67’s can’t overcome eight Oshawa powerplays Tuesday
It was a parade to the penalty box at the Tribute Communities Centre, Tuesday, and unfortunately for the Ottawa 67’s, they were on the wrong end of it.
The Oshawa Generals were awarded eight powerplays in the final meeting of the year between these two teams, and it proved to be the difference in the game. After the 67’s fought their way back from a 4-2 deficit, Luke Torrance scored Oshawa’s third powerplay goal of the night with 6:06 to play, and it held up as the game-winner, in a 5-4 Ottawa loss.
The 67’s saw four powerplays, and were unable to score on the man advantage.
Despite the loss, the 67’s take the season series 6-2 when all is said and done, as these teams get set for potentially a second straight meeting in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
Luca Marrelli opened the scoring for Oshawa, 9:53 in, converting on a pretty passing play to put the puck past Collin MacKenzie. The 67’s got an answer from the hometown boy Charlie Hilton, however, just past the midway point of the frame.
Oshawa’s good powerplay fortune began soon after, and Dylan Roobroeck sent the home side to the second period with a 2-1 lead.
Tyler Graham made it 3-1 Generals early in the second period, but Luca Pinelli soon blasted a Braeden Kressler faceoff win past Jacob Oster, cutting the deficit back to one.
The two-goal lead was restored back half of the second, though, on yet another powerplay goal, this time by Connor Punnett. Frankie Marrelli answered his cousin with his seventh goal of the season in the early third, to bring the score to 4-3 with 46 seconds to play in the frame.
Derek Smyth continued the trend of defencemen scoring early in the third, tying the game at 4-4, but it was short-lived, as Torrance scored the decisive man advantage marker to steal a big two points from the 67’s.
Ottawa continues out on the road Thursday, with a visit to the Peterborough Petes at 7:05pm.
