This week, I’ll break down all 20 OHL clubs division by division and unveil my predictions for the 2012-13 season. Today, let’s look at the Western Conference’s Midwest Division (listed in alphabetical order):

Erie Otters
Coach/GM: Robbie Ftorek/Sherry Bassin
2011-12 finish: 10-52-3-3, 5th division, 10th conference
Playoff finish: Did not qualify
Key players: C Connor McDavid (No. 1 pick in 2012 OHL Priority Selection; 33 goals, 39 assists, 72 points in 33 games with Toronto Marlboros minor midget), G Oscar Dansk (No. 3 pick in 2012 CHL Import Draft; 2.82 goals-against average, .910 save percentage in 28 games with Brynas in Sweden), C Dane Fox (23-31-54), RW Connor Brown (25-28-53; Toronto prospect), LW Stephen Harper (24-11-35)
Key losses: G Ramis Sadikov (6-23-3-2, 4.26, .894)
Outlook: The highly anticipated McDavid era begins in Erie, but this team has other promising players at every position. Now these young Otters have to learn how to win after enduring the worst record in franchise history a season ago.

Guelph Storm
Coach/GM: Scott Walker/Mike Kelly
2011-12 finish: 31-31-2-4, 4th division, 7th conference
Playoff finish: Lost to Plymouth 4-2 in conference quarterfinals
Key players: RW Zack Mitchell (37-38-75), G Garret Sparks (27-25-1-3, 3.11, .907, 5 SO; Toronto prospect), RW Cody McNaughton (25-24-49), RW Scott Kosmachuk (30-29-59; Winnipeg prospect), D Andrey Pedan (10-30-40; N.Y. Islanders prospect)
Key losses: C Francis Menard (24-36-60; traded to Peterborough)
Outlook: The Storm are ready to take the next step in this always competitive conference. They play solid defense, led by Sparks in goal and Pedan on the blue line, and they have skill up front in Kosmachuk, Mitchell and McNaughton.

Kitchener Rangers
Coach/GM: Steve Spott
2011-12 finish: 42-24-1-1, 2nd division, 3rd conference
Playoff finish: Lost to London 4-0 in conference finals
Key players: RW Tobias Rieder (42-43-85; Edmonton prospect), D Ryan Murphy (11-43-54, +14; signed with Carolina), C Radek Faksa (29-37-66; signed with Dallas), LW Matt Puempel (34-35-69; acquired from Peterborough, signed with Ottawa), G John Gibson (21-10-0-0, 2.75, .928, 1 SO; signed with Anaheim)
Key losses: C Michael Catenacci (25-44-69), C Andrew Crescenzi (24-23-37; signed with Toronto)
Outlook: The Rangers are a perennial contender in the conference, and they made sure this season was no different with the acquisition of Puempel from Peterborough. Expect the Rangers to be near, if not at, the top of the West in 2012-13.

London Knights
Coach/GM: Dale Hunter/Mark Hunter
2011-12 finish: 49-18-0-1; 1st division, 1st conference
Playoff finish: Won league championship, lost to Shawinigan (QMJHL) in Memorial Cup final
Key players: RW Seth Griffith (45-40-85, Boston prospect), D Scott Harrington (3-23-26, +26; signed with Pittsburgh), D Olli Maatta (5-27-32, +25; signed with Pittsburgh; C Max Domi (21-28-49), C Ryan Rupert (17-31-48)
Key losses: Michael Houser (46-15-0-1, 2.47, .925, 6 SO; signed with Florida), C Greg McKegg (31-44-75; former Otter, signed with Toronto), C Vladislav Namestnikov (30-39-69; signed with Tampa Bay), RW Jared Knight (25-45-70; signed with Boston), C Austin Watson (25-43-68; signed with Nashville)
Outlook: Dale Hunter returns behind the Knights’ bench after leading the NHL’s Washington Capitals to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last season. He has work to do if the Knights are to recapture the success they enjoyed in 2011-12.

Owen Sound Attack
Coach/GM: Greg Ireland/Dale DeGray
2011-12 finish: 32-29-304, 3rd division, 6th conference
Playoff finish: Lost to Kitchener 4-1 in conference quarterfinals
Key players: G Jordan Binnington (21-17-0-1, 2.99, .906, 1 SO; signed with St. Louis), C Daniel Catenacci (33-39-72; signed with Buffalo), C Gemel Smith (21-39-60; Dallas prospect), C Cameron Brace (29-27-56), D Keevin Cutting (7-18-25, +20)
Key losses: LW Mike Halmo (40-45-85; signed with N.Y. Islanders), D Jay Gilbert (10-23-33, +8)
Outlook: The Attack lost a 40-goal scorer in Halmo, but they have enough talent from back to front to make a run in the conference. But they need to be more consistent after tailing off late last season and losing in the first round of the playoffs.

