67’s weekly: not all results are created equal
The Ottawa 67’s outscored their opposition 7-3 over the weekend, but came away with a win and a loss, moving their record to 10-11-2-4, and keeping them in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
Like every year, the Teddy Bear Toss was the highlight — you’ve probably seen it all over social media if you missed it, thanks to what has become known as the “teddy tussle.”
For the first time in franchise history, it was a repeat scorer sending the bears hurtling over the glass, with Luca Pinelli potting a one-timer in the second period.
“It was a good goal to get one back in the game,” Pinelli said. “Obviously, it was a tough loss.”
Known for his tough coaching style, 67’s Head Coach Dave Cameron does have a light-hearted side, which came out during the Teddy Toss. With his back pressed to the glass to avoid getting hit by a bear, he reached his arms out to see if he could haul in a stuffed prize.
“I’ve been at it a long time, so I was back to the wall, but I had my hands out to grab a Hail Mary,” Cameron said with a big smile he rarely shows the media. “The most active was that little fellow with the skates. He was buzzing. Teddy bears are bigger than him.”
Though the Barber Poles dropped their contest to the Barrie Colts 2-1 on Sunday, they believe they deserved a better result.
“I really liked our game,” Cameron said. “We went toe-to-toe with the best team in the Eastern Conference. We did a lot of really good things, and we battled. I liked everything except the result.”
“It was the whole game. We competed, executed, played with speed, and were physical. There’s not one single play, we played the right way all game.”
Asked if it could be the launching pad for a nice stretch of good hockey, Cameron couldn’t make a prediction, but he was optimistic about his team’s future if they continue efforts like that.
“I do know one thing, if we play this way, we’ll get the results we want,” Cameron said. “There’s no guarantee, you can play good and lose, that’s the nature of the beast, but if we play the way we did [on Sunday], it’s a lot easier to deliver the result.”
If Cameron loved his team’s effort in a 2-1 loss, you’d imagine he’d be thrilled with their 6-1 victory over the Sarnia Sting on Friday night, but that assumption would be incorrect.
He credited his team for their effort in the first and third periods, but was blunt and objective about the middle frame.
“I thought we got outworked,” Cameron said. “I didn’t like our second period at all, to be honest with you. I thought we got outworked and we got off our team game.”
Overall, the weekend was positive for Cameron’s crew, but they now face a cruel reality. Norm Milley will be the bench boss for the next number of weeks, and Pinelli now joins Cameron at the Canadian Selection Camp ahead of the World Juniors. As well, Filip Ekberg is away at the World Junior A Challenge in Alberta.
For any team, that snapshot alone is tough enough, but for the 67’s, they’re dealing with the added difficulties of a road trip that spans nearly an entire month. Following their home game against the Peterborough Petes on Friday night, they’ll play their next nine games on the road, only returning on January 8th, two days before the OHL’s trade deadline.
Also with Team Canada are Equipment Manager Chris Hamilton, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Sean Young.
One way or another, regardless of the role — whether you’re a player, coach, or support staff — the next month or so provides a great opportunity to step up and show what you’re made of.
