Sudbury Wolves beat Barrie Colts 2:0 in the Ontario Hockey League on Thursday evening, keeping their perfect start intact. Three wins from three games puts them second in the table, though the points column has yet to fill up. Barrie remain winless, sitting ninth after three defeats.
And here's the thing about this fixture — they met just six days ago and Sudbury won 6:0. To be fair, the scoreline was different, but the pattern hadn't changed. The Wolves worked the channels again, and the Colts gave nothing away in their own end this time.
We had given the away side a chance, 47 per cent, and that didn't come close. By then it was clear enough: Barrie had lost three straight and were paying for a sloppy opening. Sudbury tightened things up, kept their shape, and punished them when it mattered.
The standings tell you something, even if the points are still empty. Third-place teams with zero games and zero points means very little — but three wins in a row means you're not going anywhere. Sudbury have one foot ahead, and Barrie are chasing.
Recent form doesn't lie, not in this league. The Wolves beat Peterborough 2:1 and Rouyn-Noranda 3:2 before that, while Barrie's losses came against North Bay and then the two teams that had already beaten them. Cup football has its own rules, and this season's rules so far are simple.
