If the Barrie Colts want to beat the powerhouse Brantford Bulldogs in the OHL's Eastern Conference final, Cole Beaudoin must keep up his playoff-leading point production.
As the Barrie Colts gear up to face the Brantford Bulldogs in Game 2 Friday night, many eyes will be on OHL star center Cole Beaudoin, who added to his high-scoring playoffs on Wednesday with a third-period goal.
The Ottawa native led the Colts in the regular season with a staggering 89 points in 54 games, 19 points ahead of second-place Kashawn Aitcheson and 23 points ahead of Ben Willmont in third, both of whom played more regular-season games.
In the post-season, Beaudoin is not only the Colts' but the OHL's top scorer, with 24 points, including 16 assists.
The Utah Mammoth's 24th overall draft pick in 2024 stood out in Round 2 of these playoffs as a playmaker. He had a hand in 12 of 18 goals scored against the Ottawa 67's – three goals and nine assists. He's cementing himself as a difference-maker for the Colts once again in this year's playoffs.
While he remains two goals behind Flint's Nathan Aspinall, Brantford's Caleb Malhotra and Kitchener's Sam O'Reilly in the OHL playoff goal-scoring ranks, Beaudoin's assist count stands out, with three more than Flint's Jacob Battaglia and Brantford's Jake O'Brien in second place.
In Wednesday's series opener, the Colts couldn't manage a successful game-winning comeback against the Bulldogs, but Beaudoin's presence was felt with a third-period power-play goal.
The Bulldogs are currently undefeated in this year's OHL playoffs, sweeping the North Bay Battalion and the Sudbury Wolves. Their undefeated run was almost halted by the battling Barrie team, but a late goal by Brantford's Jake O'Brien gave them their ninth victory.
So what will it take for Barrie to defeat the seemingly undefeatable forces of the Brantford Bulldogs?
Well, if Beaudoin can keep up his playoff numbers and playmaking abilities, it seems the 19-year-old will give the Bulldogs a run for their money.
Elayna Lee-Young is an intern for The Hockey News.
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