Cameron gets win 500, 67’s blow out Otters to stay alive
The Ottawa 67’s got a massive 7-1 win over the Erie Otters on Saturday night for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it keeps them alive in the playoff race, and secondly, it was Head Coach Dave Cameron’s 500th win in the OHL.
It was clear the Barber Poles knew what they needed out of this game, evident by their immediate and fierce first-period push. Under two minutes into the contest, they picked twine, as Chris Barlas finished off a loose puck in front of the new following Kohyn Eshkawkogan fanning on a shot of his own.
Zach Houben thought he had scored shortly after, but after review, it was determined to never have crossed the line. It didn’t matter for the 67’s, however, and they quickly regrouped, scoring again at the 12-minute mark of the opening frame.
Cooper Foster fired a shot past the Erie netminder for his 18th of the season. On that play, both Filip Ekberg and Luca Pinelli extended their point streaks to 10 games, with Pinelli notching his 250th career point in the process.
In the second, the 67’s continued to carry the pace of the game, adding another to the lead, making it 3-0. Pinelli connected after a petty passing play by Ekberg and Foster, continuing their line’s production in the final stages of the season.
The domination continued in the third for the 67’s, getting goals from Will Gerrior, Jack Dever, and Cooper Foster to extend the lead to 6-0. Short-handed, the Otters got one back courtesy of Sam Alfano, but a couple of minutes later, Chase Yanni put Ottawa back up by six, potting his seventh of the season.
Overall, Saturday night’s performance was the exact one the Barber Poles needed. They earned a 7-1 win and stayed alive in the race for the final playoff spot.
Box score
| Teams | Score | Shots on goal | Power plays |
| Ottawa | 7 | 33 | 3/2 |
| Erie | 1 | 26 | 0/4 |
First period
1-0: OTT #9 Chris Barlas (13) scores. Assists: #19 Kohyn Eshkawkogan, #3 Josh Brady
2-0: OTT #29 Cooper Foster (18) scores. Assists: #34 Filip Ekberg, #20 Luca Pinelli
Second Period
3-0: OTT #20 Luca Pinelli (37) scores. Assists: #29 Cooper Foster, #34 Filip Ekberg
Third Period
4-0: OTT #23 Will Gerrior (30) scores. Assists: #29 Cooper Foster, #20 Luca Pinelli POWER PLAY
5-0: OTT #18 Jack Dever (9) scores. Assists: #9 Chris Barlas, #10 Nic Whitehead POWER PLAY
6-0: OTT #29 Cooper Foster (19) scores. Assists: #23 Will Gerrior, #20 Luca Pinelli
6-1: ER #33 Sam Alfano (41) scores. Assists: #98 Pano Fimis, #72 Alexis Daviault SHORT HANDED
7-1: OTT #16 Chase Yanni (7) scores. Assists: #4 Kaleb Dietsch, #5 Bradley Horner
Up next
The Barber Poles will once again play for their playoff lives tomorrow afternoon, when they visit the Brantford Bulldogs at 2 p.m. An Ottawa win, coupled with a North Bay loss in regulation (vs. Sudbury Wolves), would result in a play-in game for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
