Both teams were missing key players for the game. Out of the lineup for Ottawa were Tyler Cuma, Julien Demers, and Logan Couture who remained at their NHL camps. Adam Courchaine was out with a groin injury and Adam Zamec served the second game in his six game suspension.
Chris Perugini was in net
I didn’t get all the scratches for Brampton but they were missing John Hughes and Cory Hodgson who remain at their NHL camps (Columbus and Vancouver respectively).
Patrick Killen (recently returned from the Penguins camp) was in net for the Battalion.
You can read a game sheet as well as I can so here it is.
This is what the game sheet won’t tell you.
Ottawa was SERIOUSLY outplayed in the first two periods. Both teams seemed disconnected for the start of the game and Ottawa’s goal in just 10 seconds was the result of an intercepted pass by Martindale and digging at the goal-mouth by Thomas Kiriakou. Corey Cowick and Yakov Vorobyov got the assists. The Battalion came right back and appeared to have tied up the game 20 seconds later but it was called back because the player gloved the puck in. Stan Butler was some annoyed. That man will have serious health issues if he tries to keep up that amount of indignation throughout the season.
Brampton slowly started getting its collective act together and eventually took over the play. The 67s did a good job defending on the first PK of the game, limiting the Battalion to one shot, but that was about all the good they were able to muster as a team.
There were a couple of bright moments including Martindale catching Toffoli behind the Battalion defender while on a PK but Tyler was offside and the play was called.
Ken Peroff was credited with tying the game at 7:06 with a wrist shot from inside the blue line that deflected off someone to get past Chris.
On their first PP of the season (Corey Cowick was hauled down) the 67s weren’t able to generate a shot on Killeen.
The second period was pretty much like the first except that the Battalion didn’t need any time to warm up. But, like the first period, the 67s were first to score with a nice wrist shot from that Michael Latta put top shelf on Killeen just 1:20 into the game. Brian Birkhoff got the assist. This was Ottawa’s 5th shot of the game I think. Not looking too good for Penguins prospect Killeen. Bt then, he could have been asleep for all the action he had seen to that point.
For his part, Chris Perugini made a few saves to keep his team in the game. And the goalpost helped out a couple of times.
With Brian Birkhoff off for kneeing, the Battalion had a good powerplay but it had already ended when Jason Dale tied it up once again. It looked like it was just tipped in.
Brampton continued to carry the play but were unable to get the go-ahead goal.
Then, just at the end of the period, it all changed.
The teams were playing 4-on-4 when Brampton’s Matt Duchene was called for holding Martindale (I think). The announcers thought it odd how the call was made since Matt had possession of the puck but the ref saw it otherwise. With only 28 seconds in the period, Michael Latta scored his second of the night, another wrister that went top shelf but this on the other side of Killeen. Martindale and Toffoli got the assists. And to close out the period, just as time ran out, Corey Cowick made it 4 – 2 with help from Sean Ryan and Thomas Kiriakou.
Ottawa had been pretty much outplayed for 40 minutes, managed 12 shots on goal and were up 4 – 2. Go figure.
And that pretty much did Brampton in. It was complete role reversal in the third period with Ottawa carrying the play and Brampton on their heels for the most part. Brandon Foote replaced Patrick Killeen and turned aside all 15 shots that Ottawa had.
So, for the 4th time in as many years, Brampton dropped its home opener and for the second year in a row, it was Ottawa doing the dropping despite having been outplayed for the most part.
Three stars of the game according to the game sheet:
1 – Michael Latta
2 – Matt Duchene
3 – Chris Perugini
According to Team1200:
1 – Michael Latta
2 – Corey Cowick
3 – Matt Duchene
Hardest working 67s: Thomas Kiriakou
Closing thoughts:
- The “Bunker” looked pretty empty for a home opener on a Friday night. I think the 67s had more fans out for the season ticket pick-up on Monday.
- season firsts: penalty – Cody Lindsay; goal – Kiriakou; point as a 67s: Cowick, Toffoli, Vorobyov; Birkhoff; win – Perugini;
- Toffoli had a couple of chances for short-handed goals. He got behind the defenseman twice and in one case had the shot on goal. he's going to be dangerous.
- Chris was taken out when Duchene (I think) crashed the net going for a late goal. He finished the final seconds of the game. I hope it was minor contact.
- the young team got the job done. Good to get the win on the road.
See you at the home opener on Friday!!
3 comments:
My thoughts:
- you're right, the 67's got outplayed in the first and dominated in the second (both physically and positionally), how they got out of that period up two goals is a miracle.
- Martindale had no less than 3 glorious chances in front, his size in front of the net is going to be great with latta/toffoli/couture/etc. feeding him the puck. Having said that, he looked slower tonight than last year.
- the 67's were being pushed around, especially in the 2nd, to the point that killer had to tear a strip off the ref for a particularly rough after the whistle facewashing.
- after hearing so much about Anderson's speed in training camp I was unimpressed despite his low number of shifts/minutes, and without speed his size makes him a big liability.
- Nesbitt put in a good nights work, a couple chances, hard skating, he seemed to buzz around. Lahey, by contrast, did not show up.
- Is it official that Vorobyov is staying? He was definitely putting in the effort, but I'm not sure there was enough there to warrant a spot.
- It could just be the result of a bad game overall but the 67's looked lost on their breakouts for most of the game.
- Big ups to Perugini with a beauty glove save on a breakaway (brutal full change to the opposite bench [2nd period far side change] that was caught by Brampton), I've noticed that those floater shots from the point seem to have his number however (the first Brampton goal), overall an A game though, great to see this early in the year.
- Latta's 2nd goal was a rocket!
- I was liking Carnevale's banging and effort tonight.
Off to Niagara for tomorrow night's game! Go 67's Go!! :-)
I completely forgot to note the save that Perugini had on the breakaway. That was a game-saver for sure.
As for Vorobyov, I don't know if he's sticking but I really think that Lahey is on the bubble. As an OA he will have to show some significant contribution to stay past November in my opinion. Killer didn't say it directly but it's what I inferred from hearing his comments.
Killer has repeated that he expects mistakes to be made by this young team in the first half with their growth as players and a a team emerging in the second half. He's trying to manage everyone's expectations.
They play 4 of their 5 first games on the road. This road win was pretty important.
Thanks for sharing your observations!
Guess what we saw on the ice didn't go un-noticed by the 67s coaching staff, Lahey dropped this week, and I can't say that this was unexpected.
A great couple games against the Bulls Fri and Sat (they deserved the win Friday), let's hope they keep it going Sunday!
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