Frontenacs Upend 67’s 2-1
Frontenacs 2, 67’s 1
With all the current excitement over pro soccer soon returning to Ottawa, leave it to the 67’s to get beaten by an own goal.
That was about the only difference between one of the 67’s finest and most complete 60 minutes of hockey all season and the high-powered Kingston Frontenacs Tuesday night.
The Frontenacs jumped out in front 33 seconds in when an innocent pass from the corner deflected off 67’s defenceman Jonathan Duchesne past unsuspecting goalie Philippe Trudeau and otherwise things might have been very different than a 2-1 defeat before an ‘announced’ crowd of 1,734 at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The 67’s managed to tie things 8:54 into the third on a marker by Joseph Blandisi but Kingston’s Spencer Watson needed all of 14 seconds of a power play midway through the period to make it 2-1.
“It’s just one of those fluky things that happens,” said Trudeau, who made 35 saves and was not blaming anyone. “It just came out and deflected off (Duchesne’s) skate and it went in.”
The goal was credited to Kingston’s Henri Ikonen, who is always a threat — just usually not from the corner.
Otherwise, the 67’s continued their strong play off a huge win last Thursday in Peterborough, staying strong in front of their own goal while testing Kingston netminder Lucas Peressini.
To their credit, the 67’s rebounded from the tough start to outshoot Kingston 10-4 in the opening 20 minutes but just couldn’t find a way to beat Peressini.
A key factor was that the 67’s power play went 0-for-5 on the night.
“We should have beat them,” said Blandisi, who will anxiously await to hear Wednesday’s announcement of Team OHL for the Subway Series with the Russians.
Blandisi now has 10 goals and 16 points in 14 games.
“I really thought we were the better team,” said Blandisi. “I think we proved we proved we could play with them.”
The 67’s are back in action Saturday night in Peterborough before returning for four consecutive home games, beginning next Tuesday against the Oshawa Generals.
Poirier on board for Subway Series
Exactly one year ago today, Emile Poirier had a nondescript five goals and 10 points two full months into the 2012-13 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League regular season and the Gatineau Olympiques were still waiting for the right wing to justify his third-round selection.
Two weeks from Monday, Poirier will be suiting up for Team QMJHL against Team Russia in Game 1 of the six-game Subway Series at the Robert Guertin Arena, showcasing his skills for a chance at the Canadian national junior team. It’s been that kind of a year for the high-flying power forward.
Poirier finished last season with 27 goals and 60 points in his last 52 games and the Calgary Flames saw fit to make him one of their three first-round selections in last spring’s NHL Draft.
The head coach for the QMJHL squad is the Olympiques’ Benoit Groulx, who is also busy preparing for a visit by the Memorial Cup-champion Halifax Mooseheads Wednesday. Poirier will serve his one-game suspension for a hit to the head in Sunday’s loss in Quebec City.