- Victor Fernandes

No one can blame goaltending for the Erie Otters’ latest defeat.

Tyson Teichmann gave the Otters a chance to win with save after save – a career-high 55 in all.

Yet his teammates gave him little support at either end of the ice in a 6-3 loss to defending OHL champion Owen Sound in front of 2,409 at Tullio Arena on Saturday night. The Attack outshot the Otters 61-23 on their way to splitting the weekend doubleheader, including 47-10 in the final two periods.

Teichmann kept the game from being a rout.

The Attack built an early 1-0 lead on the Otters for the second straight night, as Brendan Childerley poked a wrap-around past goaltender Tyson Teichmann 1:28 into the opening period. But as in a 7-4 win Friday, the Otters responded.

Veteran forwards Luke Cairns and Greg McKegg, who combined for two goals and 11 points on Friday, teamed up on Cairns’ third goal in two nights to tie the score at 1 at the 3:37 mark.

Then late in the period, Sondre Olden’s hustle behind Owen Sound’s net led to fellow rookie Connor Brown’s first OHL goal. Olden deflected goaltender Jordan Binnington’s errant pass. Brown picked up the loose puck and slipped it into the open net for a 2-1 Otters’ lead with 5:44 left in the period.

The Attack tied the score at 2 on Joseph Blandisi’s rebound goal 3:41 into the second. Then the Otters’ ability to clear their defensive zone led to the tiebreaking goal with 7:42 left in the period. Daniel Catenacci scored off a scramble in front, with Jarrod Maidens and Keevin Cutting earning the assist.

The Otters were fortunate to trail only 3-2 heading into the third. Owen Sound outshot the Otters 28-5 in the middle period to build a 41-16 advantage after 40 minutes. Teichmann made several key saves, including a sprawling save in which he swatted the puck off the goal line.

He kept Erie’s deficit at a goal for most of the third period. But former Otters winger Brett Appio scored the clinching goal off a rebound to hand the Attack a 4-2 lead with 6:20 left. He had a goal and assist – his first points of the season.

Cameron Brace added an insurance goal on a breakaway less than two minutes later. Travis Wood scored for the second straight night 1:18 after Brace’s goal. Fellow rookie defenseman Liam Maaskant earned the assist for his first career point.

SUMMARY

Attack 6, Otters 3

Owen Sound  1  2  3  —  6

Erie  2  0  1  —  3

1^st Period — 1. Owen Sound, Brendan Childerley 3 (Nastasiuk, Appio), 1:28. 2. Erie, Luke Cairns 3 (McKegg, Cook), 3:37 (pp). 3. Erie, Connor Brown 1 (Olden), 14:16. Penalties — Bigras (O) hooking, 2:30; Holden (E) slashing, 10:36; Bigras (O) cross checking, 14:36; Cook (E) roughing, 18:46; Blandisi (O) roughing, 18:46; Grant (E) hooking, 19:23.

2^nd Period — 4. Owen Sound, Joseph Blandisi 3 (Petgrave, Zweep), 3:41. 5. Owen Sound, Daniel Catenacci 4 (Maidens, Cutting), 12:18. Penalties — None.

3^rd Period — 6. Owen Sound, Brett Appio 1 (Rose, Smith), 13:40. 7. Owen Sound, Cameron Brace 3 (Blandisi), 15:04. 8. Erie, Travis Wood 2 (Maaskant), 16:12. 9. Owen Sound, Mike Halmo 3 (Petgrave, Catenacci), 19:00 (en). Penalties — McGuire (E) interference, 1:30.

Shots on goal — Owen Sound, 13-28-20—61; Erie, 11-7-5—23.

Goaltenders — Owen Sound, Jordan Binnington 3-3-0-0 (23 shots, 20 saves); Erie, Tyson Teichmann 0-3-0-0 (60 shots, 55 saves).

Power plays — Owen Sound (0-3), Erie (1-2).

Referees — Bob Langdon, Joe Celestin. Linesmen — Drew Jackson, Mike Harrington.

Attendance — 2,409.

Three stars

* Joseph Blandisi, Attack (goal, assist) ** Brett Appio, Attack (goal, assist) *** Luke Cairns, Otters (goal)

The Erie Otters’ second winning streak of the season will have to wait a little longer.

