Yahoo Sports Can't-Miss Games: Week Fourteen
OHL action resumes this week after a brief break around the Christmas holidays. While the World Juniors will certainly draw eyes away from OHL action, there are big games this week that you definitely don't want to miss.
As always, can't-miss games are defined as games that feature a great matchup, interesting storylines or a feature that will not be found in other games that week.
Without further ado, here are three games that you simply can't miss if you are a fan of OHL action.
Guelph Storm @ Erie Otters - Saturday, Dec 28, 7:00 p.m.
This is a game where both sides are missing their stars due to ongoing World Junior action. Jett Luchanko is playing for Canada, while Matthew Schaefer's tournament, and season, will be hampered by a devastating shoulder injury suffered last night against Latvia.
This game is a must-watch because it is an excellent measuring stick for what to expect from Erie for the rest of the season. The fourth-place team in the Western Conference will be without their star defender for the foreseeable future.
Guelph threw up the white flag prior to the break by trading away Cam Allen and Vilmer Alriksson for picks. It seems they will likely finish at the bottom of the Western Conference based on these trades.
Erie needs to prove they can find wins without Schaefer. If they can't do so against a version of Guelph that lacks Alriksson, Allen and Luchanko their season may be done.
Niagara IceDogs @ Saginaw Spirit - Sunday, Dec 29, 5:50 p.m.
Saginaw sits fifth in the Western Conference coming into the second half of the season. As a .500 team, they need to win games in order to stay ahead of teams like Flint and Sault Ste. Marie.
Niagara is a tough opponent with a young and talented roster. They currently sit at the top of the Eastern Conference as a result of fantastic performances by Kevin He, Ryan Roobroeck and rookie forward Braidy Wassilyn.
Both of these teams have scored more than 140 goals this season making them two of the top five offenses in the league. The result should be a high-scoring game filled with young talent. Who would want to miss that?
Kingston Frontenacs @ Oshawa Generals - Sunday, Dec 29, 6:05 p.m.
The Frontenacs' next two games are against Oshawa and Barrie. These are big games that Kingston needs to win to climb up the standings.
So far this season they have only beaten Oshawa once in five meetings. Seeing as Calum Ritchie is away with Team Canada at the World Juniors, there is unlikely to be a better moment for Kingston to beat Oshawa.
Keep your eyes on Beckett Sennecke for the foreseeable future. His performance this year has been staggering however some believe he is ripe to go on a spree after being cut by Team Canada.
The last game between these two was an 8-5 victory for Oshawa that included four goals and two assists from Sennecke.
Both teams will come into this game with something to prove.
