Rival Generals pay first visit to Ottawa
Exactly 25 percent of the OHL season is behind us now, and on Friday night inside The Arena at TD Place, the Ottawa 67’s (7-7-2-1) will look to continue their climb up the standings with the Oshawa Generals (11-7-1-0) in town at 7 p.m. Great seats are still available here.
You can follow along from home on Rogers TV or on CHLTV, and with the radio broadcast on TSN 1200. For those in attendance, everything you need to know about your night out can be found here.
The Barber Poles had their five-game point streak snapped on Wednesday morning, narrowly missing out on overtime after a Brady Stonehouse goal was washed out for a high stick in the dying seconds. The Blenheim native did score his first of the season in the loss, and Cooper Foster notched a marker late in the game, but Ottawa couldn’t rally to tie.
67’s captain Luca Pinelli extended his point streak to six games in the game, in which time he has 14 points, including four games with a trio of points dating back to October 27th, when he scored a hat trick in Sudbury against the Wolves.
The Gennies last played on Sunday, when they secured a big win over the league’s top seed, the Kitchener Rangers. Luke Torrance and Calum Ritchie scored first for Oshawa, but the Rangers tied it early in the third period. With a little over six minutes to go, Ritchie struck again, sending the home fans home happy.
After spending seven games in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche, Ritchie has returned with some spunk for the Generals, scoring 14 points in seven OHL games this season. They boast a potent lineup, buoyed by Beckett Sennecke, Luca Marrelli, and recent trade acquisition Colby Barlow.
The Barber Poles and Generals have met once before this season, a game the 67’s won in overtime. Will Gerrior, Foster, Filip Ekberg, and Pinelli scored for Ottawa, while Jaeden Nelson stopped 30 shots.
By the numbers
| Ottawa 67’s | Player | Total |
| Goals | Luca Pinelli | 15 |
| Assists | Henry Mews | 16 |
| Points | Luca Pinelli | 24 |
| Powerplay goals | Luca Pinelli | 6 |
| +/- | Jack Dever | +5 |
| Oshawa Generals | Player | Total |
| Goals | Beckett Sennecke | 12 |
| Assists | Luca Marrelli | 16 |
| Points | Luca Marrelli | 25 |
| Powerplay goals | Beckett Sennecke, Luke Torrance | 3 |
| +/- | Luca Marrelli | +14 |
Keys to the game
- Bluelines
Turnovers around either blue line often come back to bite you. The 67’s have to limit those opportunities against an opponent of the Generals’ calibre.
- Poise
Play smart and protect the net, but take advantage of opportunities. Dave Cameron likes the term “puck poise,” and it’ll be important tonight.
- Buy in
Every point matters has been the M.O. for Ottawa recently. After a loss, the 67’s have to jump right back in.
