1998-99 Plymouth Whalers
TOP TEAM DOMINATES REGULAR SEASON, FALLS DURING PLAYOFFS
Most observers picked the Plymouth Whalers to be one of the top teams in the Canadian Hockey League during the 1998-99 season. After racing out of the starting blocks with a franchise best-ever start of 16-2-2, the Whalers finished 51-13-4, setting several league and franchise marks along the way:
- Best regular season record in franchise history (51-13-4)
- Franchise record wins (51) and points (106) during regular season
- Franchise record for fewest losses during the regular season (13)
- Led the OHL in power play (31.0%) and penalty killing (86.0%)
- Led the OHL in winning streaks (9 games, 8 games, 7 games)
- Led the OHL in allowing the fewest shots (1776)
- Led the OHL in lowest goals against average (2.36)
- Shared OHL in save percentage with Ottawa (.909)
- Set Canadian Hockey League mark for fewest goals allowed in a 66-game schedule (162)
- Finished 1st overall in CHL and OHL
A SEASON OF PERSONAL BESTS
Several individuals enjoyed outstanding seasons as well. Third-year centerman Harold Druken led the OHL with 58 goals and finished seventh in the league in scoring with 103 points. Veteran Adam Colagiacomo had a career-best 40 goals with 68 assists to finish fourth in the scoring race. Eric Gooldy had a breakout season with 23 goals and 38 assists for 61 points, while linemate Dave Legwand returned from the Nashville to register 31 goals with 49 assists for 80 points.
Jason Ward added 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 23 games with the Whalers. Captain Randy Fitzgerald (15-34), Jamie Lalonde (14-6) and Julian Smith (13-13) added experience and leadership.
Local player Damian Surma (Lincoln Park) improved as the season wore on registering 17 goals and 15 assists. Rookie James Ramsay added some much needed grit to the mix, especially when Lalonde was injured.
Druken (a Vancouver draft) and Colagiacomo (San Jose) were in the same situation - veteran OHL players looking to make their NHL teams sign them to contracts. They helped each other in a big way.
"There's always pressure from being drafted," Colagiacomo (obtained over the summer from Oshawa) said, "Every player wants to move up and every player wants a contract and play at the next level. You just try to put the pressure aside and go out there and play hard and see what happens."
Druken played with a similar attitude. "This (year) is crunch time," Druken said. "If you want to sign a good contract you have to put up numbers. You have to do what they want you to do. They (Vancouver) said they wanted me to play offensively, score some goals and hold my own on the defensive side. So if I keep doing that I'll be all set. I just worry about playing my game."
"Harold's a character player," Whalers general manager/head coach Peter DeBoer said early this season. "The last two seasons, he's been one of our best players - if not our best - in the playoffs. So when the game's on the line, Harold Druken's a guy we can count on. It's just a matter of him getting over the mental block of being off to slow starts over the last two seasons. He's past that now."
Although Plymouth was perceived around the OHL last season as an offensive-minded team, the Whalers' defense was the best in the OHL and CHL.
Goaltending was considered a question mark at the start of the season, but Scott Holsinger and Rob Zepp answered all questions emphatically, winning the Dave Pinkney Trophy as the league's top goaltending tandem.
Holsinger set an all-time CHL and OHL mark with a 2.08 goal-against average and led the OHL in save percentage (.917) and shutouts (5). Holsinger's career goals-against average of 2.56 is the best in franchise history. The NHL's Atlanta Thrashers selected Zepp after posting a 2.74 goals against and .897 save percentage last season.
Zepp also enjoyed success in the classroom, winning the OHL's Bobby Smith Award as the league's top academic student.
Two other diamonds in the rough were Surma and defenseman Jared Newman. Surma started the season as a penalty-killer and ended as one of the Whalers' top forwards.
"Surma's come in and shown he's ready to play in this league and contribute right away," DeBoer said.
"He's not a rookie that's going to need a year or two before he earns a regular spot. He can play and he's a threat when he's on the ice offensively as well as penalty killing situations."
Newman also quickly earned the respect of his teammates and coach.
"Newman's not flashy, but very smart with the puck," DeBoer said. "He's very composed for someone so young."
The Whalers' blue line was big and mobile. Nikos Tselios (21-39) and Paul Mara (13-41) - both first-round NHL selections and signed by Carolina and Tampa Bay - played on both ends of the ice effectively. Add Newman, Shaun Fisher, Kevin Holdridge and Troy Smith to the mix and the Plymouth blue line was the best in the OHL.
