Otters nab Game 1 on road vs. Greyhounds: OHL post-game questions

Former Belleville Bulls factored into all Erie Otters scoring, as the tricolor won 3-1 at Sault Ste. Marie to nab the first game of the OHL quarter-finals. On with the post-game questions.

Erie 3 Sault Ste. Marie 1 (Otters lead Western semifinal 1-0, 'Hounds host Game 2 on Friday) — What is the rose-coloured glasses outlook for each team after what seemed like a feeling-out process that took up only about 50 minutes? Erie was ahead the whole way once overage Michael Curtis converted a feed from 16-year-old Dylan Strome (1G-1A, +1) just 1:50 in against the Soo's Matt Murray, who wasn't at fault on any of the goals as he finished with 23 saves. Erie played a controlled game for the most part and avoided getting into the trading-goals mode it fell into during the first round against the Saginaw Spirit.

"Our starts, after our last series, was something we wanted to work on," Vancouver Canucks prospect Brendan Gaunce (2A, +2), who had the primary apples on the other Otters goals from Strome and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Connor Brown, told Shaw TV. "Coming into a game against the Soo you have to start well because they're a very fast team and play a very full team game. So I think that was key."

The Otters' speed and alacrity whipping the puck around the offensive zone seemed to take the Greyhounds aback during the early stages. Once it adjusted, No. 1 defenceman Darnell Nurse and the 'Hounds did a better job of limiting Erie's chances, suggesting it might be able to stretch the series out if it can break through against Erie goalie Devin Williams (26 saves). The 'Hounds couldn't register a goal until Kyle Jenkins got his first OHL playoff tally with 3:46 to play. Williams then made a great read to get in front of an Andrew Fritsch one-timer from eight feet out with 90 seconds left, preserving the two-goal spread.

The Greyhounds also lost the opener in Round 1 against Owen Sound, and won the next four.

What did Williams do to earn another start? Since the Saginaw-Erie series was an all-American matchup, Wednesday was the deferred rollout for Devin Williams, Playoff Goaltender, at least for a Canadian audience. The 18-year-old illustrated why he's sent Columbus Blue Jackets high second-rounder Oscar Dansk to bench-door duty by keeping the 'Hounds at bay. The Soo had the heart turned up during the middle of the second period, right around the time that Gaunce made a touch pass into the slot that Strome gathered before deking Murray for a 2-0 lead. The 18-year-old also handled the late 'Hounds push with aplomb.

"They were pushing hard in the second period and he made a couple big saves that got momentum back in our favour," Gaunce said of Williams.

What trend might not carry over to Game 2 on Friday at the Essar Centre? Each team took the collar on the power play, going 0-for-4. Erie led the league at a scorching 30.7 per cent in the regular season and was 5-for-17 (29.4%) vs. Saginaw. The Greyhounds were seventh and went a decent 7-for-29 against the Attack, plus it will need some extra-skater goals to hang in with Erie.

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