67’s Hamilton woes continue with 6-3 loss
The Ottawa 67’s continued to struggle against the Hamilton Bulldogs during their final matchup of the season, Sunday afternoon.
Ottawa’s five-game winning streak came to a halt during the Bulldogs’ final game in Hamilton before their temporary relocation to Brantford, falling 6-3 in the bookend game of their three-in-three weekend, despite outshooting the home team 37-17. Gavin Ewles, Luca Pinelli, and Jack Beck got the Barber Poles on the board, while Collin MacKenzie came on in relief of Max Donoso, but the 67’s were again outdone by Hamilton, losing four of five meetings this season.
It took only 5:27 for the Bulldogs to streak out to an early lead, with Sahil Panwar and Nick Lardis getting Hamilton on the board. The 67’s were able to answer just before the halfway point of the first, when Ewles ripped a one-timer past Matteo Drobac from the slot, but found themselves down 2-1 heading into the second.
Things didn’t improve from there; as Florian Xhekaj, and Lawson Shark scored within the first 5:09 of the middle frame, making it 4-1 Bulldogs. Panwar’s second of the game came with less than three minutes to play, and though Pinelli answered with a powerplay goal at the buzzer, the 67’s hole had grown to 5-2 as the third period began.
Lardis found his own second of the game on a man advantage, 6:28 in, making it 6-2, and all too late for a Beck goal to get Ottawa back in the game, with less than five to go, and the Bulldogs handed the Barber Poles another defeat.
With six games to go in the regular season, the 67’s will continue their first-place push on Wednesday, when the Oshawa Generals visit The Arena at TD Place for a 2:00pm puck drop.
