The Ottawa 67’s looked like a well-rested team after their holiday break.
Still shorthanded, due to injuries, and the ongoing World Junior Hockey Championship, the Barber Poles came out flying on home ice, Friday afternoon, earning a 5-1 win over the Kingston Frontenacs.
Henry Mews scored a pair, along with Jack Dever’s first OHL goal, and markers from Chris Barlas, and Will Gerrior. Max Donoso made 33 saves, for his 17th win of the season.
“We’re short staffed, but what I liked best about today was our structure,” said Head Coach Dave Cameron. “We managed the clock real good, and did a good job of managing the puck.”
After a fast-paced first period, things remained scoreless until the two teams combined for a pair of goals in the final minute. Maddox Callens gave the Frontenacs a 1-0 lead with 31 seconds remaining, but off the ensuing faceoff, the 67’s gained possession in the offensive zone. Cam Tolnai and Frankie Marrelli combined to feed Mews at the point, and he rifled a shot past Mason Vaccari to tie the game with eight seconds to go in the first.
Early in the second, it looked like Kingston was poised to retake the lead on a bounce off the end boards, but Donoso came flying back across the crease to make a phenomenal save, and keep the score even.
Ottawa would capitalize on an end boards bounce of their own, when a Matthew Mayich shot bounced to Barlas, and he made no mistake for his seventh of the season, and a 2-1 67’s lead.
After Brady Stonehouse drew a penalty near the midway point of the period, the Barber Poles won the offensive zone faceoff, and Mews patiently fired home his second of the day, making it 3-1.
Late in the third period, Kingston defender Quinton Burns was ejected for a crosscheck to the face of Tolnai, and both Gerrior, and Dever scored on the powerplay in the final 90 seconds, securing a decisive 5-1 victory for the 67’s.
“It feels good to be contributing,” said Dever, who missed time recently due to an injury. “I felt like I was playing pretty good when I got injured, and then to come back and score was great.”
The 67’s will look to make it three in a row, all vs Kingston, when they visit the Fronts at 4:00pm on Sunday.
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