Ottawa Citizen

UNHERALDED FORWARDS MAKE B-ELIEVERS OUT OF 67’S MATES

Role players Bitten, Boomhower provide spark in Ottawa’s ‘ biggest win’ in years

- DON CAMPBELL

Are they known as “The Killer B’s?” Not yet. But Sam Bitten and Shaw Boomhower have, at the very least, inflicted some serious wounds so far in the Ottawa 67’s 2017-18 post-season run.

The 67’s make a habit of handing out two awards after every victory and in the noise and euphoria of Sunday’s whacky and most unlikely of wins over the lofty Hamilton Bulldogs, head coach Andre Tourigny called for quiet long enough to name Bitten the team’s MVP on the night and Boomhower the hardest worker.

There was applause all around for the two well-liked teammates and maybe even a little extra whooping it up because those two names hadn’t been called after any of the 67’s 30 regular season wins.

But two games into an Ontario Hockey League Eastern Conference quarter-final between the 67’s and Bulldogs, Bitten has a goal in each, including the gamewinner in Game 2, and Boomhower, a one-goal scorer in 14 games with the 67’s this season, had a pair in the 5-4 win to even the series.

That’s half the 67’s goal total through the first two games. And that’s not half bad for the thirdand fourth-liners with Bitten best known by most who don’t follow the 67’s daily as the little brother to Bulldogs star William and Boomhower as a throw-in in the Jan. 1 deal to bring defenceman Merrick Rippon to the 67’s.

“Shaw (Boomhower) hits hard. He skates hard,” said Tourigny, his 67’s riding a high Monday on the way home to Ottawa. “Shaw’s raised his game to another level and it’s the same thing for Bitten.”

Bitten goal’s with 2:01 remaining sealed the biggest upset to date in this year’s OHL playoffs.

The Game 2 triumph, and in particular the third period, had so many ups and downs, you almost had to watch it twice, including seven goals in the third period alone with the 67’s blowing leads of one and two goals and still finding a way to win.

On the 67’s side, the contest looked over when offensive catalyst Sasha Chmelevski and captain Travis Barron scored 1:38 apart just past the midway point of the third period to put the 67’s up 4-2.

But that theory went out the window just 74 seconds later when Riley Stillman cut the lead to 4-3 and then Brandon Saigeon tied it on a Hamilton power play 3:20 later.

It was down to the next goal wins when the game turned a final time, Hamilton taking a hooking penalty with 2:11 remaining and Bitten banging in the game-winner just 10 seconds into the power play.

After a win like that, the 67’s could have been excused for a moment if they forgot they still needed three more wins against the heavily favoured Bulldogs. The franchise hasn’t won a game like that since maybe 2011-12.

The Ottawa coaching staff didn’t allow that moment to last too long. Neither did the captain.

“It’s going to be a war,” said Barron. “That’s the biggest win we’ve had in my four seasons here, but we have to move on.

“(Hamilton) is going to come hard, but now they know we can beat them. We also have the momentum and we’re coming back to our rink. We just have to forget all that stuff. (Tuesday) is a new day.”

The 67’s stayed away from the rink while the coaching staff broke down the big win.

They will have a morning skate Wednesday at TD Place, then try to take a series lead when few experts gave them a chance to win a game.

In the playoffs, the most important game is never the last one: it’s the next one. The coaches tried to put their victory in the rear-view mirror as quickly as possible.

“That’s what we did right after the game was over,” said Tourigny. “We told them we did a lot of good things and were very proud of the effort. We were good in Game 1 and even better in Game 2.

“But you cannot get too high this time of year and get too emotional.

“We know there is no way we win this series unless it’s a long series. This will not be a picnic. We’re not looking for winning four (games) ... we’re only looking at the third game.”

Games 3 and 4 will be held Tuesday and Wednesday night at The Arena at TD Place.

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