67’s top 100 points again with 50th win
The Ottawa 67’s have made topping 100 points look seemingly so easy each of the past two seasons, it might be worth remembering the 67’s hit that number only three times in the first 51 years of franchise history.
Make it a franchise-tying record 50 wins and 100-plus points for a second season in a row after the 67’s completely overwhelmed a possible first round playoff opponent in the Niagara IceDogs 9-1 before a Tuesday night crowd of 4,741 in The Arena at TD Place in a makeup of a Dec. 15 cancellation due to a storm.
And they’re not done yet, just one win and six points away from franchise records that some thought might never be broken, the 50 wins in 1983-84, then not again for 25 years until last year, and now this.
“It’s a honour,” said five-year veteran Noel Hoefenmayer, who had a goal and three points to extend his lead among Ontario Hockey League defencemen in scoring to six points. “From the start of the season, we never looked at winning a certain number of games.
“We didn’t really think like 50 or any number. But it’s pretty cool to do it again for a such a storied franchise.”
The 67’s also cut their “Magic Number” for clinching the OHL overall title to just four with the London Knights, meaning any combination of four from either 67’s points earned or points not earned by the Knights would give Ottawa home-ice throughout the post-season.
And the 67’s season is now down to two weekends of three games in three days, this weekend home Friday to Oshawa, then a home-andhome with the Kingston Frontenacs, Saturday at the Leon’s Centre and Sunday afternoon back home. The 67’s are 6-0 against Kingston this season.
No one will say, on the record at least, which team is better: the 2018-19 edition or this year’s.
“It’s a testimonial to our players,” said head coach Andre Tourigny. “But this year has been different. We have played through a lot of key injuries where young guys had to play key roles.”
The 67’s onslaught began less than six minutes in when Joey Garreffa scored his 35th in 52 games as a 67. Garreffa might be one of GM James Boyd’s best trades ever, the overager for three future 3rd round picks.
Off-season acquisition Dylan Robinson made a loud announcement that he’s back after 50 games lost due to hip surgery with his first as a 67 just 1:16 later and by then it was only a question of how many the 67’s would score.
Hoefenmayer counted No. 26 at 13:42 and Garreffa was back at it 1:07 later off a superb pass from Alec Belanger. Austen Keating scored his 32nd with 25 seconds to play in the first.
The industrious Jack Quinn restored the five-goal margin just past the midway point of the second with his 52nd of the year to tie Tyler Toffoli’s total in the 2011-12 season and also 67’s legend Bryan McSheffrey, the first 67’s 50-goal scorer way back in 1971-72.
To round things out in the third, rookies Jack Beck and Thomas Johnston (with his first career 67’s goal) sandwiched Marco Rossi’s 39th of the season.
Rossi also had three assists to stretch his lead atop the league to nine points over Saginaw Spirit Cole Perfetti.