Barrie Colts and Sudbury Wolves played out a 0:0 draw in their Ontario Hockey League meeting on Friday night. The match ended without a single goal, leaving both sides with something to ponder. It was the opening fixture for each team in what promises to be an intriguing season.
Barrie come into this campaign sitting eighth in the table after their solitary game. They started with a defeat, losing 1:2 to North Bay Battalion on Thursday. To be fair, they'll need to find their teeth quickly if they want to climb away from that position.
Sudbury occupy second place following their own first match. They edged past Peterborough Petes 2:1 on the same evening, showing signs of the intensity that carried them through last year's run. By then, the Wolves had already established a rhythm that Barrie struggled to match.
And here's the thing — we had tipped the hosts for victory with some confidence. Our prediction gave Barrie a 64% chance of success, but the game refused to follow that script. Perhaps the ice was too fresh, or both sides were conserving energy for something bigger.
The statistics tell a limited story when neither team could break through. There were chances created and squandered, but the goalkeepers on both ends kept their sides in the contest. The old adage about defence winning matches held true here.
What this result means is simple: two teams with contrasting starts now share the spoils. Barrie remain bottom with zero points, while Sudbury sit above them despite also having zero points. The table doesn't lie, even if it doesn't tell the whole truth.
