A Soo-table Ending to the Weekend: Ottawa 7 - SSM 3

That's three for three this weekend for the 67's who are looking pretty solid as a team. As mentioned in the game set-up, today was the 4th game in as many days for Toffoli and Martindale and the team had two new players to incorporate - D Jake Cardwell from Sudbury and D Julien Luciano from Belleville.

It certainly was not the return that Chris Perugini and Derek Hartwell had hoped for.

Click here for the game sheet.

With a hardworking win over Sarnia on Friday, a trip to and from Peterborough yesterday (which gets everyone back to the Rona Centre around 1:30AM), it would be reasonable to expect the 67's to be a bit tired against the Greyhounds. Especially with the Greyhounds having spent yesterday here in Ottawa resting.

Someone forgot to tell the 67's that - especially the top line of Toffoli, Martindale and Prince. This trio combined for 10 goals and 13 assist in three games this weekend.

Carnevale, Shipley and Janes were all out of the line up due to injuries and the Fielding as a forward experiment in Peterborough did not carry over into today's game.

Ottawa took the lead in the first period with Ryan Martindale scoring at the last second of a 36-second 5-on-3 PP followed up by Thomas Nesbit notching his 11th of the year. Toffoli and Prince assisted on Martindale's goal while Lindsay and Luciani had the helpers for Nesbitt.

Perhaps they were a little too sure of themselves or perhaps the intermission allowed the lactic acid to build up in their legs but for the first half of the second period, the 67's did not play like they had all weekend to that point. And the SSM Greyhounds were only too happy to take advantage, getting goals from Carrick, Catenacci (a PPG) and Dubchak in just over 8 minutes.

Just when I thought the 67's were running out of gas, new guy Luciani and David Quesnele went at it. Quesnele was feeding Luciani early in the bout but then Julien got his hand free and landed a few strong ones at the end. Quesnele fell hard in the take-down and may have injured his shoulder.

This served to wake up to the 67's and the team got back to what made them successful all weekend. With goals from Foglia and Martindale less than a minute apart, the 67's tied and then took the lead - never to look back.

Two third period goals from Toffoli and Prince's 8th goal of the season made it a night.

It was a good weekend. Now to rest, practice and prepare for next weekend where they host the Belleville Bulls on Friday and hit the road to play the IceDogs and Rangers.

Three Stars as selected by the Team1200

Hardest Working 67's as selected by the Team1200: Dalton Smith Random Thoughts:

• The 67's played teams that are all lower than them in the standings and it would be reasonable to expect that they should win. But it's how they won. They really played like a team. Puck support, speed, attention to defense and working hard in all areas of the ice had them looking pretty good. Doing this consistently will be important.
  
• Listened to Jon Abbot interviewing the top line after the game. They were understandably happy.
  
• 10 67's players had points in tonight's game. That has to make the coaches happy.
  
• I thought linesmen were supposed to jump in and end a fight when one of the brain-buckets come off. It didn't happen in the Luciani - Quesnele fight tonight and I have noticed them not doing it before. Hmmm.
  
• So much for loyalty - one fan yelled from the stands "You suck Perugini!" To add insult to injury, Perugini has had to cover that long stretch of highway between Ottawa and SSM 4 times this year - returning home both times after losses (he was not in goal when the 67's lost in SSM).

More Pictures:




Yet another addition to the 67's: D Julien Luciano



Click here to see more pictures from the game.