay team that is a huge underdog. The Battalion, granted, are on a great playoff roll and "have been the best team in the league since Christmas," according to Walker's pre-series buttering-up. The Storm are a deeper club, though. Containing the Storm could go a long way to helping McIvor win over some doubters, just as Battalion captain Barclay Goodrow finally earned a contract from the San Jose Sharks organization recnetly.

"Marcus is probably like a lot of guys on our team," Butler says. "He's got better as the season's progressed. He's been a really steady player. I've always believed that players have the right to get better. He's having a good season so far. I don't understand why he's maybe not getting the recognition from some of the NHL teams. I know in Barclay's case it took them five years to find him. Marcus is going to need to play extremely well, especially with the physicality and the skill of a lot of the Guelph forwards."

The playoffs reveals not so much character as a team's depth. The spring culling usually involves the teams that has to give their fifth and sixth defencemen sheltered minutes — or even less — fall by the wayside. Butler, who of course is playing the David vs. Goliath card to the hilt, concedes Guelph is deeper on the back end.

"They've got as good a group of six D as I've seen," the 16-year Battalion coach says. "We rely in five guys in the sense that Blujus plays with McIvor on our top pair. Then it's Kyle Wood with Brenden Miller and there's Miles Liberati, who we picked up from London. Depending on the game we have [6-foot-6 rookie] Riley Bruce or Kyle Locke. I think they're stronger as a group than as individuals. They've matured together and do what they need to do, block shots and make the good first pass.

"But they haven't played a team like Guelph. As I've told them, this challenge will be something that they haven't yet seen."

Of course, it ultimately will come down to who's hungrier.

"There's no systems when it comes to blocking shots or taking a hit to make a play," Walker says. "It's all about hard hockey."

The Storm swept the season series, prevailing 7-2 at home on Oct. 25 and squeaking out a 5-4 road win on Feb. 27 in a matchup between backup goalies.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.