OHL first half review (Part II)

The first half of the Ontario Hockey League season is in the books.

With the second half of the season set to open up this week, this story is the second in a series that will take a look at how the league is shaping up heading into the second half of the season.

Eastern Conference

East Division

Belleville Bulls (19-13-0-2, First in East, Second in Conference)

If not for the inconsistency the Bulls have been plagued with all season, the team could have a bigger lead in the East Division than the eight point lead they enjoy now.

A team that struggled to score goals last season finds itself in the same situation this season. Tyler Donati, picked up in a summer trade, has done as expected and posted great offensive numbers. Matt Beleskey and Shawn Matthias have also been strong offensively for the Bulls.

Dealing John Hughes, who was off to a strong start offensively, to the Battalion has not worked out as planned as Aaron Snow has not been able to find the scoring touch expected of him when the Bulls made the deal.

Matt Pelech, acquired from London in the summer, has eaten up a lot of ice time on the blueline for the Bulls while P.K. Subban has added an offensive element to the blueline. Goaltender Kevin Lalande has been exactly what the Bulls expected of him giving the team a chance to win every night.

Ottawa 67's (15-15-0-2, Second in East, Fifth in Conference)

An early season injury to Logan Couture did not help things, but the 67's have struggle all season long. Along with Belleville, the 67's are the only other team with a .500 record in the East Division. Their record is where it is in part thanks to a five-game winning streak the team posted heading into the Christmas break. Playing in a weak division doesn't hurt either.

With the core of the team very young, veteran coach Brian Kilrea will look to those players to step up their game in the second half of the season. Another hot streak in the second half could put the team back in the hunt for the division title as the Bulls remain within striking distance. Any sort of faltering and the division title could get out of reach very fast.

Peterborough Petes (16-19-0-0, Third in Division, Sixth in Conference)

The Petes can thank three players for being where they are right now. Veteran forwards Daniel Ryder and Steve Downie and goaltender Trevor Cann have given the Petes even the slightest chance of competing on a nightly basis. The general concensus is that Ryder and Downie will be traded by the trade deadline. The Petes have received substantial offers for both players as part of package deals.

The rebuilding mode began when the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Jordan Staal and kept the talented 18-year-old on their roster. It will continue with the impending trades of Ryder and Downie. Should the two get traded at the deadline, Petes fans could be in for a long second half.

Oshawa Generals (14-15-0-3, Fourth in East, Seventh in Conference)

The Generals have been better than what Oshawa fans were used to witnessing last season, but they are still looking for consistency from their goaltending. The team has plenty of scoring power and what has the makings to be a solid group of defensemen.

Goaltending is where the team continues to struggle. Overage netminder Carlo DiRienzo entered the season as the starter but was eventually placed of waivers by the hockey club when they brought in Mark Packwood from Kitchener. Packwood's numbers have not been any better since joining the team. Packwood's backup, 16-year-old Anthony Peters has struggled in 11 appearances this season.

The Generals have a solid nucleus to build the team around with John Tavares, who has put up strong numbers again this season along with draft-eligible forward Dale Mitchell and young blueliner Michael Del Zotto.

Kingston Frontenacs (13-17-4-1, Fifth in Division, Eighth in Conference)

A struggling group of goaltenders and an injury to Cory Emmerton are two major concerns for the Frontenacs heading into the second half of the season.

Kingston has three goaltenders – Daryl Borden, Aaron Rock, and Jason Guy – who have all struggle to hold the reigns behind a team that has plenty of top-end scoring power. With the scoring the Frontenacs have been provided by their top line of Emmerton, Chris Stewart and Bobby Hughes, it makes sense that the goaltending job should be easy for this team but it's far from it. A team that has scored 142 goals this season has struggled defensively, having given up 156.

With Emmerton out 6-8 weeks with a broken bone in his leg, the Frontenacs will need their secondary scorers to have more of an impact. Players such as Peder Skinner, Bobby Bolt, Matthew Kang and Bobby Nyholm will need to step up now more than ever. Defensemen Ben Shutron and Adam Nemeth, who log huge minutes for coach Bruce Cassidy will be expected to tighten up defensively and goaltending will now be tested even more.

*** OHL first half review (Part I)