Petes end their home season on a low note with 9-0 loss to Ottawa
Peterborough has two more road games this weekend to finish off the OHL campaign
It wasn’t the impression the Peterborough Petes were hoping to leave fans for their final home game of the 2023-24 Ontario Hockey League season.
Looking like a team headed to the playoffs, the Ottawa 67’s scored five second-period goals in dominating a Petes squad eliminated from post-season contention, 9-0, before a 17th sellout crowd of 3,862 at the Memorial Centre on Thursday night. It was a much different tale than 11 months ago when the Petes eliminated Ottawa in the second round of the playoffs on the way to an OHL championship.
The Petes (20-38-7-1) made a strategic decision at the Jan. 10 trade deadline to go younger and focus on rebuilding. It led to them sliding out of the playoffs. They’ll close out the regular season with road games Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against the Barrie Colts and 2 p.m. Sunday versus the North Bay Battalion.
The Petes wanted to go out with a bang and things started off with fireworks as Braydon McCallum and Derek Smyth dropped the gloves for a spirited fight in the opening minute and two more fights followed on the evening. The 67’s dominated the play, though, outshooting the Petes 20-4 in the opening period. And, while Ottawa only led 1-0 after one, the floodgates opened in the second period with five goals, three on the power play. Starting goalie Zach Bowen faced 36 shots through 40 minutes before giving way to rookie Easton Rye for the final period with Liam Sztuska sidelined by illness. Ottawa outshot the Petes 54-18.
Cam Gauvreau, the only graduating overage player on Peterborough, was the last one to leave the ice, doing a solo lap of the PMC knowing it was his last game there. The team recognized him with a pre-game video tribute and presented him with a framed photo collage.
“It’s obviously extremely sad,” Gauvreau said. “I’ve made friendships here that will last a lifetime. I love the coaches here and the billets and the players … that that was my last game here, was pretty tough to swallow.”
Tougher given how badly they lost.
“We’re all extremely disappointed in our performance tonight all across the board. We’re pretty embarrassed,” he said.
“That one stings,” said McCallum. “I wanted to set the tone right off the bat with that fight and show them we were here to play and we wanted to win. Obviously it didn’t work out. We have two more games left and hopefully we can end on a high note.”
Petes head coach Rob Wilson said youth has caught up to his team with so many players having never played this much hockey before and the disappointment of missing the playoffs added to the mix.
“So much of sport is mental,” said Wilson. “When you get eliminated from the playoffs and you’ve been battling so hard, even maybe battling harder than your level sometimes of what you are at this point, and you play a very good team that is getting playoff ready, it was tough to endure.
“I think the fans have seen the fight and the will and the battle and some of the youthful skill. I think next year will be a really difficult year, too,” Wilson added.
“I’m just being honest but we’ll battle and want to fight to get into the playoffs. I believe we’ll be a little bit older, which will help. The future is bright. There is no question about it. We have some really skilled young players on this team but it’s hard right now.”
Brad Gardiner fired a hat trick for Ottawa, while Will Gerrior scored twice and Braeden Kessler had a goal and two assists. Luca Pinelli tallied his 47th goal and Brady Stonehouse and Frankie Marrrelli also scored.
Notes With Quinn Binnie’s season finished due to a broken hand suffered in a fight last week, the Petes called up forward Ethan Quick from the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Wellington Dukes. Quick was a 2021 fourth-round draft pick of the Ottawa 67’s from the Quinte Red Devils. He played 34 games between Ottawa and the Barrie Colts, counting three goals and four assists over two seasons He had 16 goals and19 assists in 48 games with Wellington this season. After being released by Barrie, the Petes added him to their protected list. “This week gives him an opportunity to work more directly with the coaches to see what we’re all about and see if we can get a better handle on what he’s all about,” said Petes GM Mike Oke ... The Petes community is mourning the loss of Tony D’Agostini, the father of former goalie Andrew D’Agostini and past employee Matt D’Agostini. Mr. D’Agostini, 64, died Monday after a short battle with leukemia. His gregarious and generous nature left a lasting impression on anyone who met him.