67’s bite woeful IceDogs
Offence wakes up just in time
The crux of the Ottawa 67’s master plan to return to the Ontario Hockey League playoffs involves beating the teams they should beat and hoping they win the odd game they shouldn’t. That means a game versus any team below them in the standings is a mustwin, and the 67’s almost let one get away against a Niagara IceDogs team that hasn’t won in more than a month.
The 67’s offence, dormant most of the afternoon, erupted just in time to score three times in a span of 1:52 to give them a much-needed 5-2 win over the 19th-overall IceDogs Sunday afternoon before a crowd of 4,214 at the Canadian Tire Centre.
With the score tied 2-2 and less than four minutes remaining, veteran Ryan Van Stralen and rookie Tyler Hill struck with goals 33 seconds apart, and Van Stralen added his ninth of the year at 18:50.
Rookie Travis Konecny took a stick to the ribs midway through the third that winded him, then returned to assist on the game-winner as well as the 67’s final goal.
The 67’s don’t return to CTC until Dec. 6 for the one and only visit from phenom Connor McDavid and the Erie Otters. In between, they have their annual northern Ontario sojourn beginning Thursday in North Bay and continuing Friday in Sault Ste. Marie, before finishing up Sunday night in Sudbury.
Facing a Niagara squad that had won once since Oct. 19, the 67’s started well enough, scoring on their first two shots of the game, starting off with a goal by Joseph Blandisi just 63 seconds in. The good continued six minutes later when Owen Stewart of Greely scored his first goal as a 67 and third in 44 OHL games.
The bad began when Van Stralen followed up by banging one square off the post moments later. The 67’s offence slid into a neutral gear after that. “We came out pretty hot,” said Van Stralen. “But we got away from the game plan. What did we have? Ten shots (on goal) after two? We knew we had to get the win.
“We want to put some distance between us and Niagara and we want to keep nipping at Peterborough’s heels.”
Two Niagara power play goals squared things 2-2 after 40 minutes, both by Eastern Ontario minor hockey products. Williamstown native Eric Ming got his club on the board at 10:57 of the first and former Ottawa Valley Titan Billy Jenkins tied it early in the second.
’PIQUES WIN
The Gatineau Olympiques fired 47 shots at the Victoriaville net and still needed goals by Alexandre Chenier-Allard and Jonathan Bourcier in the shootout to turn back the Tigres 3-2. Chenier-Allard and Marc Beckstead scored Gatineau goals in regulation to overcome a 2-0 deficit.