Tyler Toffoli-Michael Sgarbossa OHL scoring race takes a turn for the curious

Some odd twists and turns permeated by a sniff of home cooking has left Michael Sgarbossa and Tyler Toffoli all tied.

Anyone needing proof all statistics are estimates needed to look no farther than the two Ontario Hockey League stars' head-to-head matchup on Friday. Sgarbossa arrived in the nation's capital with his Sudbury Wolves holding a two-point lead over Toffoli of the Ottawa 67's in the scoring race. The centre ended up scoreless after a between-periods scoring change on the first Wolves goal denied him an assist.

Later on, Toffoli was credited with his milestone 50th goal on a pinball play where replays gave conflicted evidence on whether he was the last 67 to touch the puck on an own-goal by the Wolves' Mathew Campagna and into the net. Toffoli, who's vying to become the OHL's first repeat scoring champion since Corey Locke in 2004, later scored the clincher in Ottawa's 6-4 win on a 5-on-3 power play while Sgarbossa was in the penalty box. That pulled two even with 98 points and two games to play.

On his 50th, Toffoli started the rush with a good lead pass out his own zone. Linemates Steven Janes and Sean Monahan worked a give-and-go. Janes carried deep into the Wolves zone and made a cross-crease pass that eluded Toffoli and ricocheted off Campagna's foot and into the net.

Hey, the scoreboard only counts. It doesn't give grades. Or acknowledge conspiracy theories.

"I think it was a pretty good goal," Toffoli said afterward, his poker face lasting all of 0.7 seconds. "I thought I hit it at first and then hearing it went in, I knew I didn't shoot in. Then Janesy grabbed me and was just howling and saying it went in. It was a good feeling and I'm really relieved [after going goal-less in his first two attempts to get his 50th]. It's over with and I can focus on getting ready for the playoffs.

"We watched it in the room a couple times," said the Los Angeles Kings prospect. "Two of the views it doesn't look like I touched it, a couple others it looks like it ticked off my stick and went off them [Campagna] and went in. I don't really know how to explain it, but I'll take it."

In the first period, the Wolves opened the scoring. Sgarbossa won an offensive-zone faceoff and linemate Josh Leivo, a Toronto Maple Leafs third-round pick, won a puck battle, which gave Josh McFadden the chance to move in off the point and wire home a goal.

Leivo and Sgarbossa were initially given assists. Between periods, it was ruled that Monahan had controlled the puck before McFadden got possession. Thus the goal was unassisted.

Sgarbossa wasn't bothered so much by the change as the Wolves' play. They squandered their game in hand over fourth-place Brampton and remain two points back in their bid to get home-ice advantage for the playoffs.

"I thought so," the 19-year-old Colorado Avalanche prospect said when asked if he believed he should have had a helper. "It doesn't really matter. There's another game tomorrow."

"Our focus is to try to get ready for the playoffs, we need to get some momentum before we play Brampton."

Varying strength of schedule

Ironically, the Battalion could help Sgarbossa's individual cause. Both players complete the regular season on the road. But Toffoli finishes against the Eastern Conference's two stingiest teams, facing the Niagara IceDogs (163 goals against) on Saturday and the Battalion (176) on Sunday.

Sgarbossa will shoot, skate and stickhandle for 100 points against two East Division clubs Toffoli's feasted on regularly. On Saturday, Sudbury faces the Belleville Bulls, who have a sometimes suspect defence in front of star goalie Malcolm Subban. On Sunday afternoon, he'll be up against a playing-for-pride Kingston team who's allowed more goals (279) than every OHL team but the Erie Otters.

It could be the third year in a row the OHL has a tie for the scoring title. Toffoli and current Philadelphia Flyers farmhand Jason Akeson, when of Kitchener, each finished with 108 points last season. In 2009-10, Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin tied with 106. Unlike the NHL with the Art Ross Trophy, the league recognizes both players in the event of a tie rather than using goals as a tiebreaker.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.