67’s blank Wolves to sweep weekend in Northern Ontario
For the second straight season, the Ottawa 67’s have swept their way through Northern Ontario.
Closing out the weekend against the Sudbury Wolves, Max Donoso recorded his fourth career shutout, and first of the season for Ottawa, as the 67’s killed off a whopping eight minor penalties, to earn a 4-0 win.
Brady Stonehouse, Brad Gardiner, and Cooper Foster all scored their respective first goals of the young season, with the captain Luca Pinelli tallying his fifth.
Despite the result, the victory did not come by way of the 67’s facing a lack of adversity. Aside from the parade to the penalty box, defenceman Josh Brady was knocked out of the game in the first period, by a check to the head from Wolves forward Ethan Larmand. Larmand was assessed a five-minute major, and a game misconduct on the play. To make matters worse, Matthew Mayich was ejected in the second period for shooting the puck over the glass, leaving Ottawa down to 11 forwards and five defencemen for the remainder of the game.
Stonehouse put the 67’s in the driver’s seat, just 2:12 into the game. Overage forward, and LA Kings prospect Kaleb Lawrence made a nice pass to Tuomas Uronen heading into the Sudbury zone. The Vegas Golden Knights draft pick delivered a perfectly placed shot to the far pad of Nate Krawchuk, and Stonehouse had all day to put the puck into the open net, for a 1-0 Ottawa lead.
With a penalty on the way to Ottawa at the 11:34 mark, Larmand ended his afternoon with the headshot to Brady. Despite a slightly extended three-minute powerplay, the 67’s were unable to capitalize, and headed into the second period up 1-0.
Ottawa was a second quicker, this time, with Pinelli increasing the lead to two, 2:11 into the middle frame. With the 67’s on the powerplay, Gardiner made a nice play to win a puck battle as the Wolves attempted to clear the zone, and the puck found Pinelli up high. The captain’s laser of a wrist shot found a home behind Krawchuk, and the 67’s earned a 2-0 advantage.
Sudbury very nearly answered back soon after, but Donoso made a series of spectacular saves on Kocha Delic, parked all alone out front of the Ottawa goal.
The Wolves had four opportunities on the powerplay in the second, but couldn’t take advantage, and it was Ottawa again finding a goal in the final minutes of the frame. Jack Dever found Gardiner for a slot shot that was stopped, but the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Foster chipped the puck right back to Gardiner, and he made no mistake on the second effort, as the 67’s enjoyed a three-goal lead going into the final 20.
Sudbury had four more chances on the powerplay in the final frame, but it was Foster scoring an early empty-netter, to seal a 4-0 victory for the 67’s.
It was a more than successful road trip, for Ottawa. Pinelli scored twice in Thursday’s 4-2 win over the North Bay Battalion, and Will Gerrior did the same on Friday against the Soo Greyhounds, backed by a 32-save performance by Collin MacKenzie, for a 2-1 victory.
The 67’s return home on Friday night, hosting the Peterborough Petes at 7:00pm.
GAME NOTES:
- The 67’s take both meetings with Sudbury, for the second straight season.
- Tuomas Uronen extended his point streak to three games, as did Cooper Foster.
- Three of Luca Pinelli’s five goals on the season have come on the powerplay.
- Ottawa outscored opponents 10-3 on this road trip.
