67’s put stranglehold on Generals with 9-0 win
Make no bones about it: the Ottawa 67’s did not surrender momentum to the Oshawa Generals after a tough overtime loss in Game 3.
Refusing to head home with an even series, the Barber Poles exploded for a 9-0 victory in Game 4, taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven-series. Logan Morrison led the way with his second career playoff hat trick, Luca Pinelli, and Will Gerrior each scored a pair, while Jack Beck, and Vinzenz Rohrer scored singles.
Head Coach Dave Cameron turned back to 30-win goaltender Max Donoso between the pipes, after a late-season injury necessitated Collin MacKenzie starting the postseason. Donoso didn’t miss a beat, earning his first career playoff victory, and shutout, making 29 saves.
Ottawa did their best to dispel any notions of being on their heels, early on, opening the scoring just over five minutes in. Pinelli took a Henry Mews feed, streaked in down the left side, and fooled Jacob Oster with a quick shot – the 67’s first of the game – for a 1-0 lead.
A few minutes later, with the 67’s on a powerplay, and with another delayed penalty upcoming, Mews hit Rohrer with a beautiful stretch pass, and the Montreal Canadiens draftee made no mistake on a breakaway chance, making it 2-0.
Rohrer appeared to have his second on the ensuing powerplay, but the goal was overturned following an offside review, and Ottawa settled for a two-goal lead going into the second, outshooting Oshawa 15-5.
The middle period saw an offensive explosion for the 67’s, as they rattled off six goals within the frame. Gerrior capitalized on a Rohrer rebound 2:31 in, giving way to a four-minute sequence that saw Ottawa score four times. At the 8:03 mark, Morrison scored on a breakaway immediately following a two-minute five-on-three kill by the Barber Poles. Pinelli found his second of the game, in all alone, just over a minute later, chasing Jacob Oster, but Gerrior’s second of the game on the ensuing play made it 6-0.
Morrison found his own second of the night, with just over eight to play in the second, and Beck beat Carter Bickle on a breakaway of his own with less than two to go, sending his team to the third with an 8-0 advantage.
Donoso stood tall in the third, including a Save of the Night candidate on Beckett Sennecke, while Morrison completed the hat trick with 2:40 to play, as the 67’s took a commanding lead in the series.
Game 5 goes down Saturday at 2:00pm, from Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, as Ottawa looks to advance to Round 2.