Owen Sound scored twice early in the third period to hand the Otters a 3-2 loss at Tullio Arena on Saturday night and salvage a split of the two-game series in Erie. The Otters won 4-0 on Friday night.

“We didn’t get the job done,” Otters coach Robbie Ftorek said. “It’s unfortunate.”

The game immediately turned into a battle between Otters goaltender Ramis Sadikov and Owen Sound backup Jordan Binnington. Both teams had several quality scoring opportunities in the first period. But Sadikov made 11 saves and Binnington stopped 10 to maintain a scoreless tie.

Both made several key saves in the opening half of the second period. But the Attack enjoyed the first fortunate bounce of the period to take a 1-0 lead at the 11:53 mark.

Sadikov stopped defenseman Keevin Cutting’s shot from the left wing. But the puck caromed off Attack winger Andrew Fritsch’s body in front and into the net for the goal. Meanwhile, the Otters had shots from Tyler Hostetter and rookie Chris Marchese bounce off posts. Yet less than two minutes after Fritsch’s goal, Otters center Mike Cazzola scored during a delayed penalty to tie the score at 1.

Hostetter and rookie winger Macaulay McDonnell assisted on Cazzola’s ninth goal of the season, which momentarily tied linemate Greg McKegg for the team lead. But Cazzola and Hostetter assisted on McKegg’s 10^th goal of the season 2:05 later, which handed the Otters a 2-1 lead. Sadikov stopped 15-of-16 shots in the period to carry that one-goal advantage into the third.

The Attack tied the score at 2 on Joey Hishon’s ninth goal of the season, off assists from Fritsch and Garrett Wilson, three minutes into the third. Then 5:30 into the period, Wilson scored his Ontario Hockey League-leading 18^th goal of the season to hand the Attack their first lead of the game at 5-3.

The Otters failed on a 5-on-3 for a full minute midway through the period. Hostetter seemed to score the tying goal with 8:30 left, as his shot from the point appeared to hit the back post inside the upper portion of the net and bounce out. But the referee disallowed the goal. The video replay judge upheld the ruling.

The Otters finished with only three shots on goal in the period and 24 for the game. Owen Sound had 35 shots. Fritsch led the Attack with a goal and two assists. Wilson added two points. Hostetter and Cazzola had two points apiece for the Otters while Sadikov made 32 saves.

* News and notes: The Otters lost veteran winger Shawn Szydlowski to an undisclosed injury while skating through a rut during pregame warm-up. The Otters already were without right wing Anthony Luciani (broken right wrist). … Defenseman Brady Austin, who has replaced the departed Mitch Gaulton in the rotation, left the game in the first period with an apparent injury.

- Victor Fernandes

SUMMARY

Attack 3, Otters 2

Owen Sound  0  1  2  —  3

Erie  0  2  0  —  2

1^st Period — None. Penalties — Appio (E) 5-min. fighting, 8:31; Heelis (O) 5-min. fighting, 8:31; Varone (E) slashing, 16:52; Wilson (O) roughing, 16:52; Shaw (O) roughing, 18:30. Missed penalty shot — Cazzola (E) 17:13.

2^nd Period — 1. Owen Sound, Andrew Fritsch 4 (Cutting), 11:53. 2. Erie, Mike Cazzola 9 (Hostetter, McDonnell), 13:02. 3. Erie, Greg McKegg 10 (Cazzola, Hostetter), 15:07. Penalties — Shields (E) tripping, 8:02; Blacker (O) tripping, 8:48; Zweep (O) interference, 15:53.

3^rd Period — 4. Owen Sound, Joey Hishon 9 (Fritsch, Wilson), 3:00. 5. Owen Sound, Garrett Wilson 18 (Blacker, Fritsch), 5:30. Penalties — Heelis (O) checking to the head, :13; Shaw (O) high sticking, 6:38; Heelis (O) tripping, 7:38.

Shots on goal — Owen Sound, 11-16-8—35; Erie, 10-11-3—24.

Goaltenders — Owen Sound, Jordan Binnington 3-2-0-1 (24 shots, 22 saves); Erie, Ramis Sadikov 5-9-1-0 (35 shots, 32 saves).

Power plays — Owen Sound (0-1), Erie (0-6).

Referees — Darcy Burchell, Chris Carnegie. Linesmen — Matthew Traub, Darryl Wolfe.

Attendance — 3,807.

Three stars

* Andrew Fritsch, Attack (goal, 2 assists) ** Mike Cazzola, Otters (goal, assist) *** David Shields, Otters (good defense)