67’s and Olympiques renew acquaintances in interleague matchup
The matchup
The Alexandra Cup will be up for grabs tonight as the Ottawa 67’s (35-9-4) host the Gatineau Olympiques (32-12-6) at TD Place in a bonus CHLTV Game of the Week.
Tonight’s tilt features a Kia CHL Top 10 clash with the fifth place 67’s and eighth ranked Olympiques squaring off in an inter-league contest. It is the 15th all-time meeting between the OHL and QMJHL clubs where Ottawa has dominated proceedings thus far with a 9-4-0 record alongside one tie.
From the onset this season, the 67’s have been the team to beat as they lead the OHL in wins (35) and points (74).
The club’s 198 goals, spearheaded by an offence that includes Luca Pinelli, Vinzenz Rohrer (MTL) and Cam Tolnai among others, ranks fourth while the club’s power play ranks third at 24.6 per cent. The additions of Pavel Mintyukov (ANA) from Saginaw and Logan Morrison from Hamilton, and the recent return of Jack Beck (CGY) from injury, have only increased the 67’s offensive starpower.
Mintyukov scores against his former team!
The @AnaheimDucks first-round pick scores a backhander while falling to extend the @Ottawa67sHockey lead 🎥 pic.twitter.com/BWGf1hB3wK
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 5, 2023
Defensively, their 121 goals against are by far and away the fewest in the OHL as Max Donoso and Collin MacKenzie have formed a formidable tandem behind Jack Matier (NSH). At TD Place, the 67’s, who enter tonight on a 4-0-2 streak, have lost in regulation just three times in 21 games.
Gatineau’s 32 wins and 70 points are the fourth most in the QMJHL this year and they enter tonight’s contest on a six-game winning streak.
They too rank fourth in the Q in goals scored with 204 as Cole Cormier, Zach Dean (VGK) and Samuel Savoie (CHI) led the charge throughout the first half of the season before the team’s massive acquisition of Riley Kidney (MTL) from Acadie-Bathurst and the return of Olivier Nadeau (BUF) from offseason surgery has propelled the club’s offence to another level.
🦬 Olivier Nadeau 🦬
2⃣ buts et 4⃣ passes en 2⃣ périodes pour Nadeau ⬇️
2⃣ goals and 4⃣ assists in 2⃣ periods for Nadeau | @BuffaloSabres ⬇️#goOLgo♠️ pic.twitter.com/L8sA8r39kq
— Olympiques de Gatineau (@OlympiquesGAT) January 28, 2023
With 158 goals against, the club ranks tied sixth in that category while they rank sixth and ninth on the power play and penalty kill respectively.
The Olympiques will host the 67’s Saturday night in the second game of this season’s Battle of the Ottawa River.
Who to watch
There is frankly an endless supply of talent that will be on display tonight but Kidney’s influence since he became an Olympique cannot be overlooked.
In 11 games, he already ranks sixth in team scoring with 25 points (seven goals) and enters tonight on a 10-game point streak.
With Gatineau, Kidney has seven multi-point outing that was highlighted by a five-point effort (1G, 4A) Jan. 14 in a 6-5 overtime win against the Armada.
2⃣ buts et 2⃣ passes pour Riley Kidney, après 2⃣ périodes | @CanadiensMTL ⬇️
2⃣ goals and 2⃣ assists for Riley Kidney, after 2⃣ periods ⬇️#goOLgo♠️ pic.twitter.com/JnTOJdOF4u
— Olympiques de Gatineau (@OlympiquesGAT) January 28, 2023
A 2022 World Juniors gold medallist, Kidney sits seventh in QMJHL scoring with 70 points, a year after he recorded 100 as a member of the Titan.
Stats leaders
The 67’s spread their offensive wealth around as despite their ability to find the back of the net with regularity, Tolnai (51 points) is the only player to have surpassed the 50-point plateau.
Pinelli, who is the 49th ranked North American skater ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft and impressed at the 2023 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, is a point shy of 50 while Brady Stonehouse’s 27 goals are a team high.
Luca Pinelli from the low slot!
Team ⚪️ | #CHLKTP pic.twitter.com/NoGl97BAwo
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 26, 2023
Rohrer has played at a better than point-per-game average while Morrison has 15 points in nine games and Mintyukov has chipped in with 11 points and continues to lead all OHL d-men in scoring with 65.
Donoso’s 24 wins are the second most in the OHL while MacKenzie’s .924 save percentage leads all qualified goalies.
Cormier leads the Olympiques in goals (27) and points (54) while d-man Tristan Luneau (ANA) is third in scoring among QMJHL blueliners with 52 points.
Savoie’s 49 points are already a career best while 2023 World Juniors gold medallist Dean has matched a career high with 21 goals.
Tristan Luneau wins it in the shootout for @OlympiquesGAT!
L'espoir des @AnaheimDucks donne la victoire en fusillade!#CHLTVGOTW | #MDLSLCHTV pic.twitter.com/QTxuF9zsrU
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) October 30, 2022
Since he was acquired from Charlottetown ahead of the trade deadline, Francesco Lapenna has gone 7-2-1 with the Olympiques and owns a .913 save percentage.
Where to watch
Thursday’s contest can be seen live for free on CHL TV at 7pm ET / 4pm PT.
Available to fans from coast to coast, CHL TV is accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca. Each year, CHL TV offers access to more than 2,000 regular-season games covering the CHL’s three Member Leagues and 60 markets across Canada and the United States. Fans can download the free CHL app via the App Store and Google Play.
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