Petes continue winning ways on road
Peterborough home opener delayed due to PMC repairs
OTTAWA — The Peterborough Petes knocked off another preseason favourite on Sunday afternoon.
Zach Gallant’s power play goal with 6:55 left in the third period carried the Petes past defending Eastern Conference champion Ottawa 67’s 3-2. It was the 67’s home opener before 5,732 fans at TD Place.
The Petes, who opened the season Sept. 20 by beating the CHL’s No. 1-ranked London Knights, improved to 2-1. All three games came in opposing team’s home openers with Peterborough starting the season with nine consecutive road games. Renovations to the Memorial Centre floor and installation of new boards and glass pushed the Petes home opener to Oct. 17.
Gallant, who also had an assist, lifted a backhand over 67’s goalie Cedric Andree on a power play. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev picked up his eighth assist in three games.
Gallant returned in the third after sitting 17 minutes for instigating, fighting and 10-minute misconduct penalties after coming to the aid of Cameron Butler after a big hit from Ottawa’s Merrick Rippon.
“That’s what captains do,” said Petes head coach Rob Wilson. “They respond to things on the ice when they think they need to. He’s an experienced guy and it’s one of the reasons San Jose signed him. He understands what it means to be a good teammate.”
Butler made a big shot block and Hunter Jones a key save in the game’s dying seconds. They outshot Ottawa, who were missing Marco Rossi and Nikita Okhotyuk, 33-28.
It was a much better defensive effort after a 9-6 loss Oct. 21 in Windsor.
“We had to put our hard hats on this week,” said Wilson. “We had some tough practices and went over things we thought were important as a coaching staff. I thought they responded really well today. I loved our D-zone. We were all on the same page. We were aggressive and hunted pucks in our end and the O zone as well. We outnumbered well and I liked our compete.”
After a scoreless first period, the goals started to come in the second starting with Nick Robertson’s fourth of the season on a power play at 1:44. Andree stopped Gallant’s shot and in a scramble for the rebound Robertson chipped the puck over the prone goaltender.
Mitchell Hoelscher tipped Noel Hoefenmayer’s snapshot from the point to tie it at 4:07.
The Petes replied 46 seconds later when Max Grondin notched his first of the season. Andree knocked down a wicked wrist shot by Mason McTavish but Grondin swept in the rebound. McTavish, playing his first OHL game near his hometown of Carp, picked up his fourth point three games into his rookie season.
Ottawa tied it on a power play when Jack Quinn found Hoelscher at the crease to deposit the puck by Jones. NOTES: Michael Little served the final game of a fourgame suspension. He’s eligible to return Thursday when the Petes visit the North Bay Battalion. John Parker-Jones was shifted to forward while Dustin Hutton, Keegan McMullen and Curtis Trolley were scratched … Three stars were 1. Zach Gallant (P); 2. Mitchell Hoelscher (O); 3. Jack Quinn (O).