Fur flies as 67’s win wild one over North Bay
The 2023 Ottawa 67’s Teddy Bear Toss lived up to the hype.
Luca Pinelli’s first of two on the day was the fateful goal that sent the stuffed friends flying in the first period, and it gave way to a high-scoring affair, in which Ottawa edged the North Bay Battalion by a final score of 6-5.
Also scoring two in the effort was Brady Stonehouse, and aside from Pinelli’s goal for a cause, Stonehouse had the biggest marker of the night. With 8:36 left to play in a 5-5 game, the Edmonton Oilers prospect banged home a rebound on the doorstep, giving the 67’s what would be the game-winner.
Collin MacKenzie made his first start since November 12, and turned aside 31 shots, for his eighth win of the season.
With the anticipation building for the 67’s, it was the Battalion striking early, with Justin Ertel opening the scoring 3:19 in, on a two-on-one.
Just under 10 minutes later, on an Ottawa powerplay, Henry Mews hit Pinelli with a cross-ice feed, and the captain blasted home a one-timer to knot things up.
Just 1:21 into the second, Stonehouse stuck with a Caden Kelly rebound, and chipped it past Dom DiVincentiis for the first Ottawa lead of the day.
61 seconds later, it was Will Gerrior corralling a loose puck at the side of the North Bay net, and putting it into the open cage.
The lead was short-lived, with the Battalion scoring twice within less than a minute, courtesy of Ethan Procyszyn and Jacob Therrien, tying the game at 3-3.
Ottawa responded soon after, with Stonehouse making a gorgeous feed to a streaking Kaleb Lawrence, who chipped home his seventh.
In keeping with the theme, though, Brice Cooke knotted the score back up 32 seconds after the Lawrence marker, sending the two teams to the final period in a 4-4 tie.
Less than five minutes into the third, Pinelli ripped home his second of the day on the powerplay, but again, it was Ihnat Pazii evening things for North Bay soon after.
In the back half of the period, Foster put the puck to the net, setting up the Stonehouse winner on the loose puck.
With another big win under their belts, the 67’s turn their attention to the Oshawa Generals, Wednesday night at TD Place.
