On a night with a lot of tight, low scoring games, these three stars were able to step up in the big moments of the game.
With five of seven games being decided by one goal, there were many tight, low scoring games that we rarely see in the OHL. These performances came with the tremendous pressure of tight games, and all three stepped up to the plate.
1st Star: Mike McIvor, North Bay Battalion (32 Saves)
3 (NB) - 2 (NIA)
After coming in to relieve Charlie Robertson last night and only allowing one goal, Mike McIvor has put together his best OHL game yet for the Battalion. The Battalion beat the IceDogs in a tight 3-2 game, where goaltending inevitably was the difference.
Owen Flores made 34 saves for the IceDogs, but McIvor was able to hold on and grab the win for his team with 32 saves and a .941% save percentage. North Bay was forced to kill a penalty with less than a minute left in the game, and McIvor was able to hold on, despite the pressure.
Without Dom DiVincentiis temporarily, North Bay has been running with Charlie Robertson and rookie Mike McIvor between the pipes. The Troops have discovered their goaltending depth, and that they can lean on it if need be.
Similar to most rookie goalies, McIvor had a rocky start to his OHL career, allowing 20 goals over his first five games. This game will be a confidence booster for the 2006-born goaltender, to recognize that he can be a game saver at the major junior level.
2nd Star: Tai York, Barrie Colts (2G)
4 (KIT) - 3 (BAR)
The Barrie Colts were down 3-0 heading into the last period of the game. Some words of motivation must have been spoken in the locker room in between periods, because Tai York was able to get his team on the board 48 second into the 3rd.
York not only scored one, but two goals to get his team back within one. This game could have easily been out of reach, and the Colts could have hung up their skates, but York had other ideas. His second goal came 7:38 into the 3rd, and he was able to motivate his team to tie it up at 3-3.
The Colts ended up losing this game in overtime, just 27 seconds in. Nonetheless, York was the reason that this became a game that the Colts were battling in. These were York's 5th and 6th goals of the season.
The veteran forward has never been a consistently productive presence on the scoreboard, but as we saw today, he scores when his team needs it. York is a motivator on-and-off the ice, as he was able to get his team back into this game.
3rd Star: Carter George, Owen Sound (46 Saves)
4 (WSR) - 3 (OS)
Close games typically call for outstanding goaltender performances. On this night, we were lucky to see two, this one from Carter George.
George has been stealing games for the Attack all-season-long, and in this game he put up 46 saves on 49 shots. Though Owen Sound lost this game, George evidently held them in it.
Remarkably for the rookie netminder, this was his fourth 40+ save performance of the season. George is one of the top CHL goaltenders eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, and his solid, technically-sound game in net has been impressive from the rookie. He is a calm and poised goalie who rarely ever gets out of position.
George faces a lot of shots in the Attack's net, and he has handled this tremendous pressure phenomenally.