As part of my role as team statistician for the Sudbury Wolves, my job description includes the preparation of weekly media notes, featuring various tidbits of information regarding upcoming games.
While these notes have generally been confined to circulating among media types and club officials, it seemed likely that fans of the local OHL team might also have an interest in the odds and ends that I might come across on a weekly basis.
But those two games stand in stark contrast to the relatively recent history between these long-distance foes. Dating back to the beginning of the 2018-2019 campaign, the Wolves had won seven of eight encounters, including four straight in the nickel city. Yet this pales in comparison to the 11 consecutive victories the local juniors posted at home between January 16th (2004) and December 6th (2013).
That wonderful stretch of prosperity was launched when Stefan Blaho snapped a 2-2 with just 2:43 remaining in regulation time, lifting Sudbury to a 3-2 win as Sean Stefanski and Bobby Chaumont also both hit the mark for the winners. Their 11th straight win was also a one goal affair, though this one required overtime as Nathan Pancel sent the hometown crowd home happy, burying his second of the game just over a minute into OT as Sudbury edged Sarnia 7-6.
Oshawa have captured the season set by a final count of 3-1-0-0 in each of the past two years after the 2022-2023 Wolves matched that exact record two years out of Covid. In recording eight victories at home in the past decade, The Pack have been required to score at least four goals – a far cry from their 2-0 win on January 3rd (2014).
On that night, goaltender Franky Palazzese sparkled with a 40-save shutout performance over Oshawa, adding a 30-save effort the very next night as Sudbury blanked the Kitchener Rangers at home, also by the score of 2-0.
