SmartStop Post Game Recap – A Hard Fought Battle
BRAMPTON, ON – The pond was painted pink at the CAA Centre tonight as the Brampton Steelheads hosted their annual Pink in the Rink Night in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. The Steelheads debuted their new pink jerseys, and fans were fired-up to support the boys in pink and white.
The puck dropped at 7:00 PM, and the Ottawa 67’s wasted no time showing why they remain undefeated this season. The visitors asserted their dominance and controlled much of the puck early on, keeping the puck deep in the Steelheads’ zone and testing goaltender Zach Bowen often. Bowen stood tall with several key saves, but Ottawa broke through with two quick goals less than 10 minutes into the first period – Thomas Vandenberg opened the scoring, followed by Cooper Foster.
After 67’s Zach Houben was sent to the penalty box for roughing at 11:40, the Steelheads had the powerplay opportunity. However, after many strong attempts made during the 2-minute player advantage, they were unable to change the score on the scoreboard.
Moments later, 67’s Jasper Kuhta extended the lead to 3-0 at 14:35, sending the teams to intermission with the 67’s in full control.
The Steelheads came out for the second period determined to turn things around, but an early penalty to Luke Dragusica for delay of game put them back on the defensive. The Steelheads’ penalty kill held strong, but shortly after, the 67’s Spencer Bowes added another goal at 3:52 to make it 4-0.
Looking to turn things around, Gabriel Chiarot tipped in a long shot from Peter Green for his second goal of the season, putting the Steelheads on the board. However, the momentum was short-lived as Cooper Foster netted his second of the night on a power play following a Justin Bottineau penalty, restoring the 67’s four-goal lead. Despite several quality chances late in the frame, the second period closed out with the 67’s leading 5-1.
In the third period, Brampton’s resilience began to show. After Peter Green was sent off for roughing at 5:59, the Steelheads’ penalty killers came up big, shutting down the 67’s power play.
Less than 10 minutes into the period, Joshua Avery reignited hope with a hard drive to the net that saw the puck bounce off the goalie and in, cutting the deficit to 5-2 and sending the pink sea of fans into a frenzy.
Moments later, Jakub Fibigr buried his second of the season amid a scramble of players in front of the net, bringing the score to 5-3. With time winding down, the Steelheads pulled Bowen for the extra attacker, and when Ottawa’s Thomas Vandenberg took a tripping penalty, Brampton had a 6-on-4 advantage. Despite relentless pressure, they unfortunately could not complete the comeback.
The Steelheads ultimately fell short, but their late surge and determination throughout the game earned applause from the home crowd.
The Steelheads return home to the CAA Centre next Friday at 7:00 PM, when they face off against the Brantford Bulldogs.
Three Stars of the Game
- Cooper Foster
- Gabriel Chiarot
- Jasper Kuhta
Shots:
OTT 26 / BRAM 39