Troy Smith added to the Whalers' depth by moving to right wing late in the season. He had a hat trick in the Whalers' first-ever game at Maple Leafs Gardens, a 7-0 whitewash over the St. Michael's Majors.
The Ontario Hockey League later recognized Plymouth general manager/head coach Peter DeBoer the Coach of the Year.
THE RACE IS ON:
While Plymouth, Barrie and Ottawa played a season-long game of leapfrog at the top of the OHL standings, Belleville, Owen Sound, London and Oshawa formed a second tier of dangerous teams capable of beating any other team on a given night.
The Whalers split their two games with Ottawa and went 1-0-1 against Barrie.
A SERIES TO REMEMBER:
Plymouth handed Ottawa their first defeat of the season at the Civic Centre October 25th, 3-1 when Scott Holsinger played his finest game as a Whaler in stopping 44 of 45 shots.
"Probably that would rank right up there among some of his best games," DeBoer said. "He was outstanding. He held us in there at key times and it was a real solid effort."
Holsinger served notice early in the game he was sharp when he robbed Ben Gustavson with one of his best stops if the season. Gustavson was parked in tight on the left side of the net and tried to jam the puck home. But Holsinger slid across to make a brilliant save.
"I was nervous until I made the save," Holsinger said later. "And from there, I was in the game."
Gustavson had the goal chalked up.
"I don't think I could have got the shot off any quicker or harder," Gustavson said later. "The net was wide open. He dove across out of position, and it hit him right in the middle of the stick. There's nothing much else I could do about it. It's frustrating."
Julian Smith scored the game-winning goal in the second period when he walked out of the left wing corner, shrugged off a vicious slash by Ottawa left wing Mark Bell and beat Seamus Kotyk with a well-placed shot.
Plymouth and Ottawa met at the Compuware Sports Arena January 29 and it was Kotyk's turn to shine in a 2-1 Ottawa victory. The loss at home was the first of the season for the Whalers at the Compuware Sports Arena. A sellout crowd of 4,106 saw Kotyk stop 48 of 49 shots as the game's first star.
"Seamus did the job," said Ottawa head coach Brian Kilrea. "In a 2-1 game you have to look toward your goalie. It may have been Seamus finest effort. We really stepped it up tonight. We definitely were focusing on this game. The guys came to play and the results showed."
Plymouth beat Barrie, 5-1 at home early in the season. The Whalers met Barrie at the Molson Centre January 2nd in the middle of the tough road trip with five players away at the World Junior Championships and earned a 2-2 tie.
Defenseman Mark McMahon scored the equalizer of the third period and Zepp played well to give the Whalers and hard earned point.
As a result of the tight race at the top of the standings, the Whalers and Colts were in a buying position when the trade deadline approached. Barrie and Plymouth made the biggest moves at the OHL final Trading Deadline. Barrie made a ten-player deal with Toronto, obtaining the league's leading scorer Sheldon Keefe and 3 others.
Plymouth acquired right winger Jason Ward from Windsor for Max Lick, Kyle Chapman and a couple of draft choices.
"When we sat down and made a wish list of who we would like to acquire, Jason Ward was at the top of the list," DeBoer said. He's a captain in this league; he's played in two World Junior Championships. He combines grit and skill like no one else in the OHL.
The winning continued for Plymouth and they clinched the West Division February 21st with a 4-2 victory over London before 2,296 at the Compuware Sports Arena.
"We were aware of it," DeBoer said of the division crown after the game. "But really it was a foregone conclusion. We're thinking about the conference and league (best records) now."
Plymouth clinched the Western Conference title February 28th with a 3-2 victory of the Windsor Spitfires before 2,619 at the Compuware Sports Arena. Fitzgerald led the Plymouth attack with a pair of goals, Surma the other as the Whalers out shot the Spitifres, 47-18.
"It's one step closer to the end goal, getting to the Memorial Cup," Fitzgerald said. "Now we have to work on first overall, which is very important for making the schedule and having home ice."
The Whalers set an all-time franchise record for points with an 8-2 thumping over Owen Sound February 24th. Druken netted 3 in the rout, including his 50th of the season on a power play goal in the second period.
It took 22 weeks, but the Whalers were finally rated the top team in the CHL after a 4-4 with Sault Ste. Marie March 6th. Plymouth's record of 49-11-4 gave them the top mark in the CHL.
The Whalers continued to roll, getting their 50th win of the season March 11th in Windsor in a 4-3 win in overtime. Nik Tselios' goal a 3:47 of the extra proved to be the game wer. Druken, Legwand, and Fitzgerald scored the other Plymouth goals. Zepp picked up the victory in goal.
