Colts Couldn’t Solve Lafreniere in Loss to 67’s

The Barrie Colts scored three third-period goals for the first time this season, but it proved to be too late as they lost to the Ottawa 67’s 7-3 Saturday evening.

As hot as the Colts were heading into Saturday’s game, after putting up an eight-spot on the Sudbury Wolves Thursday, they came in even hotter against the 67’s.

Their record against the 67’s over the last five years was an impressive 14-3 heading into the contest.

Two minutes in, Tye Felhaber skated down the left wing and dragged the puck around a defender before firing his wrist shot over Christain Propp’s glove to open the scoring.

Seemingly unfazed by the early goal, the Colts continued to apply the relentless pressure that led their juggernaut-like performance of a few nights prior.

Roughly 12 minutes into the first, a puck was tipped ahead for 67’s leading scorer, Artur Tyanulin, who attempt to go five-hole was turned aside by Propp.

At the other end, it was Anthony Stefano who had the best chance for the home team. With space to walk out from behind the net, his backhand was stopped by Oliver Lafreniere, who made 11 saves in the period.

Early into the second, Chiodo had two excellent chances to tie the game. First, he lost the handle on a backhand-forehand deke. Seconds later he would receive the puck at the face-off dot but put his shot into Lafreniere’s 67’s logo.

Jared Steege took the game’s first penalty 2:31 into the middle frame.

It was the 67’s that capitalized however, when Drake Rymsha was the first to a loose puck dumped into the Colts end. While he drew three Colts to his attention, a streaking Ben Fanjoy had the entire slot to himself before he beat Propp with his fifth of the season to make it 2-0.

The Colts outshot the 67’s 24-22 by the end of the second but trailed 4-0 after 40 minutes.

Despite their fair share of chances, they just couldn’t find an answer to Lafreniere.

First, Stefano had a pair of chances, with the first coming on a partial breakaway, but the Bradford, Ont. managed to close the five-hole just in time. He made 44 saves in the victory.

A five-on-three opportunity was next on the docket. While they only managed to move the puck around the 67’s tight penalty-killing triangle, there simply wasn’t any lanes to get a puck through for a shot.

The Colts offensive struggles Saturday night could be summed up in one play. With Giordano Finoro finally able to get a cross-crease pass over to Ben Hawerchuk, a rolling puck made it difficult for the latter to corral the puck to bury it into a yawning cage.

After two more tallies in the third would make it 6-0 for the visitors, Kirill Nizhnikov’s sixth goal of the season would ruin Lafreniere’s shutout bid with just over 12 minutes to go in the game.

Two minutes later, Stefano’s ninth goal of the season would make it 6-2. Cordell James would get an assist on the play, in his first game back since returning from injury.

A sequence of traded goals late in the third would bring the score line to 7-3.

The Colts will be looking for some revenge Sunday when they travel to North Bay to take on the Battalion.