Power Rankings: Week 5

Carlos Verde, Communications Manager

Ottawa, Ont. —

1. Carleton Place Canadians (10-2-1) | Last Week: 1 (–) | Results: 4-3OTW @ COR, 2-1L @ HAW, 6-1W v HAW | While an unexpected loss in Alexandria against the Hawks definitely won’t sit well with HC/GM Jason Clarke, the Canadians showed mettle this week with a comeback win at Cornwall and demolition job against the Hawks on Sunday. The race for first is heating up, but CP’s league-best offence (51GF) and defence (30GA) hold down first for another week.
2. Ottawa Jr. Senators (9-2-1) | Last Week: 2 (–) | Results: 4-2W v COR, 3-0W v PEM, 4-3SOL @ PEM | The Jr. Sens did remarkably well to take five of six points on an injury-filled week. Reversing a three-goal deficit in Pembroke on Sunday without Nick Lalonde and Owen Guy in the lineup deserves a tip of the cap, but OJS stands firm in second — at least until their showdown with CP at the Thanksgiving Showcase on Oct. 9.
3. Pembroke Lumber Kings (7-4-0) | Last Week: 3 (–) | Results: 3-0L @ OJS, 4-3SOW v OJS | Pembroke showed they can compete with the league’s elite this weekend — something that surely elicited a few sighs of relief around town. The Lumber Kings are officially back in business as a contender, especially if goalie Jake Smith (.910, 2.98) continues to rise to the occasion in big moments.
4. Rockland Nationals (7-3-2) | Last Week: 5 (plus-1) | Results: 3-1W v NEP, 5-4SOW v KEM, 6-3W @ NEP | Were the Nats’ three wins against bottom feeders Nepean and Kemptville pretty? Definitely not, but six points is six points and Dan Sauve’s group took care of business by winning the games it had to. Third place after 20% of the season isn’t bad for the relocated and rebuilt Nationals.
5. Cornwall Colts (4-3-2) | Last Week: 4 (minus-1) | Results: 4-2L @ OJS, 4-3OTL v CP,  4-3W @ NAV | The Colts were outshot 93-40 by the league’s top teams this week, and were it not for the heroics of overage netminder Liam Lascelle, could have been embarrassed. Cornwall dispatched undermanned Navan in unconvincing fashion on Sunday, but they slide for being played off their own rink by CP.
6. Hawkesbury Hawks (5-4-0) | Last Week: 6 (–) | Result: 2-1W v CP, 6-1L @ CP | Rick Dorval’s Hawks gave a decent account of themselves in their home-and-home with CP; rookie goaltender Matt Petizian continued to impress, but one has to wonder if his workload is beginning to wear him thin. Sunday’s loss was (obviously) an ugly one.
7. Brockville Braves (7-6-0) | Last Week: 7 (–) | Results: 7-1W v NAV, 3-1W v SF | It was a strong weekend for the Braves, and in a normal week they would move up. Phil Gilmour’s hat-trick against Navan could be a sign of things to come for the Brockville forward; Justin Evenson (.943, 1.71) continues to lead CCHL goaltenders in all major statistical categories.
8. Smiths Falls Bears (5-6-1) | Last Week: 9 (plus-1) | Results:  4-0W v KAN, 3-1L @ BRO | The Bears are something of an unknown commodity at this point; Smiths Falls doesn’t have a ton of high-end talent, but its scoring-by-committee approach has worked often enough this season to keep them in the playoff picture. One has to wonder if the Bears will look to add offensive punch going forward.
9. Kanata Lasers (6-6-1) | Last Week: 8 (minus-1) | Results: 3-2W v KEM, 4-0L @ SF, 5-2W @ KEM | Two unspectacular wins against Kemptville — including one that went down to the wire on Thursday — don’t make up for the fact that Smiths Falls dusted the Lasers on Friday night. Consistency has been an issue for the Lasers, but if Jack Quinn continues averaging 1.4 goals-per-game and Myles Hektor keeps playing well in net, Kanata should turn out alright.
10. Nepean Raiders (2-7-0) | Last Week: 10 (–) | Results: 3-1L @ ROC, 6-3L v ROC | It’s difficult to rank the bottom three this week because, well, all of them lost in pretty forgettable fashion. Nepean played well enough to win in Rockland, but a lack of finish continues to haunt the Raiders (league-low 26GF). Goaltending has also been an issue early in 2017-18.
11. Navan Grads (3-8-0) | Last Week: 11 (–) | Results: 7-1L @ BRO, 4-3L v COR | In a normal week, or normal year, the Grads would be rooted to the bottom of the power rankings: Tony Iob’s team has lost five of its last six, and gave up a 7-spot to an offensively-challenged Brockville team. They can’t score or keep the puck out of their net regularly. Granted, they’re battling some injuries — but so is everybody else.
12. Kemptville 73’s (2-9-1) | Last Week: 12 (–) | Results: 3-2L @ KAN, 5-4SOL @ ROC, 5-2L v KAN | What is there left to say about Kemptville, really? The 73’s are young, and owners of the league’s worst defensive record (4.33 goals-against) despite having a decent goaltender in Peter Brooks. The winds of change mentioned by HC Rob Dopson weeks ago could now be on the horizon.