OHL: Bolland Shines

The London Knights drew first blood against Kitchener in the Western Conference Finals and Dave Bolland's two points earned him First Star honors. Center Michael Richards scored late to key a two-goal third period for the Rangers, but the Knights held on for a 3-2 win. We've also got notes on Rangers D-man Andre Benoit and Knights Captain Danny Syvret from the series opener.

Mike Richards (Phi), C, Kitchener

Emotional leader who wears his heart on his sleeve .. plays a solid two-way game .. ignites his teammates with big hits .. keen hockey sense .. positions himself well in all three zones .. always moving his feet and putting himself in good position for breakouts or to give defensemen a passing option .. slick skater generates good speed once he gets going but does not have the best take-off .. competes extremely hard .. often blocks shots and sacrifices his body to make plays .. very dangerous on 2-on-1's with his lightning-fast release or on-the-tape saucer passes .. registered a goal with just over a minute to play .. fought with Corey Perry at the end of the game.

Andre Benoit (Free Agent), D, Kitchener

Best all-around defenseman with the Rangers who logs well over thirty minutes a game .. plays in all game situations .. generates offence with stick-handling ability and patience with the puck, especially on the PP .. his low, hard slapshot is effective on the PP, often finding its way through .. smart defender who knows when to pinch .. not overly physical but angles the shooters well and uses his stick well in that regard .. anticipates well in the defensive zone and identifies his man, not allowing him to make a play .. notched two assists thanks to tip-ins from his hard point blasts.

David Bolland (Chi), RW, London

Plays on the first line with Corey Perry and has remarkable finishing ability with a quick release .. has a short skating stride with tremendous balance on his skates .. tends to prefer turning on his right side .. dangerous offensively down low .. great cycling ability along the boards and is difficult to knock off the puck .. distributes the puck well in the neutral zone, which often creates breakouts or odd man rushes .. scored an amazing one-timer goal on a beautiful feed from Schremp and also added an assist on the GWG.

Danny Syvret (2005), D, London

Captain of the Knights who plays many critical minutes .. possesses good size which compliments his skill level .. consistent performer rarely makes mistakes .. relatively short skating stride that generates modest speed .. disciplined in his own zone .. solid decision-making skills .. adept at keeping the puck in the offensive zone and making confident plays on the line .. blasts his hard shot frequently .. has already matched his career high point total for a single playoff year.