The Buffalo Jr. Sabres and the Oakville Blades open their second-round series of the Ontario Junior Hockey League playoffs on Friday, March 15, in both teams’ attempts to eventually win the Buckland Cup.
The Jr. Sabres head into the second round on the heels of a seven-game first round series over the Burlington Cougars. Buffalo won all four games on home ice at Harborcenter, including a 5-2 victory in the seventh game on Wednesday, to advance.
Forward Ty Glover led the Jr. Sabres in the first round, notching 11 points in seven games. He registered at least a point in six of the seven games in the series, including two goals each in games four, five and six. Glover put up 42 points (19-23) in 47 games during the regular season.
Forwards Declan McDonnell, Spencer Smith, Nathaniel Berke and Matthew Jakubowski each averaged a point-per-game in the opening round. McDonnell put up three goals and four asssits, while Jakubowski recorded a trio of power-play assists while playing mostly as a defenseman.
Forward Matt Novo also recorded five goals in the series, four of which came on the man advantage. Two of his goals were game-winners.
Jeremy Forman was the man in goal for the Jr. Sabres in the opening round. He appeared in all seven games and recorded a 3.40 GAA and .872 save percentage.
The Blades took out the Brampton Admirals in the first round, winning the series in five games. Oakville went 2-1 on home ice at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex.
Forwards Jack Ricketts and Thomas Maia led the Blades in the first round with seven points (3-4) each in just five games. Forwards Peyton Reeves (1-5) and Kyle Lewis (2-3) are others to watch going forward, while forward Jason Pineo had two power-play assists in the first round.
For Oakville, Will Barber appeared mostly in the cage for the first round. He went 4-0-0 with a .75 GAA and .974 save percentage. Chris Elliot appeared in two games with a 4.16 GAA and .833 save percentage.
Overall, the Jr. Sabres were the second-highest scoring team in the opening round, with a whopping 27 goals-for (to St. Michaels’ 29 and Oakville’s 24). The Blades, meanwhile, were incredible at limiting the opportunities of their opponent, allowing only eight goals-against in five games against the Admirals.
The Jr. Sabres were the second-most penalized team in the opening round, with 150 penalty minutes (second only to their previous opponent Burlington, who had 163 penalty minutes.) Conversely, the Blades had a low 60 penalty minutes in their opening round – tied with St. Michaels.
Here’s the full schedule for the second round of the Buckland Cup playoff series between Buffalo & Oakville:
Game 1: Friday, March 15 – 7:30 pm (@ Sixteen Mile Sports Complex)
Game 2: Sunday, March 17 – 2 pm (@ Harborcenter)
Game 3: Tuesday, March 19 – 7 pm (@ Sixteen Mile Sports Complex)
Game 4: Wednesday, March 20 – 7 pm (@ Harborcenter)
Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, March 22 – 7 pm (@ Sixteen Mile Sports Complex)
Game 6 (if necessary): Sunday, March 24 – 6:30 pm (@ Harborcenter)
Game 7 (if necessary): Tuesday, March 26 – 7:30 pm (@ Sixteen Mile Sports Complex)
Admission for all games at Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo, NY is free of charge. A nominal parking fee may apply and varies based on other events occurring in the area, including Buffalo Sabres home games at KeyBank Center.
All games will be streamed LIVE on Hockey TV (subscription required). Home games are also available audio-only (free) via our Mixlr channel & website.
Be sure to follow the Jr. Sabres on social media channels for the most up-to-date information. Find us on Twitter @JrSabresOJHL, on Instagram @buffalojuniorsabres, on Facebook and Youtube (game highlights & podcast).