ROUND 2 GAME 5 PREVIEW: 67’s looking to hold on to playoff dreams in Barrie
OTTAWA, ON – Down 3-1 in the series, it’s all or nothing for the #3 Ottawa 67’s as they take on the #2 Barrie Colts in their rink on Saturday, April 18th at 7:30 p.m. for Game 5 of the 2026 OHL Playoffs presented by Nissan. Fans can watch on FloHockey or listen to TSN 1200 for play-by-play from Kenny Walls.
To say this series has been completely Barrie’s would be just untrue, as the Ottawa 67’s have outperformed Barrie, even dominating the Colts at various points throughout the series. Game 3’s explosive second period saw Ottawa find success on the power play twice, netting three goals total and outshooting the Colts 18-8.
Game 4’s final five minutes had Barrie on their heels, giving up two goals to bully back into what could’ve been a completely lost game. Defenseman Frankie Marrelli has been instrumental to the surge offensively lately, with five points in his last two games.
“It’s do or die now,” said Cooper Foster, who leads the team with 10 points this playoffs. “I think we showed at the end (of last game), what we are capable of, I think if we do that for a full 60 next game, it’s gonna be a different result.”
Ryder Fetterolf, who was recently crowned the OHL’s Goalie of the Year, has been outstanding in the back half of the playoff series, with a .957 save percentage in Game 3 and a .930 save percentage in Game 4.
The biggest things Ottawa will need to do to succeed are to stay disciplined, execute on time, and get their goaltender moving. Each time they’ve accomplished these three things in this series, they’ve shown themselves to be able to withstand and even thrive against the Colts.
“There’s nothing my team’s not doing,” said Cameron. “Do you want them to do a little bit better, yeah of course you would.”
“They’re gonna be a real good team,” said Cameron. “They’re gonna want to stomp us out, we’re ready to accept that challenge.
Barrie has found a lot of success from their star players. Utah Mammoth first-rounder Cole Beaudoin leads the team in points this postseason with 20 points over just nine games. Dallas Stars first-rounder Emil Hemming sits second on the team with 15 points across nine games.
“They are obviously great players,” said Nic Whitehead of Barrie’s star power. “We just have to initiate on them.”
Barrie may be without their top scorers in Ben Wilmott, who seemed hurt at the end of Game 4. Wilmott will be a key miss if out of the lineup, sitting third on the team in points with 13 and leading in goals with eight in nine games.
While the 67s face the tall task of winning three straight to make it to the next round, the team isn’t sweating.
“We have a great group, a positive group,” said Whitehead. “We’re not hanging our heads low at all.”
“With us, (Dave Cameron) came in right after the game, and he was poised with us; he wasn’t upset at all,” said Whitehead. “He knows we’re backed into a corner right now, but all you can do is stay calm and positive, and that’s what he’s showing us.”
“It’s not magic, we know how we have to play,” said coach Dave Cameron. “We got a hundred points this season.”
“We just have to win one game.”
For more storylines, check out the series preview here, as well as Playoffs Central presented by Gabriel Pizza for tickets, contests, and much more.
Capital connections:
The Barrie Colts feature Ottawa-area-born forward and Utah Mammoth first-round pick Cole Beaudoin (Kanata). Additionally, the Colts roster features former Ottawa 67’s forward Brad Gardiner and Ottawa Senators prospect Gabriel Eliasson on defence.
By the numbers
| Ottawa 67’s | Player | Total |
| Goals | Nic Sima | 5 |
| Assists | Cooper Foster | 7 |
| Points | Cooper Foster | 10 |
| Power play goals | Frankie Marrelli | 2 |
| +/- | Cooper Foster | 9 |
| Barrie Colts | Player | Total |
| Goals | Ben Wilmott | 8 |
| Assists | Cole Beaudoin | 15 |
| Points | Cole Beaudoin | 20 |
| Power play goals | Brad Gardiner | 3 |
| +/- | Mason Zabeski | 13 |
