Knights vs Petes
 

Who do you think will win the series?
Who do you think will be the best forward and Defensman of the series?
Can the Petes stop the Knights top 2 lines?
Can Adam Dennis another good series?
Can the Knights score more goals then they let in?

All i have to say is Knights will win this in 5 they will win the forst 3 games, then the petes win a game, but the knights wont let the series slip and win the 5th game in convincing fashion.

Knights did well against the Petes in the regular season, but you would have to consider the Petes the favorites in this series. They are a much more balanced team than the Knights, because of the teams repective bluelines. Dennis has had to bail out the Knights on several occasions in theses playoffs and they haven't run into an offense like Peterborough's yet.

I think Bryan Young will be the key defender in this series. Some of the Knights stars (cough Schremp cough) can be easily intimidated by physical play and Young can bring plenty of that.

Key forward will be Foreman IMO, he has been injured and not playing on the top of his game in the playoffs, he can be a streaky scorer, so if he can gets going, that will add another dimension to the Knights offense.

Should be a good one. No Cinderella's at this ball, top two teams in the respective conferences going head to head.

I see this series going 6 at the bare minimum, but I'd put money on it going 7 games.

It should be a great series.

One key matchup will be Shantz vs Dennis. Both have played in big games; both kept their teams in the game last series, when their teams weren't playing their best.

I look for Downie to cause havoc with London; if they can stay disciplined, they'll do fine. Foreman will do the same for/to the Petes.

The Petes' defense is stronger than Owen Sound or Guelph, so that could pose a challenge to London's big 5. The Petes forwards may have an easier time with London's younger/less experienced defense.

CG,
Shantz v. Coleman?

Downie was a non-factor in the game in London this year. If he can't play on the road, they should sit him. Your last paragraph about the Pete's d and the Knights young d is the same argument from each of the Knights first series. I am not saying the Petes won't win, but it'll be like the WC/EC finals, a bounce here, OT win there. Likely won't have anything to do w/ that kind of anlaysis in my mind. i.e. Ryan Martinelli goal...what was he doing on the ice?

Ooops! :blush:

Flashback, I guess.... I fixed it!

He He He
 

Shantz and Coleman would be an interesting (and similar) matchup. Personally I like Dennis in the comparison to both of them.

This series is a mirror affair. Each leg gets a little tougher. I think home ice will factor in well for the Knights. Defense edge to Petes. Offense edge to Knights.

Penalties will be a big factor. If they are evenly split or more PP opportunities for London, edge to London.

I think Downey will be a bigger distraction for the Petes than London. Too many trips to the box will hurt them.

Knights in 6 (possibly 7). Should be good hockey in any case.

Hmmm
 

I'm guessing that he was there to make sure that Guelph did not score. It certainly wasn't because they expected him to score.

He has played the man well this year. He does have some adventures with the puck in his own end though. I do not think they expected that to be a problem under the circumstances.

Knights in 5.

Shantz not good enough.

Knights in 6 with no blowout games.

Knights in 6. It shouldn't really be that way, because on paper I like the balance, the D for the Petes, but... there is just something about them, they don't seem to click quite the way the "on-paper" theory says they should. Whereas the Knights do and then some. :dunno:

Everyone thinks London eh? I say Peterborough in 7 as long as they don't take as many penalties as they did in the ECF. They weren't very disciplined and London has that deadly powerplay.

There are a lot of people on NOOF that think Peterborough will win this series, so you're definately not alone.

I'll pick London for homer reasons as well as firepower and experience. How will Peterborough respond to truly being challenged? That will be the answer to their success or lack thereof in this series.

You really don't have a ton of faith in the guy and you're not alone.

I don't see him a ton and his numbers look pretty good so I'm wondering why some of you folks are thinking this?

32 PIMs in 15 games, that's barely over one minor per game. For a guy that plays as physical and on the edge as he does, that's pretty good. Downie will not cost the Petes a thing unless idiot antics by Foreman or someone entice him.

Well, for one the defence in front of him is less than stellar. I also don't see a ton of him, but he was outplayed by a 16 year old rookie, and Micheal Ouzas also came from nowhere to take his starting job last year.

He's not the type to let in really weak goals, but won't win a game a la Dennis vrs Owen Sound Game 4.

The only prediction I have is that this series goes to 7. Who heads to Moncton once all is said and done is anyone's guess.

Thus far he has kept a level head in the playoffs but you have to consider his history not only against the Knights but in general. He's more than due.

Did he even finish a game in the Windsor/London series last year? 4 game series... 3 game misconducts and one game suspended if memory serves me correctly. Apparently they know how to push him to his breaking point. And he was a non factor in the two head to head meetings this year. Personally I think Downie is the big unknown in this series, as he goes so will go the Petes in this series.

It's the potential minutes
 

It all depends on how the games are called. Also, the man has been known to go right off the deep end. That would balloon that average a lot.

We'll see what happens. There's a championship hanging in the balance, much like the WJC, I think he'll keep his head on straight. I'm not opposed to being wrong, though. ;)

Don't forget that when the Petes played London fairly late in the season they were without their top two forwards, Daniel Ryder and Downie. Those two players would have made a huge difference as the Petes still played on par with the Knights without their two key players.

Knights still beat them with their back up goalie.

I'm 99% sure Downie was in the lineup in the when they came to London. I stand to be corrected.

I'm pretty sure that he wasn't.

Anyways, should be a good series, I say Knights in 6.

BTW: Will any of the games be on Sportsnet?

Downie was in the lineup, as was the entire team from what I can remember when Peterborough was in London. However in Peterborough Downie was suspended, and Ryder had a team suspension.

2 of the games in PTBO are on SportsNet, Game 2 and 6 I think.

I believe Sportsnet is showing all of the games.