67’s beat Colts 6-2 to sweep season series
Every point is critical for the Ottawa 67’s, who moved into fifth place Thursday night, with a big win over the Barrie Colts.
For the fourth, and final time during the 2023-24 regular season, the 67’s picked up a victory against Barrie, this time by a score of 6-2 on the road. Jacob Maillet led the way with a pair of goals, including the winner, continuing his torrid recent point pace.
Collin MacKenzie earned his second win over Barrie this week, turning aside 18 of the 20 shots he faced, but stealing the show in the third period, with a larcenous save on Colts captain Beau Jelsma, who struck in on a breakaway.
Ottawa got the scoring started 6:09 in, when Cooper Foster deflected a point shot by Derek Smyth past Colts’ goaltender Sam Hillebrandt.
It took over 12 minutes to build on their lead, despite outshooting Barrie 20-5 in the opening frame. They broke through on a play set up by Bradley Horner, where Maillet knocked in a loose rebound. Concern for the play immediately went to Horner, though, who took a blindside hit to the head from Michael Derbidge, after the puck left his stick.
Horner returned for the second period, but was absent for the third. Derbidge was assessed a five-minute match penalty, and hit the showers early.
Maillet’s second of the game came on the ensuing powerplay to start the second. The outstanding overage centre was parked out in front of the net, and made no mistake on the rebound of a Samuel Mayer one-timer.
Right off the next faceoff, the 67’s went straight back down the ice, and just after the penalty expired, it was Kimi Körbler ripping home a feed from Caden Kelly. It was the 10th of the season for the Swiss rookie, and made it a 4-0 lead for the visitors.
After Pinelli appeared to score his 45th of the season, however, the goal was called back, and the Colts begun to rally. Quick goals from Jack Brauti, and Jelsma, respectively, made it a game, but the beginning of the third saw the 67’s snuff out any hopes of a comeback.
On another powerplay to start the third, Pinelli blasted a one-timer past Hillebrandt, decisively scoring his 45th in official fashion. Körbler later made a slick feed to Braeden Kressler, and the Maple Leafs prospect hit the 70-point mark to put the game to bed.
In an exceedingly-tight Eastern Conference, the 67’s visit the Brantford Bulldogs on Saturday, in a huge matchup that gets started at 4:00pm.
