67’s make history with win over Colts
The Ottawa 67’s made history, Saturday afternoon, with a 5-1 home win over the Barrie Colts to close out the regular season.
Brady Stonehouse scored a pair, with Pavel Mintyukov, Gavin Ewles, and Logan Morrison supplying the remainder of the offence, as the Barber Poles won a franchise-high 51 games, and 107 points.
“It’s competitiveness, it’s in this group’s DNA,” said Head Coach Dave Cameron, following the historic win. “If you have it, you have it. These guys have it 24/7, and that gets you through the dog days of the year.”
Ben Pickell opened the scoring for Barrie, on an odd-man rush just before the midway point of the first, and they led 1-0 going into the second, but it was all 67’s from there.
With the 67’s on the powerplay to start the middle period, Stonehouse took the puck in the corner, dragged it around a sliding defender, and jammed it past Sam Hillebrandt to tie the game.
Just under six minutes later, Logan Morrison won the faceoff to Jack Beck, who found Mintyukov at the point. The Anaheim Ducks prospect streaked in down the right wing boards, and fired a quick shot to beat Hillebrandt, and make it 2-1 Ottawa.
Late in the period, Morrison fed Stonehouse flying in alone, and he snapped home his second of the day, making it 3-1.
The 67’s compounded their lead early in the third, with Ewles holding the line, and letting go a quick wrister that found its way home, extending the Barber Poles’ lead to three.
As time wound down, Stonehouse had a chance to complete the hat trick, but instead fed Morrison, who had a tap-in for his 40th goal of the season.
“It’s always nice to have some confidence,” said Stonehouse. “We have Oshawa in the first round, they’re good team. They play us well. So I think we’re just going to have to stick to our game plan.”
Round 1 between the 67’s and Generals kicks off Thursday night, from the Slush Puppie Centre.