Plymouth completed it's best regular season record with an easy 8-1 victory over Brampton. Holsinger played the game's first two periods and in stopping 17 shots, lowered his regular season goals against to 2.08, a new CHL record.
THE PLAYOFFS - A ROUT, A SHOCK:
Plymouth met Windsor in the first round and the results were predictable. The Spits needed an extra game to qualify for the playoffs, beating Kitchener, 2-1 in double overtime.
The next night, Windsor started the playoffs at the Compuware Sports Arena and were thumped, 9-1. Plymouth rolled on with no problem sweeping Windsor in the minimum of four game, outscoring Windsor, 27-6.
At first glance, it appeared London would be a perfect match for the Whalers in the second round. But a closer look revealed the Knights were one of the best teams in the OHL after Christmas.
As the first two games of the series showed, London was a far different team, winning the first two games of the series.
London jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead on the Whalers, before Plymouth tallied two of their own to tie the match. Krys Barch's goal at 0:34 of overtime gave the Knights a 3-2 victory in game 1.
"Alex (Henry) made a great pass," Barch said of the game-wer. "I kind of fumbled it and spun and just shot it. I just tried to put it on net. It happened to go in."
"Give London credit," DeBoer said. "They came ready to play. I don't think we played particularly well, other than maybe the Druken line. It's time for some of the other guys on this team to step up."
Game 2 was a hard copy of game 1, as London scored another overtime goal to beat Plymouth, 3-2. Before a screaming, sell-out crowd at the London Ice House, Tom Kostopoulos' third goal of the evening gave London an improbable 2-0 lead in the series.
Plymouth goaltender Scott Holsinger was outstanding, particularly at the end of regulation and into overtime as the Whalers were killing of a minor penalty to Adam Colagiacomo.
The two clubs headed back down the 401 to the CSA for game 3, a must-win for the Boys from Beck Road. And that's exactly what they did, scoring a 7-3 victory to cut the Knights series lead in half.
The Whalers evened the series at two a-piece on Nik Tselios' overtime marker in game 4. Paul Mara set up Tselios beautifully in the slot. London goaler Gene Chairello got a piece of the shot, but not enough to prevent the from bouncing into the cage.
Holsinger was outstanding again, especially in the third period and overtime. Plymouth built a 4-2 lead after the two periods on goals by Ward, Gooldy, Legwand and Julian Smith.
But London came back to tie, getting a gift goal in the process. Jay Legault banged at a rebound at the lip of the Plymouth crease and although it looked like Holsinger made the stop, referee Dean Morton awarded London a goal.
Television replays clearly showed the puck never crossed the goal line.
"The puck never went in," Holsinger said later. "I had it on my pad the whole time. I can't understand why the goal judge turned on the light."
Morton may have missed that call, but he whistled London on a too-many-men on-the-ice call in overtime and that set the stage for Tselios heroics.
Plymouth took their first lead of the series the next night in a 5-4 victory before 3,326 at the Compuware Sports Arena. Mara and Ward scored two apiece for the Whalers; Legwand the other. Barch tallied a pair for London Doyle and Fata the others.
"Every game this series the team with the early lead gets the win," Julian Smith said. "A quick start was the key."
Sure enough, the Whalers led 3-1 and 5-2 to hang on for their first lead of the series.
It would be Plymouth's last lead of the season.
The Knights came out flying in game 6. Before another sellout at the Ice House, London hammered Plymouth, 8-2, to send the series back to the Compuware Sports Arena for a 7th and deciding.
And just like in the first 6 games, the club that scored first, won. Tom Kostopolous scored less than a minute into regulation time, and started the Knights on their road to a birth in the Western Conference Finals.
You play the regular season for home ice advantage in the playoffs. The Whalers CHL-best record gave them home ice. But with nearly 2,000 London fans at the Compuware Sports Arena, the advantage took a different tone.
The Knights took full advantage of the pro-London atmosphere at the Compuware Sports Arena, never trailing in a 10-3 victory to advance to the OHL Finals.
"It's very disappointing," DeBoer said afterwards. "We were beaten by an excellent hockey team. They deserve full marks."
Plymouth wasn't the only high ranked team to fall in the playoffs. The eventual OHL champions, Belleville, eliminated Ottawa. Earlier, the Bulls knocked off Barrie is seven games.
"There's a lot of hurt," said an emotional Randy Fitzgerald after the game. "But in the same sense we're proud of our accomplishments. But it's tough to lose, especially when you're not expecting it."
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