Barber Poles begin road swing with season series conclusion in Barrie
For the final time in 2024-25, barring a meeting in the playoffs, the Ottawa 67’s (15-22-3-5) will take on the Barrie Colts (29-14-1-1) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Sadlon arena. You can see the action on Rogers TV or CHLTV, and you can hear Kenny Walls’ call here, for an online-only stream.
The Barber Poles snapped their losing streak last weekend, but come into Thursday’s contest off a loss on Sunday afternoon to the Saginaw Spirit. Ottawa took an early lead, but the defending Memorial Cup champions rattled off six straight goals to seize control of the game, going on to win 7-2.
Shaan Kingwell and Matthew Souliere both scored their first career OHL goals against the Kingston Frontenacs last week, on Wednesday and Saturday respectively. Frankie Marrelli, who has held off the scoresheet in 19 consecutive games, now has three points in his past two outings.
After a short skid to start the new year, the Colts are back cooking with gas. Currently atop the Eastern Conference standings, Barrie is riding a five-game win streak, which includes wins over the Windsor Spitfires and Niagara IceDogs. Most recently, it was a 6-3 victory over the Brantford Bulldogs.
Compared to their three previous meetings, the Colts will look a little different this time, after adding Owen Van Steensel and Anthony Romani from the North Bay Battalion at the trade deadline. They have five and three points in nine and six games respectively.
The 67’s have a chance to level the season series on Thursday. Barrie currently holds a 2-1 lead, but Ottawa won the last matchup in a shootout.
By the numbers
Ottawa 67’s | Player | Total |
Goals | Luca Pinelli | 26 |
Assists | Matthew Mayich | 25 |
Points | Luca Pinelli | 44 |
Power play goals | Luca Pinelli | 14 |
+/- | Shaan Kingwell | +2 |
Barrie Colts | Player | Total |
Goals | Dalyn Wakely, Riley Patterson | 19 |
Assists | Tristian Bertucci | 27 |
Points | Dalyn Wakely, Riley Patterson | 40 |
Power play goals | Dalyn Wakely | 6 |
+/- | Riley Patterson | +20 |
Keys to the game
- Lockdown
No one has allowed fewer goals in the Eastern Conference than the Barrie Colts. The 67’s have to be stout defensively to win this game.
- Face-off dot
Starting each play with possession of the puck will give the Barber Poles more opportunity to make something happen.
- Alert
Barrie has four lines that can hurt you, so if you’re on the ice, you have to be ready for it.