Plymouth Whalers Host Top-Ranked Oshawa Generals on Saturday

Photos by Rena Laverty - (1) Plymouth defenseman Gianluca Curcuruto checks Oshawa’s Michael Dal Colle, a first round pick of the New York Islanders; (2) Whalers goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic goes one-on-one with Oshawa’s Joe Manchurek.

HOCKEY NIGHT IN PLYMOUTH: Oshawa (46-9-2-3) at Plymouth (23-33-3-2), 7:05 pm, Saturday, Compuware Arena.

BROADCAST: Radio, 7 pm, 88.1FM WSDP. Video streaming provided by the Schoolcraft College Sports Network.

PUCK DROP: Former Whalers captain Mike Morrone (1996-97) is scheduled to drop the puck Saturday night before the game.

The Whalers host the Oshawa Generals on Saturday at 7:05 pm at Compuware Arena. Oshawa comes to Plymouth as the top-ranked team in this week’s BMO CHL Top 10 rankings. They’ve been at the top of the BMO CHL rankings for much of the second half of the season.

The Generals defeated Plymouth, 5-3, on October 10 at General Motors Centre in Oshawa. Michael Dal Colle - a first round pick of the New York Islanders - scored the game-winning goal for Oshawa at 19:32 of the third period to snap a 3-3 tie.

Oshawa is running one-two with Sault Ste. Marie as the top team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Hounds’ took over the top spot - 98 points to Oshawa’s 97 - with a 6-4 win over Windsor on Thursday.

Former Whalers left wing Matt Mistele was traded to Oshawa at the Final OHL Trade Deadline in January and is happy playing for his hometown team.

“Obviously they were ranked the top team in Canada before we brought in all these guys, so I can that can only add to how great of a team it is,” Mistele told the Oshawa Express, speaking of other trade deadline acquisitions in Michael McCarron, Dakota Mermis and Brent Pedersen.

“I’m excited more than anything,” he says. “I couldn’t ask for a better balance at the end of my (OHL) career. I mean, playing in Oshawa is always something that I thought about and I get to live at home with my family and they get to enjoy me playing here and living at home again.

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The three-team race with Plymouth, Windsor and Saginaw for the final playoff spot in the OHL’s Western Conference continues on the weekend. Saginaw plays in Owen Sound on Saturday and in Kitchener on Sunday afternoon; Windsor plays in Kitchener on Friday and hosts Oshawa on Sunday afternoon.