67’s respond loud and clear in Game 2
Facing the threat of returning the nation’s capital in a big hole, the Ottawa 67’s let their play do the talking in the telephone city, doubling up the Brantford Bulldogs 6-3.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring a minute into the contest, but the Barber Poles battled their way back, finding a pair of markers in 40 seconds to close out the opening frame. Though Brantford rallied to tie things at two quickly in the second, Ottawa responded with another two goals.
The third was a tale of defence, as the 67’s looked to protect Collin MacKenzie in goal, before eventually running to the finish with a big win.
“It felt great,” said Cooper Foster, who scored a pair of goals in the win. “It was a full team effort, and we worked hard for it. Everyone was blocking shots, hitting, and we played our system perfectly.”
Once again, at full strength, the Barber Poles excelled, controlling the pace of the game, and making steady improvements to their Game 1 foundation.
“We were real solid,” said Head Coach Dave Cameron. “When we’re on our game, the biggest thing you notice is that we stay connected in all three zones. We were much better at managing the puck, we didn’t force plays, and it was nice to get the offence on track.”
In front of the vocal 3,000-plus people in attendance at the Brantford Civic Centre, the task at hand wasn’t going to be easy. Stealing a game on the road is not only a great accomplishment, but a big boost for the series, which is now tied at one game apiece.
“If you’re going to have any success in the playoffs, you have to win on the road, whether you have home ice or not,” Cameron said. “It’s all about momentum, and you can get it in different ways. This is a great building, if you can’t come in here and be fired up to play here, you have no emotion.”
Celebrations and excitement filled the locker room post-game, with the 67’s handing out the Bardawg award to everyone, rather than a single person for a complete effort. Tonight, the taste of victory is sweet, but tomorrow, the series is just a best-of-five, back to square one.
“We have great leaders in this room, and guys who have been in this situation before,” Foster said. “It’s good to be on a little high after this one, but we need to stay level-headed, and get to work Tuesday.”
The playoffs are a different beast in the OHL. What is typically a weekend league demands constant action, and rest is nothing more than a reminder you’ve been eliminated.
Quickly, the focus will shift from Brantford, to The Arena at TD Place for Game 3 on Tuesday, where the mission to win the day will remain unchanged.
“We’re staying over here tonight, and we’ll take the bus back tomorrow and have a little buzz around to regroup,” Cameron said. “We’ve got some guys banged up, so we’ll assess that and make any changes necessary, but we’re excited to play on Tuesday.”
